Kim Komando hosts the nation’s largest talk radio show about computers and the Internet. To get the podcast or find the station nearest you, visit www.komando.com/listen. To subscribe to Kim’s free e-mail newsletters, sign up at www.komando.com/newsletters. Contact her at gnstech@gannett.com.

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/kimkomando/2010-01-28-online-crooks_N.htm?csp=usat.me

Criminals are getting smarter and smarter. So, these days, it isn’t enough to just run security software on your computer. You need to keep up with the criminals’ latest tricks. Here are six threats to your security and tips for protecting yourself.

Flash drives

Flash or thumb drives provide an easy way to infect machines with malware. It’s no surprise that criminals are using them, particularly to target companies.

TECH TIPS: Ask Kim

Criminals use a flash drive with a company’s logo. They load it with malware and drop it in the company’s parking lot. An unsuspecting employee picks up the drive and connects it to his or her computer. What happens next is the scary part. Criminals gain access to the company’s network — and trade secrets.

Never use a flash drive that you find. If you find one at your company, alert the IT department. It can find the rightful owner or destroy the drive.

Facebook ‘friends’

Everyone seems to be on Facebook. It can be exciting to find new Facebook contacts. But pay close attention to who you grant access to your profile.

If you use your account for business, it can be a gold mine for competitors. You may unknowingly post information about projects that would benefit competitors. Even your contact list says a lot. It can give hints about an upcoming merger or partnership. It can also give criminals inroads at other companies.

That’s not the only danger. Information you post can be used for targeted phishing attacks. A criminal can post a link to a malicious site. It could be a phishing site or a site that installs malware.

Limit what others see and be careful about your posts. You may also prevent others from posting to your wall. Above all, be vigilant.

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I can’t believe how many people still fall for scams. I continue to hear calls of people buying a “TV”, “VCR”, or “laptop computer” from some guy in a parking lot only to find out when they get home that the “actual sealed box” contains bricks. Or the people who send thousands of dollars of “good faith” money to someone in Nigeria who says they inherited millions of dollars and promises people part of the fortune to help them get the money to the U.S. Or the common Pigeon Drop Scam.

In the pigeon drop scam, swindlers work in pairs or teams. One befriends an unsuspecting consumer, the "pigeon”, (usually an elderly person) while the other approaches them with money or valuables he claims to have just found. After some rehearsed conversation, the con artists agree to split the money three ways with you and arrange to meet at a lawyer’s office or somewhere else of their choosing. But can they trust you, they ask. To get your share, you’ll need to put up some "good faith" money, which they will return to you after the goods are divided. To prove yourself trustworthy, you turn over a large sum of money to them and later go to meet them at the designated spot. Soon after arriving, you realize the pair is long gone — and so is your money.

Unbelievably, a lot of people still fall for this scam frequently. The list goes on and on. People’s greed often makes them let their guard down or not follow their “gut” instincts. I just finished an investigation that EVERYONE needs to know about. It’s a scam that is claiming victims every day across the country. Here’s how it works:

“Buyers” are searching Craigslists ads all over the United States and responding to the ads telling people that they want their item (laptops, cameras, jewelry etc). The “buyer” tells the person that they will pay via PayPal, the online money transfer and banking site owned by eBay. The “buyer” tells the person that they will add an additional $80 or $100 to ship the item overnight.

The “buyer” often states that they are out of the country and request the item be shipped to a U.S. address. The “buyer” then sends the person a very realistic looking but fake PayPal notice stating that the buyer is a confirmed buyer with a verified address. The fake PayPal notice states that the money has been deducted from the buyers account and is being “held” until shipping confirmation is verified at which time the money will be credited to the persons account.

The scam I investigated was using an address in the city where I work. Unsuspecting victims shipped laptops, cameras, jewelry and all kinds of items to the requested address where a middleman resold the items and sent the “buyer” the proceeds after keeping a cut for himself. The money is usually sent out of the country, in my case, Nigeria. The sellers of the property never receive payment because the e-mail notice was a fake notice from PayPal.

I recovered 4 laptops, several expensive cameras and diamond rings at the residence. There were several empty boxes where the items had already been sold. All of the victims stated that the PayPal e-mail they received stating that the money would be deposited in their accounts after the item was shipped looked very official and real. I posed as the middleman and began corresponding with the “buyer” online who was telling me what items were being sent overnight; there was expensive jewelry, game consoles, more laptops etc. It was an unbelievable amount of merchandise that people were unsuspectingly shipping without any knowledge it was a scam.

I use PayPal myself, it is a fast, secure and protected way of making purchases or receiving money. But please be aware, there are scams using fake PayPal e-mails like the incident above. PayPal DOES NOT hold money until shipping is confirmed. Sometimes a transfer may show as pending but all purchases, transfers and pending transactions will show up on your PayPal account statement. If someone tells you they sent you money via PayPal, log on to your account to verify the funds were sent. You are protected by PayPal this way. Everyone that fell for the scam did not check their PayPal accounts until it was too late. PayPal could not help them because the transactions never went through PayPal, they were all fraudulent fake e-mails.

