Comments on: If it Says You’ve Received a Greeting eCard from a Friend, Class Mate, or Partner - Well, You Haven’t. And Don’t Open It! http://www.theinternetpatrol.com/if-it-says-youve-received-a-greeting-ecard-from-a-friend-class-mate-or-partner-well-you-havent-and-dont-open-it/ Internet Safety, Windows Updates, Internet News, and More Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:05:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Steffi Kaizun http://www.theinternetpatrol.com/if-it-says-youve-received-a-greeting-ecard-from-a-friend-class-mate-or-partner-well-you-havent-and-dont-open-it/#comment-341145 Steffi Kaizun Tue, 12 Feb 2008 01:10:59 +0000 http://www.theinternetpatrol.com/if-it-says-youve-received-a-greeting-ecard-from-a-friend-class-mate-or-partner-well-you-havent-and-dont-open-it#comment-341145 Notice that the bogus e-mails won't have your name or the sender's name (most of the valid ones include the sender's name and e-mail address which is usually recognizable). Also, some of the bogus links look genuine to the viewer, but, in fact, are completely bogus. How can you tell? For most users, just move your mouse over the link WITHOUT CLICKING ON IT, then look at the bottom of your browser window, and you should see the bogus link (i.e., instead of saying something like "Hallmark.com", it'll show something completely different). If you don't recognize the link appearing in either the e-mail or at the bottom of the window, don't click on it! Unfortunately, some legit ones look bogus, but, there's a "fix" for that, too! After you've deleted the seemingly bogus card, your friend will probably send you an e-mail asking whether you got it. When you say, "Oh, no, I thought it was a spam and deleted it!", they can just re-send the card using the link they were given as a verification from the legit e-mail website; if they lost *that*, then everyone's hosed, but, hey, the sender can always re-send it! (FWIW, I'm a computer programmer with over 30 years of experience including a sideline business of fixing home and business computers) Notice that the bogus e-mails won’t have your name or the sender’s name (most of the valid ones include the sender’s name and e-mail address which is usually recognizable). Also, some of the bogus links look genuine to the viewer, but, in fact, are completely bogus. How can you tell? For most users, just move your mouse over the link WITHOUT CLICKING ON IT, then look at the bottom of your browser window, and you should see the bogus link (i.e., instead of saying something like “Hallmark.com”, it’ll show something completely different). If you don’t recognize the link appearing in either the e-mail or at the bottom of the window, don’t click on it! Unfortunately, some legit ones look bogus, but, there’s a “fix” for that, too! After you’ve deleted the seemingly bogus card, your friend will probably send you an e-mail asking whether you got it. When you say, “Oh, no, I thought it was a spam and deleted it!”, they can just re-send the card using the link they were given as a verification from the legit e-mail website; if they lost *that*, then everyone’s hosed, but, hey, the sender can always re-send it! (FWIW, I’m a computer programmer with over 30 years of experience including a sideline business of fixing home and business computers)

]]> By: Awan http://www.theinternetpatrol.com/if-it-says-youve-received-a-greeting-ecard-from-a-friend-class-mate-or-partner-well-you-havent-and-dont-open-it/#comment-130392 Awan Tue, 31 Jul 2007 04:24:42 +0000 http://www.theinternetpatrol.com/if-it-says-youve-received-a-greeting-ecard-from-a-friend-class-mate-or-partner-well-you-havent-and-dont-open-it#comment-130392 Yeah, I am receiving such mails from a couple of days. I did try to see the site only. But in the middle i realized its a spasm. So I simply stopped my browser and started anti virus scan. Scanning indicated a virus and deleted the file. So I think I am safe :) Yeah, I am receiving such mails from a couple of days. I did try to see the site only. But in the middle i realized its a spasm. So I simply stopped my browser and started anti virus scan. Scanning indicated a virus and deleted the file. So I think I am safe :)

]]> By: The Internet Patrol http://www.theinternetpatrol.com/if-it-says-youve-received-a-greeting-ecard-from-a-friend-class-mate-or-partner-well-you-havent-and-dont-open-it/#comment-130207 The Internet Patrol Mon, 30 Jul 2007 17:58:05 +0000 http://www.theinternetpatrol.com/if-it-says-youve-received-a-greeting-ecard-from-a-friend-class-mate-or-partner-well-you-havent-and-dont-open-it#comment-130207 la la la la la la la la

]]> By: Smith http://www.theinternetpatrol.com/if-it-says-youve-received-a-greeting-ecard-from-a-friend-class-mate-or-partner-well-you-havent-and-dont-open-it/#comment-130156 Smith Mon, 30 Jul 2007 16:28:18 +0000 http://www.theinternetpatrol.com/if-it-says-youve-received-a-greeting-ecard-from-a-friend-class-mate-or-partner-well-you-havent-and-dont-open-it#comment-130156 First, people using Linux or Macs probably don't have to worry. And those Windows users who keep their systems patched with the latest security updates are probably doing okay too. Remember that the only way that clicking a link can give you a virus is when your web browser has a security hole the attacking web site can exploit to install and execute code on your system. More important is to tell people that URLs using an IP address instead of a domain name (i.e. 58.9.174.164 instead of whatever.com) should NEVER be clicked unless you know for a fact precisely where that numerical address leads. First, people using Linux or Macs probably don’t have to worry. And those Windows users who keep their systems patched with the latest security updates are probably doing okay too.

Remember that the only way that clicking a link can give you a virus is when your web browser has a security hole the attacking web site can exploit to install and execute code on your system.

More important is to tell people that URLs using an IP address instead of a domain name (i.e. 58.9.174.164 instead of whatever.com) should NEVER be clicked unless you know for a fact precisely where that numerical address leads.

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