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Welcome to this week's edition of the Computer Kindergarten Newsletter.
Today is Sunday, November 11, 2007
In this Issue:
Special Feature: Phishing Scam Targets Bank of America and Other Bank Customers
Special Feature: Scam to Help Wildfire Victims
Tips & Tricks: Mouse Scroll Wheel Trick
Keyboard Shortcut: Recently Used Documents in Microsoft Word
This Week's Topic: Mouse Trails
Question: Uninstalling a Program in Windows Vista
Websites of Interest: Veteran’s Day; Hearing Test; The British Library; Famous Poems
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Special Feature: Another Phishing Scam Targets Bank of America and Other Bank Customers
The following is from scambusters.org
As always, it's "phishing season" for Internet scammers. The only thing that changes -- and changes often -- is the "bait" used to "hook" victims.
This lure comes in the form of spam email, which claims to be a "security alert" aimed at Bank of America customers. However, as usual, the emails appear to have been sent to random addresses -- not just the bank's customers.
The most common email going around has the real Bank of America logo and the subject 'Security Update Alert.'
The poorly written text then informs recipients that "because of an unusual number of invalid login attempts on you account, we had to believe that, their might be some security problem on you account.
"So we have decided to put an extra verification process to ensure your identity and your account security. Please follow the link below and fill in the necessary requirements."
People clicking on the link are taken to a bogus website that looks like the Bank of America website, where they are asked to supply sensitive personal and account information. This information is then used by the scammers to empty the victims' bank accounts.
Regular ScamBusters.org readers will note that this email bears all the hallmarks of a classic phishing scam:
- Poor grammar, typos and spelling errors;
- A request that you click on a link within the email rather than visiting the company's official site; and
- A request to provide sensitive information. Legitimate companies will NEVER ask that you provide personal and financial information in response to an email.
Action: If you receive this email -- or any other suspicious email -- do NOT click on the link! Instead, delete it. If you are concerned that the email is legitimate, contact the customer service department of your financial institution and ask them to verify whether the email is genuine.
Scammers are also using emails with similar messages that look like they come from other banks.
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Special Feature: Scam to Help Wildfire Victims
The following is from scambusters.org
We always warn you that every disaster brings out the scammers, and the California wildfires are no exception.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) warns that a new phishing email that supposedly comes from the tax agency asks for donations for California wildfire victims.
People who click on the link go to a bogus website that asks for bank account numbers and other personal information. Scammers use this info to steal money and identities.
This email is more sophisticated than many phishing attempts, with few clues it is a scam. However, the fact that the email is supposedly from IRS is a clue in itself, since the IRS almost never sends out email.
Action: Delete these emails. Do not click on the links.
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Tips & Tricks: Mouse Scroll Wheel Trick
If you have a mouse with a scroll wheel (that is the wheel on top between the left and right buttons), you can try this trick.
Press the scroll wheel down and then release it - just like you do the left button. You will see a big, double headed arrow display on your screen. You can then move your mouse up and down and it will scroll for you, without you having to roll the scroll wheel or click over on the scroll bar.
When you want to turn it off, just press the scroll wheel again.
Give it a try; you may find this to be a very convenient feature. It does take a little practice to control the movement, but, once you get good at it, it should really speed things up for you.
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Keyboard Shortcut: Recently Used Documents in Microsoft Word
Open the File menu and, down at the bottom of the menu, you will see the last four documents you opened. Here is a keyboard shortcut for you:
Hold down the ALT key and press F. The File menu will open. Notice that there is a number next to each of those documents down at the bottom of the list. On your keyboard, press the number listed beside the file name. That will open the document for you.
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Today's Topic: Mouse Trails
Question: My eyesight is not so good anymore and I sometimes have trouble following the mouse arrow. You have so many helpful tips and tricks; do you have any for me?
Answer:
Try turning on mouse trails. That is a feature designed to increase the visibility of the mouse. You will see when you move the mouse, the arrow will have a little trail of arrows following behind it. It may be a little hard to get used to initially, but once you do, it should help you follow the mouse.
To turn mouse trails on, click the Start button and open Control Panel. Click Classic View on the left, and then open the Mouse icon.
The Mouse Properties window will now be displayed on the screen.
Click the Pointer Options tab at the top. In the Visibility section, click the small box to the immediate left of Display point trails. Right below that, you will see Short and Long with a slider in between. Drag the slider over to Long (you can always go back and change this setting if you are not comfortable with it).
Click the OK button and close Control Panel.
Give your mouse a try and see if that makes it easier to work with.
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Question: Uninstalling a Program in Windows Vista
My new Windows Vista computer has a lot of games on it that I will never play. How can I uninstall them?
Answer:
The uninstall feature in Windows XP and Vista are somewhat similar. In Vista, click the Start button and open Control Panel. Click Control Panel Home on the left.
Under Programs, click on Uninstall a program. This will open the Uninstall or change a program window. It may take a few moments to completely populate the list.
Once all the programs are listed, scroll down and find the one you want to uninstall. Click on it to select it. Once you select it, you will see the word Uninstall appear on the blue bar above the list of programs. Click it. Windows will display a box asking for your permission to continue. Click the Continue button.
Another window should display asking you if you want to uninstall the program. Click Yes. The uninstall wizard will start up, and begin to uninstall. Depending on the program that you are uninstalling, the uninstall wizard may ask you to click OK at steps throughout the process. Just follow the instructions on the screen.
This will remove the program from your computer.
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Websites of Interest:
Veteran’s Day
Today is Veteran’s Day. Learn the history of the day and the event at this website: http://www.patriotism.org/veterans_day/
Hearing Test
At this site, you can learn how your ears work and test your hearing.
http://www1.freehearingtest.ca
The British Library
The British Library is one of the most extraordinary research institutions in the world. For those who are not in London, their website offers access to the 150 million items within the library's archives.
http://www.bl.uk/
Famous Poems
If you love poetry you will want to visit this site. You will find a large collection of works by the most famous poets in history.
http://www.famouspoetsandpoems.com/ |
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