I see several “phishing” e-mails that try to claim victims. Scammers send out very realistic e-mails with logos from Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Bank of the West etc stating “your account was possibly compromised and your account has been temporary frozen to avoid fraudulent transactions. Please click on the link below to verify your information so we can unlock your account. We are sorry of any inconvenience this may cause you”.

These notices are VERY real looking because they have cut and pasted actual bank logos and wording from real banking websites. If you click on the link it requests your personal information including your PIN to “verify” your account. Your account is then quickly drained of all your money and you won’t realize it until you start getting overdraft notices or bounced checks.

NEVER NEVER NEVER give anyone personal information such as social security numbers, bank account information and PINS, or other personal information unless you know who you are talking to. Request a call back number and call it, call your bank to verify suspicious e-mails. Most sites are secure and trusted so beware of scams or e-mails using the same realistic looking logos asking for your personal information.

All banks and most web-sites have a security department. If you have any doubts, call your bank or send an e-mail to the security department of your bank to see if the e-mail is actually from them. Sites such as PayPal and most banks request that you forward the entire suspicious e-mail to them and they will let you know if it was a scam.

Certain things should raise red flags such as someone offering to pay an unusually large amount of money to ship an item overnight, saying they are out of the Country and asking to ship to a different address, e-mails stating the money will be held until the item is shipped, people selling electronics cheap in a parking lot, promises of large sums of money if you send good faith money, all red flags pointing to a scam.

These scams have been around a long time so none of this is new information for crooks. We are just trying to make innocent people AWARE of these scams and help them avoid becoming a victim of crime.

And follow the old rule; “if it seems too good to be true, then it probably isn’t true”…… Or else you might end up with a box of rocks instead of a TV…….

Mark
© Coptalk.info

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"The holidays bring an increase in police calls of domestic violence and suicide attempts. While many of us enjoy the holidays with family and friends, a lot of people become stressed out and depressed over the holidays.Sometimes just a daily call or visit to a loved one is all they desire, sometimes it’s all they have. Please be aware of any warning signs or statements made by loved ones as to how lonely they are or if they seem to have lost the desire to live anymore. Increased depression can lead someone to do something spontainous and drastic. If you know someone in this situation, get involved and get them some help." 

Suicide Attempts: "5150"

I have been to a lot of suicide attempts in my career as a police officer. There are many reasons people have for trying to kill themselves. Some want attention, some may have a severe medical situation they want to end, some lose a loved one that they can not handle losing, and some are just drunk, stoned and stupid. Luckily, most people tell someone what they are planning to do, or someone catches them trying to attempt the act. Usually we respond out and put the person on a "5150" hold, which means that the person is sent to County Hospital for a mental evaluation by a professional doctor. The 5150 hold is good for up to 72 hours. Depending on the mental evaluation, the person is released, held longer, or referred to another hospital or psychologist. Very rarely does the police officer find out what happens to the person, unless the person is a chronic "5150" who often gets sent over to the hospital and released, only to be sent over on a weekly basis.

When someone makes a comment about killing themselves, whether or not they mean it, it puts the police officer in a bad situation. If the person tells an officer "I didn’t mean it, I was just angry", and the officer leaves, the officer is liable if the person follows through on his/her threats. Usually the person is sent to the hospital on a 5150 hold and a health professional will make the decision whether to hold the person or not. If someone actually made an attempt like overdosing on pills, or slashing wrist, it’s an automatic "5150" hold. These are the usual types of "5150’s" that I usually deal with. Tonight, I had one that made me think, and brought a tear to my eyes. (Yes, cops do cry at times. Most do)

It was 1809 hrs. (6:09 p.m.) when I got dispatched to a quiet street in my beat. A doctors office called stating that a out of state relative of a person named "Helen" (we will call her Helen to protect her Identity) called saying that they were on the phone with Helen, and that Helen was trying to commit suicide by asphyxiation with a plastic bag over her head. The relative said that Helen then dropped the phone and they tried to call back but only got a busy signal. I arrived moments later, and knocked on the door. No answer. I went around to the back, and saw a light on upstairs in the bedroom. I knocked on the walls, back door, and windows with my flashlight to get a response.

Still, no answer. I had my dispatch call into the residence but they still got a busy signal. I requested a supervisor since I thought I was going to have to force entry to check on "Helen" due to the nature of the call. I again pounded on the front door, and this time, an elderly woman dressed in pajamas answered the door. I asked the woman if her name was Helen, and she said yes. I asked if I could speak with her, and she was hesitant, but agreed to let me in. I explained to Helen why I was there, and she kept telling me to leave her alone, that she was busy. Helen was 90 years old, but still had all her faculties, able to walk, drive, clean her house, shop, etc.

Helen kept saying that her daughter was coming from out of state tomorrow, and for me to leave and come back to talk to her daughter. I told Helen that it was her that I was there to check on, and asked her about the threats. Helen said that she only told her daughter that she was going to suffocate herself to get her daughter to come visit from out-of-state. Helen said that she was lonely and depressed since her husband died years ago, and she had no local family nearby.

