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Scam Warning – Fraudulent Rental Property Postings
The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) recently issued an alert after receiving many complaints from victims of rental property scams. The common theme in these scams is fraudsters using the Internet to try and capitalize on the desperation of people needing to find affordable rental property within a short amount of time.
Here's a typical scenario: You're searching online (on Craig's List or elsewhere) and come across an ad about a rental home in a great area at a great price. It appears to be legitimate so you start communicating with the "owner" by email. You're told the place is yours if you wire money to cover an application fee, security deposit, first month's rent, etc. You wire the money and then never hear from the "owner" again.
How does this happen? Scammers hijack legitimate home listings including the photos, change the contact information, and then list the modified ads on another site. Or they make up listings for places that aren't for rent or don't even exist.
Take these precautions to avoid becoming a victim:
- If the rental price sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Research average rental rates for similar properties in the area.
- If you're communicating by email, check for common red flags like poor grammar, misspellings, character/spacing mistakes, and excessive capitalization.
- Be suspicious if there seems to be an unusually strong sense of urgency to rent the property quickly or if the person insists on communicating only by email.
- It's a red flag when the person says he/she currently lives overseas or is out of the country on business. Scammers often tell victims this to explain why they can't meet in person.
- Never send money to anyone you haven't met or don't already know and trust.
- Do your homework online. Search the rental address, the landlord's name, and any contact information used in the posting before you proceed.
- Do not fill out a detailed rental application and return it to an unknown person either by email or postal mail. You put yourself at risk for identity theft.
Please be careful out there! You don't want that "home sweet home" to turn sour.
Short Tutorial – Changing the Default Search Engine on Your Browser
Are you searching for a new twist to your computer routine? Perhaps changing your default search engine would do the trick. While Google remains number one in the search engine rankings, you may want to start regularly using one of the other popular options such as Bing, Yahoo! Search, or Ask. Simply follow the steps below for your browser and operating system.
Changing the Default Search Engine in the Search Bar When Using...
Internet Browser: Internet Explorer 8
Computer Operating System: Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7
1. With Internet Explorer open, click your cursor arrow on the down arrow on the right side of the Search Bar (to the right of the magnifying glass) and select "Add" from the resulting drop-down menu.
2. When the Manage Add-ons window opens, make sure "Search Providers" is selected and then click on the search provider of your choice. If you don't see your favorite search engine on the list, choose "Find More Search Providers" from the bottom of the window.
3. Once you have chosen the new search provider, click the "Set as default" button and your new selection will be labeled "Default" in the "Status" field.
4. Click the "Close" button to save your changes and close the Manage Add-ons window. The Search Bar will now show the name of your new search provider.
Changing the Default Search Engine in the Search Bar When Using...
Internet Browser: Internet Explorer 9
Computer Operating System: Windows Vista and Windows 7
1. With Internet Explorer open, click your cursor arrow on the down arrow on the right side of the Search Bar (to the right of the magnifying glass) and select the icon of the search provider you prefer from the bottom of the drop-down menu.
2. If you do not see the icon of the search provider you prefer, click on the "Add" icon from the bottom-right of the drop-down menu.
3. When the Manage Add-ons window opens, make sure "Search Providers" is selected and then click on the search provider of your choice. If you don't see your favorite search engine on the list, try sorting the list by selecting "most popular" from the top of the list.
4. Once you have chosen the new search provider, click the "Add to Internet Explorer" button. You will have the option to make this your default search provider in the resulting pop-up window.
5. Click the "Add" button to save your choice. The icon of your newly added search provider will now be available in the search drop-down menu described in step 1.
Changing the Default Search Engine in the Search Bar When Using...
Internet Browser: Mozilla Firefox*
Computer Operating System: Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Mac
OS X
1. With Firefox open, click your cursor arrow on the down arrow on the left side of the Search Bar field and select one of the other search engine options from the resulting drop-down menu. If you don't see your favorite search engine in the list, choose "Manage Search Engines" to add even more.
Changing the Default Search Engine in the Search Bar When Using...
Internet Browser: Google Chrome*
Computer Operating System: Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Mac
OS X
1. With Chrome open, click your cursor arrow on the icon that looks like a wrench in the far right corner of the screen and select "Settings" from the resulting drop-down menu.
2. The Basics window will open. In the "Search:" section, click on the down arrow to display other search engine options. Select the one that you would like to make as the default. If you don't see your favorite search engine in the list, choose "Manage Search Engines" to add even more.
3. Close the tab to finalize your changes.
Changing the Default Search Engine in the Search Bar When Using...
Internet Browser: Safari*
Computer Operating System: Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Mac
OS
1. With Safari open, click your cursor arrow on the down arrow on the left side of the Search Bar field (to the right of the magnifying glass) and select one of the other search engine options from the resulting drop-down menu.
2. Alternatively, you can manage your default search engine on the "General" tab of the Safari Preferences accessed through the top Safari menu.
* Tutorial written for the latest non-beta version of the browser available at publishing time.
This Month's FAQ – How Can I Tell If My Computer Might Be Infected With Malware?
Question: Lately, my computer has been acting strangely and I'm concerned that something is wrong. Is there a way to tell if it's infected with malware?
Answer: There are common warning signs (listed below) of the presence of malware and if your computer is exhibiting them, it could very well be infected. Keep in mind, however, that some of these symptoms could be caused by other reasons; for example, slow performance could be due to insufficient hard drive space.
A sudden change in how your computer is running is often the result of malware. Watch for the following signs:
• Slowness - Your computer suddenly takes much longer than before to run programs, access files or the Internet, or even shut down.
• Freezes - Your computer frequently seizes up or you can't leave websites or close your Web browser.
• Frequent pop-up messages - Be especially vigilant if these are warnings that you need to purchase software to remedy a security threat. (The software is generally fake.)
• New browser homepage - Malware, once installed on your system, can change browser settings without your knowledge. A sign of this is an unexpected change in your browser homepage to a site you typically don't visit.
• Mysterious messages - Your friends and family receive email messages from your account but you didn't send them. Or they notice status updates on Facebook or Twitter that couldn't possibly have been posted by you.
• Automatic start-ups - Familiar programs on your computer (or ones you didn't know were there) start unexpectedly or you're randomly connected to unknown websites.
Remember, prevention is always better than cure when it comes to malware so make sure you keep your computer's security software updated. Please contact us if you need additional information or recommendations. |
This month we are giving away five pairs of tickets to the Stars and Stripes Airshow which will be held at the Sugarbush Airport on Saturday, June 30th. For more information on the Airshow, visit 
You might know Richard Pitonyak because of his role as the Technical Support Supervisor of our Internet division. Or maybe you’ve heard Richard on Tuesday mornings during his WDEV radio segment. But you might not be aware of his involvement with the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life (RFL). This event celebrates the lives of people who have battled cancer, remembers loved ones lost, and helps fight back against the disease. Richard, a cancer survivor, has been active with RFL for the past seven years and is again serving as Co-Chair for the event, which takes place June 22-23 in Montpelier. When asked why he volunteers for RLF, he smiles and replies, “It makes me very proud and thankful to see my daughter and family join the fight against cancer. Because of RFL, my daughter, now 8 years old, has grown up seeing her dad volunteer and be part of something bigger. She is now a Team Captain and is as excited about RFL as I am.”
