Whatever you do today, don’t open that e-card supposedly sent by a secret admirer. The sender is not out to steal your heart but your passwords and credit card numbers!
In the weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day, experts have warned of a surge in Valentine-related scams. E-cards are not the only ones which are suspect; so are online romance and male enhancement services.
While some people are aware that these are just mere antics by cyber-crooks to score big-time by taking advantage of lonely hearts, many still fall prey to these scams. In the UK alone, fraud experts estimate that scammers ripped off online users a total of £2.6 billion last year.
One Valentine-related password-stealing malware is disguised as an animated heart e-card, according to malware analysts from Symantec Hosted Services. Unfortunately, most AV scanners are unable to detect this malware.
Amorous users of online dating sites also learn the hard way by giving out too much information. Identity stealers only need the name, address and date of birth to apply for credit. Often, users don’t realize that they have been duped until the bills start piling, but they are forced to pay to protect their credit rating.
Be extra wary of online dating services offering Russian brides, said the experts. Unsuspecting users are asked to send money so the bride can supposedly travel to the U.S. with a visa, but she never shows up and the dating site also disappears.
And take note: The fact that you’re not looking for love or seeking to “increase your length, the best Valentine gift”—as one popular subject line for Valentine-related scams say—should not be a reason to let your guard down. Lovestruck males who order an engagement ring through a spam mail are also at risk of having their computers infected with malware.
Some of the most popular Valentine-related subject lines used by cybercrooks are “Be My Valentine”, “A Valentine Love Song”, “My Lucky Valentine”, “The Valentines Angel”, “My Valentine Sunshine”, “Fly Away Valentine”, “The Valentine Love Bug”, and “Valentine Letter”.
The volume of spam mails—estimated to cost $130 billion worldwide, $42 billion of which is in the U.S. alone—puts a strain on mail infrastructure management. Aside form spam mails, cybercriminals also exploit social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.
To avoid getting scammed whether it’s Valentine’s Day or not, experts warn against opening emails or messages received from unknown senders on Facebook and other social networks. If you accidentally click on the link included in the message and you are taken to a particular website you don’t recognize, close the browser at once.
Some pages may look legitimate, but be careful if you are requested to download anything. If you want to make any online purchases, directly type the store’s URL in the browser instead of going through the link included in the email.
You should also only choose reputable online stores. To check if the website is secure, look for the small yellow padlock found near the toolbar or at the right-hand corner at the bottom of the page.
Also, make sure you have a reliable security solution installed on your PC. It should be able to detect both known and new types of malware.
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