Reported by: John Matarese Email: jmatarese@wcpo.com How likely is it that you could fall victim to a cybercrime?
A new report from Consumer Reports National Research Center says one in five people were victimized the past two years. Either their computers were infected by spyware or viruses, or they got caught by phishing scams, or they had their identity stolen.
What can Happen if You're not Careful
Lawrence Robreno knows the misery of having his identity stolen....while shopping online.
"They pretended they were me, calling up, making phone calls with my name, using my credit card, my information," he says."They started out small in 15, 25 dollar increments, and they slowly increased. I tallied it up to somewhere close to $25,000."
How Can you Avoid it?
Our partners at Consumer Reports Magazine caution you to shop only at sites you trust.
And the magazine says its essential to protect your computer from spyware, viruses, and spam by having up to date security software...not last year's version.
Consumer Reports tested security suites costing between $50 and $90, from companies including Symantec and McAfee. But it found some found free security software that's on par with the best.
Great Free PC Protection
Consumer Reports Magazine recommends the following "freeware:"
No anti virus program will keep you from opening Phishing emails.....that look like they come from your bank, but are actually lures to gain access to your accounts.
However, Consumer Reports says free anti-phishing software, such as the McAfee Site Advisor, can help by warning you if a website looks dangerous.
Click the links above to learn more, and don't waste your money. I'm John Matarese. Copyright 2009 The E.W. Scripps Co. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
