The Red Rock Eye Opener, June 7, 2002
NetScoop: Internet Hoaxes & Scams
by Anne Panter
Don't delete the little bear
This morning's email brought three panicked messages from friends warning me that there might be a virus hiding in my computer. "I had it", they all said, and they included detailed instructions for finding the offending file, with its little grey bear icon, and removing it from my computer.
The trouble was, the file wasn't a virus, but a useful program. They were all victims of the latest virus hoax. Luckily, at the last Internet Users Group meeting I was warned of such hoaxes. I found that particular one listed on the Nexicom web page (www.nexicom.net) , along with instructions for restoring the file, which I sent back with the replies.
One has to wonder what motivates the people who perpetrate these hoaxes. The effect could be just as devastating as a virus: delete the wrong file and you may not be able to boot your computer.
However, there's no doubt about the motivation for another "computer virus" that has been in the local news lately: greed. Several people have been hit by a pop-up download that installs a 1-900 dial-up account. Once it's on your computer, your calls are billed to their account. And, according to recent news reports, there's nothing Bell Canada can (or will) do about it.
Pop-up downloads (aka "drive-by" downloads) are the latest innovation of aggressive internet advertisers. What appears to be a normal "security warning" box appears, with the message "do you accept this download?" . If you click on "yes", the program is installed on your computer.
Some sites get even more devious, using a trick dubbed "mousetrapping". They trigger multiple pop-up windows, hoping that in the scramble to close them you might accidentally click on the "yes" button and unknowingly accept their program.
Not all these programs are as nasty as the 1-900 dialup program, but the very concept is offensive. For more reasons than I can list here I don't want anything installed on my computer without my knowledge.
The only defense against these tactics is to be vigilant. Don't blindly accept every download and plug-in just because some web site assures you that you need it. Don't ignore virus warnings, but don't accept them at face value either. Before acting on them, check the information at a trusted site (eg. McAffee or Norton).
Also, pay attention to the way your computer behaves, just as you do with your car. For instance, a sudden burst of activity on your line could be an email worm sending itself to everyone in your address book. And, if it plays a new tune while dialling in, check that the phone number in (Programs / Accessories / Dialup Networking) is that of your internet provider, and not a 1-900 number of some tiny African island!
For more information on this, or any other internet topic, come to the next meeting of the Kawartha Internet Users' Group. We meet on the 2nd Thursday of each month, 7pm, at the Lions' Hall, Main St., Bobcaygeon.
apanter@kawartha.net
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