One would think that avoiding attachments on social media sites such as Facebook would be second nature, but it is hard to avoid when there are so many people that are interested in what is going on. Scam artists prey upon those who constantly find themselves on social media sites; knowing a couple of key tips and running antivirus software on your computer can help you avoid nasty malware from attacking your PC.
The ‘LOL’ Scam
Those who have fallen victim to a Facebook scam may be slightly more cautious than the next person, but that does mean you’re safe. There are many links that will take you to different sites, comments that hint at if you get a certain amount of “likes” you will win something or you will see a plethora of funny pictures that will last you a lifetime. Unfortunately, these are typically scams and when clicked upon, it will be Java malware. This malware will then in turn steal your password and Facebook login information and start downloading dangerous software on your computer. Once this information has been obtained and your PC has been affected, messages will start going out to your friends and family with attached malware and try to infect everyone who opens this message.
This is just the latest scam going on Facebook currently so the first step that should be taken is to run an antivirus and to perform a malware scan. This should remove any malicious attachments from your system, but then make everyone you know aware of what is going on. The best way to prevent yourself from being scammed is to know everything about the latest scams and remember, word of mouth spreads just as quickly as malicious malware.
Preventing Scams
Now knowing what is going around on Facebook, should give anyone a heads up and make them leery about clicking on superfluous links. If you do not know where a link or download originates from, your best bet is to avoid it all together. Funny pictures are not worth getting hacked and your computer system being taken over. If you have antivirus software running on your PC you are a step ahead of the game. Consistently running malware scans and ensuring that your antivirus software is up to date will help as well.
As with any social media site, it is always a great idea to change your passwords frequently and never leave yourself logged in anywhere. One would think that it is common sense, but do not get comfortable with the fact that you are home and do not think anything can happen to you. If you have never fallen victim to a scam of some sort, consider yourself lucky, but also continue to take precautionary steps in keeping yourself safe.
Safety Tips for Facebook
Bringing things back to the basics when it comes to safety on Facebook. It is important that only your friends and family can see your profile. The less public you make your information, the better. Think about it in the way that you are out facing the public, do you randomly just go up to everyone you see on the street and tell them your life story?Do you show them pictures of your kids? Remember that predators are waiting out there and hackers prey upon social media sites every day!
Another tip is to filter those who are able to contact you as well as those you are able to contact. Facebook has many security features to help you keep your personal information just that – personal, and not for the world to see. Information that you choose to share, of course is strictly up to you, but you may want to think twice about putting your phone number, email address, etc. on your profile. There is an option that if someone wants that information, they can ‘ask’ you and you can approve or deny it.
Another great feature is login notifications. This will simply alert you anytime that someone accesses your account. This way you will know if someone has your login information and if it is not you – it is time to change your information. Along with these notifications is a feature called login approvals. If your account is accessed from an unknown browser – an approval code will be needed to proceed.
It does not appear that scams and viruses are disappearing anytime soon so the best way is conduct your own research and learn about the latest scams going on. You can never be too safe when it comes to protecting your personal information. Safeguarding your information as well as running the proper antivirus software on your PC is pertinent to remaining safe.
