State Police are warning people about an email hoax that could hurt your computer
State Police are warning people to be wary of an email claiming you have a traffic ticket.
A hoax email is circulating across the country, primarily through Yahoo email accounts. It claims to be a ticket from the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles and the New York State Police. The email tells you to download the ticket, fill it out, and send it to a town court. However, troopers say the file is actually a virus. The State Police Computer Forensics Lab is analyzing that virus.
Police say the email is not from them. If you get it, you should not download the file. Troopers ask you to not forward the email to any police agencies.
State Police and the National Crime Prevention Council have some tips to help protect yourself from cyber-crime. Make sure to:
- Use anti-virus software, firewalls, and other security measures to protect your personal information.
- Only open emails from familiar sources and only navigate to trusted sites.
- Change your passwords every 90 days and do not allow your computer's programs to save them.
- Back-up important files to external storage devices and be vigilant when downloading from the Internet.
- Install parental control software and monitor your child's Internet use to keep kids safe online.
- Establish family guidelines for appropriate computer use.
