Spam Emails, Phishing Emails and Viruses That Could Hurt You and Your Business

Sept. 10, 2009 - PRLog -- Millions of computer users and restaurant owners are getting infected by spam e-mails each month, forcing them to pay heavy fees for cleaning and restoring their computer POS systems back to normal. So you better think twice before you decide to open e-mails from unknown senders, especially if you're in the office using your computer where all your important business files are saved.

These are the 3 dangers that any computer user must be aware of:

1. Hijacking and spoofed e-mails. Spammers have discovered new ways to make it appear as though their spam e-mail is coming from YOUR own computer. This can cause your connection to the internet be terminated or put on hold by your service provider - all without your knowledge. That is why a good spam blocking software must be used not only to block inbound spam, but also unauthorized outbound spam from your serves.

2. Spam e-mails that carries viruses. Accidentally or intentionally opening an e-mail from an unknown sender can cause you loads of problems. Most of these unknown senders are the spammers who merrily spreard their virus-infected e-mails and waits for the unlucky person to open it and/or download its content. This can cause your computer to slow down, identity theft, loose data, endless popping of adult sites or even crashes the system! What's worst is that the personal data collected from your PC can be uploaded to the internet without your consent and use it to comit crime.

3. Phishing spam - spam e-mails that leads to a phishing site. Also called phishing scam. The attempt to acquire personal information of an individual either to steal money from their bank accounts or use the money to shop online without the owners knowledge. A phishing spam e-mail sends some kind of fraudulent notification or warning to an individual asking for his or her online bank account, social security numbers, passwords, and credit card information. To be able to make someone believe that their spam e-mail is from a trusted website, phishing sites copies the exact same look of the authentic website..

So what can we do about this?

First and foremost, it’s absolutely vital that you get a quality spam blocking software installed as a first line of defense.

Many retail business owner over look into this, so their restaruant POS system is the one who suffers the most.

Next, you want to make sure you don’t get on a spammers list in the first place. The moment your e-mail gets on a spammer’s list, you'll never get off; and changing your e-mail address is a major inconvenience especially if you're using it to stay in touch with your business contacts.

Here are some useful tips you can follow to avoid getting your e-mail on a spammer's list:

1. Using a disposable e-mail address.

Using a free e-mail address like with Yahoo or Gmail can reduce your chance on getting listed on a spammer's list. Always use free e-mail accounts when you're shopping online or when subscribing to avoid getting your e-mail on their broadcast list.

2. Never forget to double-check those check boxes that automatically opt you in.

Make sure you don't check on the box that says "Yes! I want other companies to send me their special offers." when shopping online. There's a big chance your e-mail address will be registered to every online advertiser.

3. Refrain from posting your primary e-mail address in public places like your website or blog.

Spammers have special programs that can automatically collect e-mail addresses from web sites without your permission. If you really want to publicly post your e-mail address on your home page, I suggest you use “info@” and have all replies will be forwarder to a folder in your in-box that won’t interfere with your main address.

4. Don’t open, reply to or try to opt-out of obvious spam e-mails.

Doing so will signal the spammer that your e-mail address is active, and they'll send you more spam e-mails.

The only time it is safe to click or reply to the e-mail is when the message was sent from a company you know or do business with (for example, a company that you purchase from or a newsletter you subscribed to).

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Got a Question?

If you would like to know more about this topic or have a question in mind, you may ask for advice with our Restaurant POS professional serving your area.

The author of this article is the Vice President of Customer Relations at http://www.pos-for-restaurants.com with over 20 years experience in the restaurant point of sale industry.

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