Discussion » Questions » Computers and the Internet » How likely are you to be scammed?
Benedict Arnold

How likely are you to be scammed?

The Internet is awash with parasites wanting to swindle us. The growth industry among scammers this year is ransomware and the FBI estimated that by now that particular scheme would be taking $1 billion/year. How do you avoid being caught?
(Think about subscribing to the Malwarebytes newsletter. It's free.)

Posted - January 17, 2017
Tags : None

Responses


  • 46117
    You have to have money to be scammed so I am safe.
      January 17, 2017 3:43 PM MST
    2

  • Not so, Sharonna. If you pick up a ransomware virus you'll either find the money pay or lose your computer.

    I'm not certain whether a factory reset would eliminate such a bug but, if so, you'd need to be well-and-truly backed up on an external drive. 
      January 17, 2017 3:58 PM MST
    1

  • Not likely at all ....My paranoia is a bit over the top at times ....But it has served me well on Internet  :)    
      January 17, 2017 3:52 PM MST
    3

  • We share a common paranoia, Jaimie. Much better to be safe. 
      January 17, 2017 3:59 PM MST
    2

  • i got scammed once when i got my first computer- i didn't know about rogue programs and what not back than... but i have since learnt my lesson when i did research out the matter shortly after i found out that the program was fake.  This post was edited by Benedict Arnold at January 17, 2017 4:34 PM MST
      January 17, 2017 4:23 PM MST
    3

  • There was no Internet when i started and the viruses were usually passed around on floppy disks by malicious programmers.

    One I heard of that wasn't malicious (and this was back in the 1980s) was a bug that was triggered by the time. If you were on your computer at 2.30 am and probably feeling sleepy, it would wipe all the data from your screen, replace it with a big eye that opened and closed before disappearing and restoring your data. It'd leave you wondering whether you'd imagined it all. 
      January 17, 2017 4:36 PM MST
    1

  • Nah I can tell a scammer within one sentence.. they have got better and one or two took longer but you can always catch them out.. spam ditto... malware and stuff..well that's harder to avoid as it happens without you knowing.. good antivirus etc software is a great idea but even then.. it happens... 
      January 17, 2017 4:27 PM MST
    2

  • I don't even bother to insult telepone scammers any more. Just hang up. As you say, they're easy to recognise. 
      January 17, 2017 4:37 PM MST
    2

  • Unfortunately I get zillions of them.. or did.. cos i had an accident, I wasnt even in the car a bus hit it.. but this means my name is on some list somewhere  and somehow the nasty slimy parasites are able to see this and keep bugging me about suing for compensation.. i hate that.. I don't answer any calls frm any number i don't recognise now as I was getting scores a week
      January 17, 2017 4:42 PM MST
    0

  • 2500
    For computer malware run a firewall and keep it and your anti-virus software up to date. (Malwarebytes, Kaspersky, Norton, Mcafee, whatever; even the free stuff that Microsoft includes with Windows is pretty good from what I hear from my IT people.)

    But even with all that you still might pick up a problem. So back up your data. Full back-ups weekly, incremental on a daily basis. And keep those back-ups for as long as you can. And write-protect them before you try to restore from them at a later time. That way if you do take a hit with something like ransomware you can restore your data without paying the extortionist. Just have to determine when you caught the "bug" and restore from an earlier back-up. 
      January 17, 2017 5:17 PM MST
    0

  • Excellent advice, Pepper. Thanks. 
      January 17, 2017 5:31 PM MST
    0

  • 7792
    It's not going to happen. If you try to, I'll cut you.
      January 17, 2017 5:33 PM MST
    1