“The goal is always to get your personal information or to install a virus on your computer,” said Gayle Jenkins with DNA Computer Repair in Kettering.
The emails may look like they are coming from a friend or legitimate company, but when you take a closer look at the email address- it’s gobbledygook.
Other ways to know an email is fraudulent:
- -requests to verify personal information or passwords
- -poor spelling and grammar
- -mismatched urls
- -urgent language
- -log in screens and pop up windows
Your best defense is to delete the suspicious emails without opening them, and don’t download any attachments, said Jenkins.
Another big problem- election clickbait on Facebook. Jenkins said you should avoid posts and links in your newsfeed that ask for login information or any personal data.
The good news? The election is almost over.
The stupid way our vehicles are getting stolen
We are making our vehicles an easy target for thieves by leaving our keys and key fobs in our vehicles - and now through January is a prime time for these crimes.
One out of every eight car thefts happened this way in 2015, and there been a 31 percent increase in these types of “key-in-car” thefts over the last three years, according to the national Insurance Crime Bureau.
Ohio ranked fourth in the nation,k and Dayton ranked third in the state with over a thousand of these easy steals from 2013-2015, according to Mary Bonelli with the Ohio INsurance Institute.
Bonelli suspects that the rate of these car thefts is higher than reported.
“It’s something most drivers don’t want to admit, that they left a fob in the car or their keys in the car,” bonelli saied
The obvious fix — don’t leave your keys and fob behind.
Also, don’t leave your vehicle warming up and unattended during the winter, use a large key chain so you won’t overlook it, and lock your vehicle, Bonelli said.
Black Friday already - one of the best deals so far
We are barely into November and the holiday shopping push is underway.
Amazon launched it's Black Friday Deals Shop last Monday and other retailers are leaking their Black Friday ads on the regular. https://www.bfads.net/
“It’s kinda crazy, it’s a little early,” said Nicole Brenneman of Beavercreek.
A survey release by BFAds.net found that of shoppers who will be shopping Black Friday sales this year:
- 78% say they spend the same or more as last year
- 61% are excited for deals on clothing and accessories
- 68% will shop at Amazon.com
To prepare to get the best deals, Brent Shelton with BFAds.net says you should:
- make a list
- compare prices online
- look for stackable coupons
- gift cards with purchase bonuses
- price match guarantees
One of the best deals Shelton has seen so far is on the Xbox One Slim at Kohl’s for $249.
“It’s a pretty typical price, but when you add in over $75 Kohl’s cash and an extra 15 percent off of that, all of a sudden it’s the lowest price we’ve ever seen,” Shelton said.
Rachel Murray is a WHIO-TV consumer reporter. You can watch her reports on News Center 7, follow her on Twitter @RMurrayWHIO, and like her fan page on Facebook.
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