Warning

[Janet]

I had been using Webfetti to send Birthday wishes to members here. The last time I went to the site, it prompted me to upgrade. I chose to upgrade, clicked Next, and then noticed a little box that was checked to add MySearch or something like that. It installed itself on my computer, and I could not find it anywhere to get it off. It was a tracking software. I ended up getting Trojans, PUPS, and I forget what else, but none of it good. He told me that there are many websites out there that once you click on them, they add things to your computer. I recently had a virus and had to wipe out my whole drive. Every time I found and deleted files associated with it, it would recreate them in other locations. I used McAfee, and that didn't find any of these things.

The IT guy told me about free antivirus software, anti-adware, and spy detection programs that he uses. Check them out. They are:

AVG Antivirus
Ad-Aware
Spybot Search & Destroy

I loaded these programs, and they found and deleted the files McAfee didn't detect.

[Jennie Ann]

I used to use the AVG and Ad-Aware, and I agree, Janet, that they are excellent. They caught quite a few things for me.

When I got my last desktop (Dell), it came with Trend Micro PC-cillin Internet Security, free for a year. It is so unintrusive. It comes on every morning and every night. I ended up buying a 3-year plan, I like it so much.

It is very smart to practice safe computing. Anybody who does not have a virus protection should definitely get some protection.

[Mary Jo Cochran]

I tend to "yap" tooo much.

Microsoft Live One Care is great. You can use it for free for three months.

[Sono]

Hi, Janet --

I'm sorry this happened to you. It's so hard to know who to trust these days and some things are so tempting. In addition to those products you use, I also use malawarebytes -- it's caught a few things that the others hadn't. Beware and be armed!!!!

Thanks for the heads up!

Sono

[Michelle]

I can't really recommend it, but I've heard that Eset Nod 32 is a very good product but haven't tried it myself, perhaps someone else has?

[Julie Samford]

Oh, man, those internet sites are so sneaky and evil! I'm sorry that happened to you!

Here's one I've used many times when something sneaks by my antivirus. It's called HouseCall, and it's not a protection system per se but will go find the problem once you have one.

http://housecall.trendmicro.com/

I use the free version on AVG for antivirus.
Julie

[C Cipolla]

Quarantine strategy:

Back when there was a scam in our area where ID thieves put readers on ATM scanners at gas stations... people were losing lots of money out of their bank accounts, because these con artists got their mag strip info plus the pin number...

To, minimize loss, you can use this formula...

Have one debit account that is used for things like gas, food, etc... and keep it at a low monthly balance. Set up an electronic auto transfer from a bigger savings account in a different bank, that feeds into this debit account an average monthly amount needed. That way, if the account is compromised, the most you could lose is one month's worth of miscellaneous spending money, not tens of thousands of dollars... plus, if the account has a problem, it will alert you with an overdraft much sooner than if the account had lots of money in it,... and ten thousand dollars go down before you discover the damage.

To apply this same "quarantine" idea to computer usage...

Have different computers: one for work, that never connects to the web, one for research / higher risk web surfing, and one for safer web usage of bank accounts, email, etc...

And thanks for the anti-virus software recommendations... I installed AVG on my computer!

[Mary Jo Cochran]

I was a legal assistant for a banking litigation attorney for eight years. The reason you get a bank statement every month is to check for "bad things" (from the bank's point of view). I think it's 60 days (but each state could be different). This means if you have money missing from your account you have so much time to notify the bank - and if you don't, then the bank is not responsible.

Because of being unemployed I got a roommate in my house. She is using my internet router. Since I have a magicjack, I left my computer on for phone calls. I have Wachovia on my favorites, and my login was checked for on. Just needed the password.

I went to my dad's house for two days, then came back. During those two days someone made numerous attempts to log into my Wachovia account. I got the e-mail from Wachovia telling me and to log on and change my password. Two days later I got an e-mail that looked like it came from Wachovia (but it didn't) telling me to click to change my password. The next day I got an e-mail from Wachovia telling me an e-mail address had been added to my account!!!! - and I needed to go to the website to confirm!!! It was just a few days later my bank statement came online. That e-mail address would have also got it.

I went to the bank. I now have a "designated e-mail address" for the bank stuff. It is not used for anything else. I changed my log in info along with my password (and I don't leave the password on remember). If I need to pay for anything online I use paypal. I do not log into my bank e-mail when Roomie is here - ever. Because of the magicjack, I added another user to my computer - PHONE (and that is where magicjack is).

I set up my Mary account with a password. I don't know if it was Roomie who was "helping herself" - but I know it won't happen again.

[C Cipolla]

Wow... sounds almost like an ID theft nightmare. I never bank online. It's easy to set up auto-payments for almost everything.

[Glen Warner]

Have different computers: one for work, that never connects to the web, one for research / higher risk web surfing, and one for safer web usage of bank accounts, email, etc...

Good plan ...(love the bank account idea, too)!

I have a PC laptop I use for my CAT stuff, and my Mac laptop I use for internet stuff and everything else. While my PC laptop *could* go online (I do have to download XP SP 3 sooner or later), to do so requires a wireless card, which I have used with it once ... and currently sits in a pocket in the laptop bag.

Hope you get all this stuff sorted out, Janet.

--gdw
-------------------------
"For a Good (steno) Time ...."
http://www.cheapandsleazy.net

[C Cipolla]

Thanks for the encouragement. I'm glad you like the bank account idea, too.