What to Do if I Receive Fraudulent Emails | Antivirus Software

Please note, many fraudulent emails are currently circulating in order to recover your personal and banking data. This scam technique is called "phishing". How to recognize a phishing attempt? What steps should you take, especially with your bank, if you are a victim of phishing?

What is Internet Phishing?

Phishing (or “phishing”)  is an Internet scam technique increasingly used by hackers to steal personal data such as:

• your name and address,
• your contact details (telephone, postal address, etc.),
• your date of birth,
• your bank account number,
• your social security number,
• your Internet connection details for banking or merchant sites ...
• your e-mail username and password, etc. 

To obtain this information, the hackers send a  fraudulent e-mail that appears to come from the Administration  (tax service, health insurance, family allowance fund),  a bank, or a recognized company  (telephone operator, operator of energy, e-commerce site, etc.).

How to Recognize a Fraudulent Email?

The sender's email address includes the name of the organization or company whose identity has been spoofed but often contains anomalies (inconsistencies in the logo, text, spelling errors, etc.). It is one of the first things to look out for to prevent personal data theft.

The content of the email is not personalized (for example, it begins with "dear customer"). The body of the message can contain an image instead of the text to prevent the detection of the mail by the spam filters.

The email invites you in a short time:

• to respond directly to the e-mail by providing personal data,
• to click on a link to complete a form,
• or open an attachment. 

In the typical fraudulent e-mail, the excuses often put forward are the following: an update of your personal data, the verification of a debt, a payment, the imminent deactivation of your account, a reward, or a discount (for example a tax reduction).

In general, the email may contain either a  link that refers to a fraudulent website strongly resembling the official website of the company or organization in question (site URL address, the home page, and logo almost identical), or an attachment (form to fill in, the program to run, etc.).

Either way, you risk giving information to crooks and infecting your computer with a virus that will pick up whatever you type on your keyboard and send it to the crook.

What Are the Precautions to Take After Receiving a Fraudulent Email?

If you have received a suspicious email  :

• do not answer the email,
• Report the fraudulent email and the offense of which you have been the victim to the competent authorities on the Internet platform
• forward it to the address alert@securite.lcl.fr if this email mentions LCL
• do not click on any link contained in the email / do not open the attachments,
• destroy the email,
• update your computer's protection system (antivirus software, firewall, anti-spyware). 

If you have any doubts, call the organization or company in question directly before answering the email.

If you have already replied to a fraudulent email  :

• notify the organization whose identity has been spoofed and change inadvertently transmitted passwords;
• check your bank statements and make sure that no amount has been withdrawn irregularly. If not, contact your bank immediately to object.

6 Ways to Avoid Phishing and Texting | Antivirus Software

Scams carried out through phishing or smishing are common attacks these days. Who is not inundated with emails and SMS containing fake web addresses, telephone numbers to contact, various offers, each more attractive than the last? After explaining what phishing is, it's time to help you avoid getting caught in the cracks! 

• Check the subject and sender of the email or SMS
• Most malicious messages will have a subject similar to this:
• You won the lottery
• Verify your account 
• Your request has been registered
• Please confirm your identity ( although you have not registered on this site )  
• Exceptional offers 
• Refund offers 

The subject combined with the sender should already tease you and create an ounce of suspicion in you. If you receive an email from a distributor/store when you never receive one, you should already be asking yourself questions. If you are asked to validate your registration when you have no memory of this site, do not go further and delete this message.

Identify Phishing and Smishing Messages

Phishing emails can take many forms. Often times they will use the exact logo of the company/company, the signature of one or more important people from that organization, they can use the layout and colors of their official email, website, etc.

Hackers even use phishing to trick users who have already been scammed. They pose as an organization that could help them recover previously lost money and take the opportunity to direct you to a fictitious site in order to recover your personal identifiers or money.

The SMS will usually ask you (often urgently) to click on a link to a website or call a phone number in order to verify, update, or reactivate your account. The link to the website will take you to a fictitious site that will claim to be a legitimate business. The goal is to get you to disclose any information that could help fraudsters steal your money.

Do Not Click on Links

Phishing and smishing messages usually link to fictitious web pages that are an (almost) exact replica of the original site. These scam websites are used by crooks to collect your personal data or to install spyware/malware on your system. So be careful about which links you click. 

Take the right reflexes and connect to the company's website directly by typing the web address into your browser. Do not "cut and paste" the link in the email or SMS and then paste it in your browser. Scammers can create links that are identical to the official website address, but which will direct you to an exact copy of the official website. Also, avoid responding to a fraudulent message. This could activate a system that would indicate that your email is active and that the fraudster can reuse it in future spam.

Secure Website

Make sure you always use a secure website when filling out personal and/or sensitive information. To make sure you are on a secure web server, check the internet address in your browser's bar. starts with   "https: //" rather than "HTTP: //" . You should also see a small padlock near the web address If when connecting to the website your browser displays a security alert indicating that the site is not trusted, you should not continue because it is probably from a pirate site.

• Increase the security of your system
• Keep your computer secure with efficient software and regular updates. For example :
• Install (or improve) firewall protection
• Keep your browser secure by installing updates as they become available
• Make sure your operating system is also up to date
• Use recognized antivirus software and update it regularly
• Use anti-spyware software
• Use a spam filter
• Delete cookies as often as possible
• Browse the Internet from a user, non-administrator session

If in Doubt

If you believe you have been the victim of a phishing or smishing scam, contact the targeted company directly to determine if this is the sender of the message. If you contact the official sender of the message by phone, be sure to get the number from a directory or the company's official website.

The company will take the necessary measures and will contact the police to report the incident. It is important to report the issue for your benefit if you have been trapped, but also to prevent it from affecting more than one person.

