If you receive an email that says it is from your bank asking for your login or account details, ignore it and delete it as it is very likely to be a "phishing" scam. Anyone falling for the scam will let fraudsters can gain access to their bank accounts or use them to launder money. It is important to remember that your bank will never ask for your log in and password by e-mail. Many explicitly say so on their banking websites - after all, the bank already has these details and does not need them. By contrast the fraudsters do not have them and want them. If in doubt, call the bank.
If you receive an e-mail from a friend with an attachment but it's not the type of message they usually send, then ignore it and delete it. Many of the messages spammers send play on current events or subjects of prurient interest to get people opening them up. The attachment could well be a malicious program that aims to infiltrate your computer and lie in wait to gather data when you visit an online bank or login to an online game. If you are not sure most anti-virus programs allow users to scan attachments and other documents before opening them. However, this check is not infallible because there are so many viruses and variants now in circulation.
If a pop-up advert comes up saying that your computer is riddled with spyware, ignore the advert and close the pop-up page. Many scammers are turning to fake tools that warn about non-existent problems on a PC. At best, when installed, these machines will nag users until they pay for some useless security software. At worst they will be completely fake and simply steal saleable data. It is better to stick with one security software suite than it is to get bits and bobs from here and there. ABCOM can provide you with the best virus protection on the market.
When choosing a password you should steer clear of using obvious passwords, such as a mother's maiden name or date of birth. Some security firms offer programs known as a "password safe", which let users keep a secure record of important logins on their computer. It is also worth using what is known as a "strong" password. This is one that is not easily guessed or would take a long time for a computer to work out. Instead of being words it could be a random combination of letters, numbers and symbols.
