|
Welcome to this week's edition of the Computer Kindergarten Newsletter.
Today is Sunday, June 19, 2005
To all the Dads, we wish you a Happy Father's Day !
In this Issue:
Special Feature: Protect Yourself from Fraudulent Emails
Tips & Tricks: Creating a New Folder in a Program
Featured Computer Term: E-Mail Headers
This Week's Topic: Disable Desktop Cleanup Wizard
Question: Special Characters
Websites of Interest: Father’s Day
Do you keep finding this newsletter in your spam, bulk email or quarantine folder? Try adding our addresses, sharpertraining@aol.com and computerkindergarten@yahoogroups.com, to your address book. In many cases this will allow the newsletter to bypass filters and start coming to your inbox again.
**************************************************************
Special Feature: Protect Yourself from Fraudulent Emails
The following is from paypal.com
What is a fraudulent email?
A fraudulent (spoof) email pretends to be from a well-known company, such as PayPal or eBay, in an attempt to get personal information from you. People who send spoof emails hope to use your information - such as credit and debit card numbers or account passwords - to commit identity theft.
You can prevent spoof emails from affecting you
Spoof, or "phishing," emails - and the spoof websites often associated with them - are deceptive in appearance. However, they contain content that reveals they're fake. The most important thing to do to protect yourself is be able to spot this misleading content.
What to watch out for
Generic greetings. Many spoof emails begin with a general greeting, such as: "Dear PayPal member." If you do not see your first and last name, be suspicious and do not click on any links or button.
A fake sender's address. A spoof email may include a forged email address in the "From" field. This field is easily altered.
A false sense of urgency. Many spoof emails try to deceive you with the threat that your account is in jeopardy if you don't update it ASAP. They may also state that an unauthorized transaction has recently occurred on your account, or claim PayPal is updating its accounts and needs information fast.
Fake links. Always check where a link is going before you click. Move your mouse over it and look at the URL in your browser or email status bar. A fraudulent link is dangerous. If you click on one, it could:
- Direct you to a spoof website that tries to collect your personal data.
- Install spyware on your system. Spyware is an application that can enable a hacker to monitor your actions and steal any passwords or credit card numbers you type online.
- Cause you to download a virus that could disable your computer.
Emails that appear to be websites. Some emails will look like a website in order to get you to enter personal information. PayPal never asks for personal information in an email.
- Deceptive URLs. Only enter your PayPal password on PayPal pages. These begin with https://www.paypal.com/
- If you see an @ sign in the middle of a URL, there's a good chance this is a spoof. Legitimate companies use a domain name (e.g. https://www.company.com).
- Even if a URL contains the word "PayPal," it may not be a PayPal site. Examples of deceptive URLs include: www.paypalsecure.com, www.paypa1.com, www.secure-paypal.com, and www.paypalnet.com.
- Always log in to PayPal by opening a new web browser and typing in the following: https://www.paypal.com/
- Never log in to PayPal from a link in an email
Misspellings and bad grammar. Spoof emails often contain misspellings, incorrect grammar, missing words, and gaps in logic. Mistakes also help fraudsters avoid spam filters.
Unsafe sites. The term "https" should always precede any website address where you enter personal information. The "s" stands for secure. If you don't see "https," you're not in a secure web session, and you should not enter data.
Pop-up boxes. PayPal will never use a pop-up box in an email as pop-ups are not secure.
Attachments. Like fake links, attachments are frequently used in spoof emails and are dangerous. Never click on an attachment. It could cause you to download spyware or a virus. PayPal will never email you an attachment or a software update to install on your computer.
**************************************************************
Tips & Tricks: Creating a New Folder in a Program
Most programs allow you to create a folder when you save a file.
When you save a file, take a look at the Save As window. To the right of the box where you select the folder you want to save in, there is an icon that looks like a folder with a star on it. That is the Create New Folder button.
When you click on that button, Depending on the program you’re using, you may see a pop-up window asking for you to name the new folder and click OK, or a new folder may appear in the pane below, where you can type the name and press Enter.
**************************************************************
Featured Computer Term: E-Mail Headers
Question: What are e-mail headers? I see this term being used a lot.
Answer:
Headers give your e-mail program information about an email message that you are receiving. It includes information about the sender, the subject of the e-mail, the return path (to whom a Reply message will be sent), IP addresses, priority, type of message (HTML or text), and more.
Most e-mail programs do not display the header in an effort to keep the email clean looking without extra, unnecessary information.
Is there a computer term or phrase that you'd like to see an explanation of?
Email it to info@computerkindergarten.com and we'll put the term and its
definition in an upcoming newsletter.
**************************************************************
Today's Topic: Disable Desktop Cleanup Wizard
Question: When I turn my computer on, it frequently displays a message about Desktop Cleanup. I click the X to get rid of it, but it comes right back. I have to go through the process to get it to stop. How can I remove this?
Answer:
The Windows XP Desktop Cleanup Wizard removes icons from your desktop that you have not used in 60 days. It does not delete any programs.
You can turn the Desktop Cleanup Wizard off. Here is how:
Right-click on a blank area on your desktop. From the resulting menu, left click on Properties. The Display Properties window will open.
Click the Desktop tab and then the Customize Desktop button. This will open the Desktop Items window.
In the Desktop Cleanup section towards the bottom, click to uncheck the small box next to Run Desktop Cleanup Wizard every 60 days.
Click the OK button to close the Desktop Items window and again to close the Display Properties window.
That will disable the Desktop Cleanup Wizard.
**************************************************************
Question: Special Characters
How do I type symbols like the degree symbol or the copyright symbol?
Answer:
You can copy them from the computer’s Character Map. Here's how:
Click the Start Button, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, then click select Character Map.
In the Character Map window, you will see a screen with many different symbols. When you click on a symbol, it gives you an enlarged preview of it.
To use the symbol, click the symbol you want. Click the Select button and then the Copy button.
In the word processing document or email that you want to put the symbol in, click at the location where you want the symbol appear. Click Edit on the menu and then Paste. That will place the symbol in your document.
**************************************************************
Websites of Interest:
Father’s Day
Fatherville is a website for fathers with a tremendous amount of resources that can make parenting easier.
http://www.fatherville.com
History of Father’s Day
http://www.twilightbridge.com/hobbies/festivals/father/
Send a Father’s Day eCard
http://www.123greetings.com/events/fathers_day/ |