10 Simple Ways to Protect Your Computer

Fear of being infected by the plagues of the internet is increasingly common. The more technology develops, the more things are done by personal computers, such as paying bills, files with personal information. In this way, it also increases the interest of hackers to break into systems. What must be done to protect the machines is always a question. "If I already have antivirus, why was I still infected?" It is not a program, but a set of activities that allow the PC to be as defended as possible. See 10 practical tips to increase your security.

1)Antivirus

Antivirus may not be solely responsible for computer security, but it is certainly one of the main and first steps for those who want to protect their machine.

It is possible to find good antivirus software - the paid ones that exist in the market are superior to the free ones since they offer wide support. 

2)Firewall

The firewall works, in a way, together with the antivirus. Since he is responsible for expelling what is doubtful before he enters the machine. Once inside (when the firewall fails) you still have the antivirus that will do what it can to eliminate.

3)Antispyware

Antispyware is responsible for performing scans on the computer to try to eliminate spyware from the system - programs left by hackers on your computer to collect your information.

4)Updated Operating

system When the system is out of date it is much easier for hackers to infiltrate the PC. Always keep it updated. Updates can be configured to be performed automatically or even manually - whenever the user wants it.

5)Do Not Access Unknown Links

In e-mails, websites, chat programs, or practically everything you have access to on the internet, it may, at one time or another, have a malicious link. Care and precaution in this situation are essential and directly helps to protect the machine.

6)Do Not Send Personal Data by E-mail

With the password of your e-mail, the hacker has, like you, access to all e-mails that have already been sent or received. Try, as much as possible, not to send your data, such as a bank account password, for example.

7)Unlikely and Different Passwords on Each Website

Placing different passwords on websites is an extremely important step in protecting your accounts. Even if someone finds out your password and login for a particular website, you will not be able to access others with the same digits. If you were unable to protect one account, at least you will be able to preserve the others.

8)Beware of Downloads

Downloads are one of the main reasons for the insertion of pests in machines. Occasionally, when looking for a special program, the site may imply that the download will be made via a link that will lead to viruses. Even if all the steps have been done perfectly, still pay attention to any additional software that the program indicates during installation. Avoid accepting everything during the process. Even if you don't have any malware, additional ones can still decrease the effectiveness of your machine and make it more vulnerable.

9)“.exe” and “.scr” Files

A simple trick, but not always effective, to check if the link contains viruses is to hover over it (without clicking) and check - in the lower-left corner the browser status bar - where you will be taken if you click on it. If it is a ".exe" it means that it is an executable, that is, a program, probably, and not a website. So, the possibility of being malware is very great. The ".scr" usually refers to screen savers, which often confuse the user. Avoid, whenever possible, clicking on the links that appear with such extensions.

10)Trusted Sites

It is common, especially when using search engines, to be directed to unknown shopping sites, to watch videos, or other actions. Some users have enough malice to be able to operate on such sites without acquiring viruses, but for laymen to avoid such pages, at least in the beginning, it is essential.

How to Recognize a Phishing Email? How to Respond to It?

When people work a lot, often go to meetings, and correspond with clients all the time, they get used to quickly review messages without going into details. At the same time, not everyone is well aware of the latest cyber threats and cannot immediately recognize them. In fact, these employees are ideal victims of phishing. Without noticing that the letter is malicious, the victim can give cybercriminals access to the corporate network and confidential information. By going to a phishing site, through carelessness, a person can lose a decent amount.

Successful phishing attacks can be very costly for a company. They put important data at risk, which may include private customer data, which can seriously damage your reputation.

It is important for employees to understand how phishing works, to be able to recognize phishing emails right away and to know what to do if they encounter it.

How Are Phishing Emails Spread?

Most phishing scams are targeted at a specific company. It is much easier for cybercriminals to gain access to valuable information through employees than to hack into the system on their own.

The success of a phishing campaign depends on three factors:

• The sender of the letter must inspire confidence
• The letter must contain reliable facts
• The request in the letter should be logical, addressed to a specific person

Attackers carefully prepare for their attacks: these are not random mailings. Cybercriminals study information about the company and its employees so that the letter does not raise any suspicions. Often, phishing emails are sent not to ordinary employees, but to managers who have access to more information. As a rule, such letters contain an urgent request that requires immediate action from the manager.

What Should Alert Employees?

There are some hint signs in emails that you need to check. If an email contains several such signs, it is most likely a phishing email. Pay attention to the following factors:

• Did this letter come from someone with whom you correspond frequently?
• Did you expect to receive letters on this topic from this employee? (If accounting regularly reminds you of invoicing a client and then unexpectedly asks for something completely different, it's best to check it out)
• Is there an urgent request in the letter that requires immediate action?
• Is this a standard request or an unusual one?
• Is the writing style consistent with the normal sender's style?
• Does the letter match your corporate style?
• Have your colleagues received similar emails?
• Hover over the link to see what it shows - it could be a fake link or a suspicious URL shortening

If something confuses you about an email, check the sender's email address. For example, you may see that the sender's name is familiar to you, but the email address is not his.

How to Respond to a Suspicious Email?

If you are sure that the email you received is a phishing email, do not open attachments, follow the links in the email, or reply to it. Needless to say, you can send passwords or credentials by mail.

Forward the letter to IT or security. If your company doesn't have them, tell your management about it. It is important to warn the rest of the employees: it is possible that attackers will send similar letters to other employees.

Company security does not begin or end with an information security expert or IT department. Cybercriminals often target the weakest link - the frontline employee. Therefore, everyone needs to be aware of the latest threats and tactics that cybercriminals use to keep the company safe. Also, the device should be well protected with complete security software.