The Anti Scam help page

The Media have brought a scam email to attention lately, however it has been around for awhile and it is VERY NASTY!

to protect yourself from it and for that mater any similar scam here are 5 simple rules to surf by:

1. When you get an email from UPS, DHL or similar saying they can't deliver a parcel NO NOT click on any of the links - companies like these WILL NOT send you links.  If you are expecting a parcel go manually to the web site ie: open a web browser type in the address eg: www.ups.com and then use your tracking number to find out what is happening.  - The attachment to the UPS email in particular will render your PC unusable or worse.

2. When you receive an email saying your paypal or ebay account is limited do the same - manually open a browser - go to the web address eg: www.ebay.com.au and login there to find out what is going on. NEVER click on the link.  Of course the giveaway for most Aussies is that the email will say www.ebay.com whereas we normally use www.ebay.com.AU

3. If in doubt type your password wrongly - ie: if you do click on one of the links that ask you to login eg: you get one from your bank, login with the WRONG password first time - if the site is a scam it will dutifully accept the wrong password as it is assuming it is actually the correct one, then it will give some bogus message like thanks that all we need the problem is fixed sort of thing, obviously if the site was genuine the message would have been "wrong password" in the first place.

4. DO NOT allow your web browser to store logins for critical sites such as the Bank, the ATO, paypal or the like, as some infections can search your computer for the stored details and forward them to the wrongdoers

5. Know what virus detector and/or spyware program you are using, there are a number of infections originating in myspace and facebook pages that will pop up a warning message that your computer might be infected - if they don't say they are from the program you use DO NOT click on any of the buttons - use the X to close the window or task manager to close the web session, as these fake popups WILL then infect you and some of the new infections are very hard to remove.

And as a general rule don't mix business computers with family - especially teenagers - otherwise you have no control over what your business PC does.