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Questions tagged [phishing]

50 questions
82
votes
5 answers

How do I debug an emoticon-based URL?

I came across this URL (NSFW) and need to convert this to puny code. As an experiment, I'll paste this URL here, but not sure if this will save. http://..ws/ (NSFW) How can I convert this URL to a standard DNS name so I can whois the IP space?…
makerofthings7
  • 2,385
57
votes
2 answers

How can you fake an email address?

Recently someone asked me whether an email she received was spam. It seemed to be from a well-known bank (Belfius.be) in Belgium. It stated that some information was outdated and that it needed revision. Of course, the first thing that comes to mind…
Bram Vanroy
  • 1,347
17
votes
6 answers

How can visiting a webpage infect your computer?

My mother's computer recently became infected with some sort of rootkit. It began when she received an email from a close friend asking her to check out some sort of webpage. I never saw it, but my mother said it was just a blog of some sort,…
Cybis
  • 123
12
votes
2 answers

Understanding phishing/basic internet security guide, for teens?

I just helped a 13 year-old relative set up a new Windows 7 desktop, making it as secure as I can remember knowing how to. I has been an hour, and he just came to me saying "I seem to have a virus.". It was a website scam showing the big "You have…
Kzqai
  • 2,878
10
votes
1 answer

What's the purpose of @ (at symbol) in URL before domain?

I've recently came across new phishing attack which is using @ symbol to make the URL look legit. It goes like this: I have an account at totally-legit-site.com and the attacker sets up a phishing site at his IP like 192.168.50.20. Then, he sends me…
Adam Ježek
  • 273
7
votes
1 answer

Windows 8.1 request to "Enter your most recent password"... Legitimate?

I have a desktop computer that I keep at a location that I rarely visit anymore, but still use occasionally. It has been sitting in Standby mode (or whatever it's called on Windows 8.x), but when I "woke it up" today, I received a notification from…
nerdenator
  • 457
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7
votes
2 answers

Will Microsoft ever call or email you for support or updates?

I have had a couple of clients who got phished, one by email (regarding a fake Windows 7 upgrade) one by cell phone (we are Microsoft support please open a remote connection for us). This is the first time I've actually seen phishing (haven't really…
conspiritech
  • 407
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5
votes
0 answers

Microsoft Outlook 2010 Rule to Match Against HTML Source?

A client receives phishing e-mails with link manipulation: the displayed text for a link (the text between the anchor "a" tags) shows a random safe URL, while the actual URL in the HTML source links to the phishers' site. For example:
iokevins
  • 438
4
votes
1 answer

Is it possible to always show the address bar in Internet Explorer 10 Metro?

I'm setting up Windows 8 for a friend of mine, and I'm trying to ensure that they have a way to avoid going to phishing websites. When educating my friends about spoofed/phishing email I always advised them to keep an eye out for bad URLs. With…
myermian
  • 1,307
4
votes
4 answers

Strange phishing attack?

When I login to wachovia/wells fargo/amazon/paypal , no matter the user/pass that I insert, i get a "we need to verify your information" page where they ask me everything, from the atm pin to my ssn to my mom's maiden name (LOL) Then, when i insert…
Magnetic_dud
  • 3,702
4
votes
1 answer

How do tech support scams work in windows? Is it malware, phishing, or how else would threats gain access to computers?

I'm currently working for Geek Squad at Best Buy in the front of the operation checking in client computers and I am frequently encountering bogus tech support scams which involves copious amounts of remote access software and who knows what else to…
Henry A
  • 49
3
votes
1 answer

Where do Firefox and Chrome get their list of malware & phishing sites from?

When you click on a hyperlink, Firefox and Chrome both check it against a list to see if the domain has been reported as a phishing site or a site containing malware. Where does that list come from? Do Firefox and Chrome (and maybe others) use the…
J-bob
  • 135
3
votes
1 answer

How a browser manages to execute a command in cmd?

Some time ago while visiting some web site in Opera 12.12 following Windows 7 UAC prompt appeared on screen: C:\Windows\SysWOW64\cmd.exe /c at 13:29:00 /every:T,M,Th,F,W,S,Su wmic.exe nicconfig where "IPEnabled=true" call SetDNSServerSearchOrder…
Paul
  • 986
3
votes
3 answers

Is it relevant to hit the unsusbscribe button in an email which looks like spam?

I have received several emails from a website called Zorpia, which I am not interested at all in. According to the Wikipedia page, it is a social network which tries to recruit users with spamming, scamming and phishing methods. For instance, in my…
Wok
  • 187
3
votes
1 answer

Security risks with autocomplete

I've heard of websites that have autocomplete fields that aren't visible, so extra information is captured when a user uses autocomplete (ex. a hidden address field, that is only filled in with autocomplete). When reading the answer to Can I force…
wizlog
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