The 12 Scams of Christmas: A recipe for keeping you safe online this holiday season

It is that time of year again, chestnuts are roasting, the dreidel will be spinning and everyone is going over the river to Grandma’s house. You know what that means? It is also the time for McAfee’s Twelve Scams of Christmas – the most popular online attacks for the 2009 holiday season. Here are some highlights from this report.
1. Fake invoices from delivery services. This scam looks like a delivery notice or invoice from Fed Ex, UPS or U.S. Customs Service. They send an email saying they need a credit card number to give a credit or require you to open an online account to receive your package.
2. Social Networking. Beware of authentic looking “New Friend Request” e-mails from social networking sites. Clicking on links in these e-mails can automatically install malware on computers and steal personal information.
3. Holiday e-cards. I have been thinking a lot about sending out holiday e-cards this year. I am concerned about the environment and am looking for new ways to go green (we already converted to an artificial tree a few years ago). Last year, McAfee Labs found a worm in fake Hallmark e-cards and fake McDonald’s and Coca Cola holiday promotions. Holiday-themed PowerPoint e-mail attachments are also popular among cybercriminals.

4. Christmas (continue reading...)