Tax Refund Scam

I cannot believe the audacity of some of the e-mail phishing scammers. Today, in my e-mail box, I received one that appeared to come from the IRS claiming that I had an additional tax refund coming. All I had to do was follow their link to fill out the claim form.

Thankfully, I'm smart enough to recognize a phishing scam when I see it, but there are a lot of people out there who don't know how. First off, there was a comma in the number amount where in the U.S. we would put a period instead. The other was the link pointed to an odd URL.

One of the biggest clues to a phishing scam is to mouse over the link they want you to click on and see where it goes. Don't actually click on it, just hold your mouse over it and look at the bottom of your screen (assuming you are using Windows) to see where it leads. If it's taking you to a place that has a bunch of numbers and not a web site that would truly be used by a big agency like the IRS, then don't follow it. They are just gathering information to steal your identity, or rob your bank account, neither of which you want.

Also look at the actual e-mail address the message is coming from, not just the "display name" that's listed. If it's coming from someplace with an msn, yahoo, gmail or some other free mail client site, it's probably not a legitimate offer. Legitimate businesses generally use their own dot com addresses, not free mail clients.

Bottom line, like with most things these days: if it's too good to be true, it probably is.

If you want to report phishing, or if you've been victimized by any other Internet-related crime, you can report it to the Internet Crime Complaint Center, which is a partnership between the FBI, the National White Collar Crime Center, and the Bureau of Justice Assistance. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the "File a Complaint" button. It will take you through a series of questions. The FBI agent I spoke to on the phone says it is really hard to catch these people because they are so mobile, but every complaint helps to pinpoint these jerks.

Scareware scams

We have seen a lot of computers coming in to the shop lately from owners who have fallen victim to scareware scams. Probably the most popular has been the people who download a program called Antivirus XP 2008 or Antivirus XP 2009. The users receive a series of pop-ups stating their computer is infected. If the user responds to the warning, he is urged to buy the program to disinfect the machine. The problem is, all it does is install more malware.

According to the Denver Post, who ran an article about this in their business section, this type of online scheme has recently become the target of a concerted law-enforcement effort by the Washington state attorney general's office with the assistance of Microsoft's computer security investigators.

"The big problem with scareware is that you have voluntarily provided personal information to a website that you would not ordinarily want to have your name, address, credit card and date of birth," said Richard Boscovich, a Microsoft lawyer who leads a group of security investigators at the company.

While Antivirus XP 2008 and Antivirus XP 2009 do provide limited antivirus capabilities, it is a far cry from what a real antivirus program does.

If you get a pop-up telling you your computer is infected with viruses and inviting you to install Antivirus XP 2008 or Antivirus XP 2009, DO NOT DO IT. If you do, you'll be paying someone like us to clean it off for you later after you are infected with other viruses, too, or your computer quits running things like it's supposed to.

If you have already downloaded it, the techs at Doty Computers do know how to remove it without wiping your hard drive. The guys down the street will tell you it can't be done and you'll have to wipe and reinstall everything. We understand that most people do not want to lose their files.

Critical Windows update released

Yesterday, Microsoft released a critical security update for Windows intended to close a security vulnerability that could allow remote code execution. This update was released between Microsoft's regular updates because of it's seriousness in nature. According to Microsoft Security Bulletin MS08-067, it has been rated criticial for Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, and important to all other supported versions of Windows. Go to the Windows Updates page to download yours now, or click on the Tools menu in Internet Explorer and select Windows Update.

What's in a name

Over the next several months you will notice us going through a name change. Doty Computers will become Doty's. We've decided to do this because the name Doty Computers is too restricting based on everything the business now does.

When we started Doty Computers 13 years ago, we never thought we'd have so many additional things tied into the business. We just figured we'd be repairing and selling PCs and laptops. At that time, we even worked on Macs, though keeping up with the software and utilities for Macs got to where it cost more than we made on the Mac repairs (but I digress).

There have been lots of changes in Doty Computers in the past 13 years. The business was started with John's passion to work on computers. We added wireless phone sales to help carry us through the natural slumps in the computer business that occur at the same time every year. We started doing graphic design (Deb's passion) which led us into printing when we were having trouble with the quality of work we were getting out of the local printer we were using.

In the past month, we have become distributors for a national promotional advertising firm, as well as a yard sign distributor. We can now do yard signs for political campaigns, real estate, construction, non-profit fundraising, and a host of other uses. We can put your business name or logo, or a family photo even, on mugs, T-shirts, travel alarm clocks, coasters, and just about anything else you can think of to give away to customers or family and friends.

 So, with all of these new changes, we decided it was probably time for a name change. Our web site will remain www.dotycomputers.com, but our name will become Doty's. Our logo is changing, and eventually it will show up on all of our signs and forms and other items. Just know, it's still the same folks behind the name, and the same quality of work you've come to know over the past 13 years. We just do a whole lot more than computers anymore.

Text messaging increases

Text messaging is going up nationwide. Three of the four largest wireless providers in the United States (Sprint/Nextel, Verizon and AT&T) raised their text messaging since fall of 2007, doubling the per text price from 10¢ to 20¢. According to an article on CNet News.com, T-Mobile will be doing the same in August.

i wireless, the wireless service that we sell here at Doty Computers, increased the price of casual text messaging from 8¢ to 12¢ per text June 11, and boy, did we hear the complaints about the price going up. It's still one of the lowest prices for text messaging around, though, considering the industry-wide increase in texting. The nice thing was that at the same time the per text price increased, i wireless introduced a new option for its Pay-in-Advance (MEGAtalk) customers that allows them unlimited texting and unlimited nationwide long distance along with their unlimited local talk time. The customers have been loving that feature, given how many have purchased it in the past month.

In addition, i wireless is keeping it's family unlimited text promotion that it ran in May and June for contracted customers. This allows everyone on the account to have unlimited texting for only $19.95 per month.

I myself am old school, finding it easier to call someone than to text. I do see where texting has its place sometimes, and occassionally do send a text, but I find it more painstaking to write a text message than to call someone. I guess that makes me old. At 42, I don't always feel old, but there are times when I do - like when I refer to the "kids" being more itnerested in text messaging than calling.