Online scammers will stop at nothing to take advantage of you. Hackers use a lot of tricks and deceptions to steal your identity or data. One of the most deceitful methods of attack they use is taking advantage of the media frenzy surrounding a celebrity death. Whether it’s publishing a fake article about a death or spreading malicious links about the celebrity, hackers will resort to any technique to get your data.
Over the years, we’ve seen many celebrity deaths used as scams. Public figures such as Prince, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Paul Walker and Robin Williams have been used by bad guys for their own criminal purposes. Don’t be a victim of these scams. Here are a few things to watch out for as we mourn the passing of Aaron Hernandez.
Email Scams
You may receive an email that appears to be from a reputable news site reporting on the celebrity’s passing. Never click on links in emails or text messages promising you photographs, videos or new information about celebrity deaths. If you don’t know the sender or it seems even a little suspicious, just delete it.
Bogus Websites
Don’t go to unfamiliar websites to find information about a celebrity – living or dead. Hackers will often find websites to hack or create their own site that’s designed to infect your computer just by visiting the page. We recently warned about “drive-by-downloads” in our post about digital security tips. Stay in the safe zone and don’t visit strange or unfamiliar sites.
Hoaxes & Fakes
Finally, you may find that a news story is completely fake to begin with. Although false information may not lead to an infected computer, it’s important to get accurate news. Sometimes “news” sites will announce a celebrity death that is not true. Others will claim that the verified death of a celebrity is actual false! Be careful who you trust on the internet and use good online security practices to stay safe.
Also, keep in mind that It’s always a good idea to have up-to-date anti-virus software installed on your computer. It may not stop everything, but having an anti-virus program will prevent a lot of problems before they happen. If you are worried you may have been infected with a virus, or you want to proactively protect your computer, give us a call! Our certified technicians have a variety of tools to help you stay secure online.