Helen went on to tell me about how her late husband used to practice medicine in the city for 40 years, and about her long, interesting life. Helen was almost convincing about just making the suicide comments to get her daughter out to see her. Helen said that she not feeling like hurting herself or anyone else, (a necessity for a 5150 hold). Helen kept telling me to leave; saying that she had things to do. As soon as my Lieutenant arrived, I began to check Helen’s house. Know what I found?

All of Helen’s financial papers were organized on the dining room table, along with attorney names, numbers, and will papers. All of Helen’s relative’s names, addresses, and phone numbers were laid out. A note to Helen’s daughter, with financial instructions. Upstairs, on Helen’s bed, a pad of paper with a note that was just started. Also on the bed, a large plastic bag with a string wrapped around it.

I had obviously interrupted Helen in her suicide attempt. As I banged on her wall, she put the phone back on the hook, put everything aside and answered the door. If we got the call 15 minutes later, it could have been a dead-body call. If someone didn’t call, Helen may not have been discovered for a week or more. Helen still denied wanting to hurt herself until I showed her the bag I found. Then Helen said, "90 is too old to live" You know, it’s sad. I see people in their teens try to commit suicide because of a failed romance. I see a lot of people try to commit suicide because they cant enjoy life like they used to do to a serious injury or illness. But here is Helen, 90 years old, still up and about, good health, driving, cleans her own house, all her senses. But she lost the will to live, because she had no one left to share life with. I admit, I got teary-eyed talking to this wonderful elderly woman, who knew exactly what she wanted to do. I thought about what she might have gone through. Each and every day, alone, no one to talk to, family out of state.

Helen had got all her financial affairs in order for her family, and she was going to "check out" of life. That is until I interrupted her. Helen was not pleased with me.

But I took Helen’s hand as she laid on the ambulance gurney, and I told her that although she may hate me now, I hope that she will appreciate it later. I told Helen that she was a wonderful, interesting woman, and that I was going to make a habit out of stopping by her house to visit her when she gets out. And I meant every word. I just hope that Helen re-thinks her situation and realizes how wonderful life can be. Because Helen seems like a determined person, I can only try to get her some help. To try to help her get rid of the feelings that are making her want to give up on life. Just because there is no one to share it with….

I’m lucky. I have a wonderful caring local family. I have both my parents in their 70’s who still go out, dance, dine, and have a great time. I couldn’t imagine having no one in my life. But a lot of people are in that situation. If you have a relative that is alone or lonely, please call them. You don’t want a call from a police department or coroner with bad news. Sometimes, just a phone call is just what it takes to let someone know that someone still cares. If you know someone who has made comments about hurting or killing themselves, don’t "blow it off" as false threats. You don’t want to live with a death on your conscious that you could have prevented. Even if it is in your own family, and you don’t want your family problems exposed, someone who is making threats to harm themselves is calling out for help. Let a professional make the determination if the threats are real or not. Don’t wait till it’s too late; don’t wait until someone "really" does it. Because it’s too late then.

Most thoughts of suicide, depression, despair, can be corrected through medication, counseling, or both. Whether you or someone you know is having suicidal feelings, please call. There are a lot of cops, paramedics, and professional people who care and who still get a tear in their eye trying to help.

ML

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First call I heard this morning when I went on duty; “Reporting party stating that their car was just stolen, vehicle was warming up unattended in the driveway and when reporting party went outside the car was gone”.

Duh……

We try to remind people of this every year when the weather starts turning cold. When it starts getting brisk in the mornings, people take chances warming up their cars in the morning while they tend to other things in the house. Or, they pull into a 7-11 to grab something and leave their car running in the parking lot. Everyone believes it won’t happen to them; that is until it happens to them. If you leave your car running unattended to warm up or leave it running while you dash into a store, it’s not a matter of IF it will happen, it’s a matter of WHEN it will happen.

People always say “I was only inside for a minute”. It takes less than 5 seconds for someone to jump in the car and speed away. Not only with your car, but your laptop and purse or wallet on the seat too. Crooks cruise through neighborhoods on cold mornings looking for the telltale sign of steam coming from the exhaust of an unattended car. They dump a stolen vehicle they’ve driven a few days down the street and jump in yours, all warmed up and toasty for them. They’ll use it a few days and then go hunting for a “fresh” one. Or the school kids complaining about the long walk to school can’t resist a free ride already running and waiting for them.

When the weather gets cold we get calls EVERY DAY about vehicles stolen while they were running unattended. Everyone believes “it won’t happen to me”. It doesn’t matter where you live, affluent area or not, rural area or a tract home, it can and will happen sooner or later.

And don’t forget the expense and time to have the locks on your house re-keyed because the thief probably now has the keys to your home, business etc.

So the choice is yours; warm up your car by sitting in it a few minutes or by driving down the street slowly OR spend your morning calling the police, insurance company, banks, credit card companies etc………    

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