Tech Tip: The Spammers/Scammers/Hackers are now using Skype for their purposes :(:(

[Brian Curry]

A LOT of us are using Skype. It is a GREAT tool. No to low cost
contact all over the world with audio and video. However, it is not
only great for us, it can be and now is great for Spammers too.
Trying to keep us "good people" out of harms way.

This just showed up on another list.

The take-aways:

** Having Skype automagically start and a log in when you start the
computer is NOT necessarily a good thing. It means that you are "open"
to getting this new type of glurge all the time.

** Any message you get that arrives out of the blue, from a source you
do not absolutely positively KNOW and tells you that you are "at risk"
and have to take action NOW "helpfully" telling you were to go, be
VERY VERY SUSPICIOUS of it. If you don't know them at all, IGNORE and
trash it. If it might be real (Say a friend or your ISP/e-mail
provider) CONTACT THE SENDER and find out if they sent you something.
NOTHING is that "right now".

I recently got an e-mail from a friend saying they had sent me a
"private message" with a link to be clicked. It did not feel right.
A private message??? I sent them a note asking "Why are you sending
me a "private message".... They got back to me. They had been hacked
and similar went out to ALL in their Web address book... :(:(

Now to the Skype story:
=========
No kidding, there I was, sitting at my computer and minding my own
business with some remote server reconfigurations when out of the
blue...

My wife's computer started to bleat out the cheerful tune that indicates
an incoming Skype call. I really need to set up her Skype so that it doesn't
autostart and autolog in to Skype. Anyway, I woke the screen up expecting
it to be our son who just returned today from a network conference
in Finland. Rather than David, it was "Computer Service" calling.

The robot voice on the other end of the call tried to tell me in most
urgent robot voice tones (sorry, but it really doesn't work, you idiot
spammers) that my computer protection mechanisms were turned off
and that (in extremely urgent robot voice tones) I needed to visit a
particular website (which it helpfully spelled out for me) to have my
PC scanned and my protection reactivated.

Um, no thanks. First malware troll that I've heard of on Skype, though.
I'll bet that a few schlubs fall for it.
=========

Hopefully if they try you next you will NOT fall for it.

Turn on and Log in to Skype when you need it. Log out when you do
not. (Same for Facebook too unless you like being tracked all over
the Internet.)

--

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Ambassador BMW MOA |
Brian Curry |Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak
"DEERsSLAYER" | -- Winston Churchill
K75RTs both coasts |
Chester Springs PA |