How to avoid e-card scams

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By Aaron Gilchrist - bio | email

RICHMOND, VA (NBC12) - Nobody wants spam for Thanksgiving, but the Virginia Attorney General's office says it pops up in email inbox more frequently this time of year in the form of e-cards, designed to break into your computer or even your bank account.

If penning a holiday greeting isn't your forte, the internet offers lots of options that are touching- or funny-or just creative ways wish someone a happy Thanksgiving. But looks can be deceiving.

"Just cause it says a friend sent you an e-card doesn't necessarily mean a friend sent you an e-card," says David Clementson, spokesman for the Virginia Attorney General.

Attorney General Bob McDonnell is warning Virginians to be cautious when you accept holiday well wishes. This is time of year when more spam appears in people's email.

These deceptive e-greeting cards tell you: "A friend wants to wish you a happy Thanksgiving. Click here to open."

This could be different versions of malicious software being sent to you with a virus or a form of phishing with a "ph".

A phishing scam would send to a website and try to get you to enter personal information, that is then stolen.

Opening a virus could actually infect your computer and steal information from right under your fingertips.

"Worst case scenario, you have no idea that someone's commanding your computer and is able to access personal information, financial information," says Clementson.

He says outside of putting virus protection on your computer, if you get an e-card, make sure it comes with an actual name and a real return address.

Otherwise, don't open it, don't reply to it, just delete it.
Clementson says, "Don't click on some foreign email if you don't recognize, if you don't know for a fact that your friend has sent you a holiday greeting."

If you think you've already received one of these malicious e-cards, you can file a complaint with the internet crime complaint center via their website, ic3.gov.

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