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Information Technology Security Office

"You've received an e-Card!"

PDF

Good news? Happy Birthday? Get-Well-Soon? Maybe, but e-greeting cards, e-gift cards, and online holiday
messages are increasingly being used by scammers and cyber criminals to spread viruses and other vicious
malware. Many e-Cards are rigged with links that take unsuspecting recipients to bogus websites that can infest
systems or compromise user identities and personal information. If you believe you've been the victim of an e-Card
scam, report it to your computer consultant, computer help desk, or your Internet Service Provider (ISP) immediately.
Once the scam has been verified, file a report with the Federal Trade Commission on their website at
https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov.

E-card Do's and Don'ts.

• Don't click on links in emails announcing an e-Card or on e-Card attachments. If it's a legitimate e-Card, the
  sender may be disappointed that you didn't get it, but weigh that against the risk of your computer getting infected
  if you do click.

• Don't reply to emails or pop-up messages offering quick fixes for viruses. Legitimate computer security
  companies don't sell their products by spam email or by using pop-ups.

• Don't cut and paste the link from the message into your Internet browser. Phishers can make links look like
  they go to one place, but that actually send you to a different site.

• Do delete random emails that ask you to confirm or divulge personal information.

• Do use antivirus and anti-spyware software and update them regularly. Some scam emails contain software
  that can harm your computer or track your activities on the Internet without your knowledge. Look for antivirus
  software that recognizes current viruses as well as older ones, that can effectively reverse the damage if your
  computer does get infected, and that updates itself automatically.

• Do use a two-way software firewall. It helps make your computer less visible on the Internet and blocks
  communications from unauthorized sources. It's especially important to run a firewall if you have a broadband
  connection. Operating systems (like Windows or Mac OSX) or browsers (like Internet Explorer or Firefox) also
  offer free software "patches" to close holes in the system that cyber criminals could exploit. Do apply the patches.

More information:
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt127.shtm
VIDEO: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/multimedia/ecards/phishing/index.html
QUIZ: http://www.onguardonline.gov/games/cyber-criminal.aspx