Spam filters and antivirus software are essential, but you can no longer rely on them for safety. Ten years ago, spam was merely annoying, while today it is a major vehicle for criminals to obtain your personal information to commit fraud. Remember these tips to avoid danger:

Today’s spam arrives in clever new disguises. It might look like a bill from your gas company, a bank account alert, or a package delivery receipt. Often these fraud messages slip right by automated filter software. Be careful with any e-mail alert you were not expecting.

No bank, utility, or delivery service will ever e-mail you an attachment to open.

Check links before clicking them to ensure they’re forwarding you where you expect. If you expect a link to fedex.com but it actually links to fedex-package-info.biz, do not click it!

Even the best antivirus package won’t help after you’ve been duped into entering your account number online and a thief has stolen your identity. Call us at Tech Networks of Boston if you have questions about data safety or fraud prevention.