New fraudulent emails are circulating which pretend to be from the Australian Tax Office.

The emails may include links to web sites that attempt to trick you into supplying personal details, such as your name, date of birth and credit card details (in order to receive the fake refund).

The subject lines of the email messages could be similar to:

“Australian Taxation Office : Tax Refund”

The from line of the emails could be similar to:

“Australian Taxation Office”

The emails contain a malicious link which should not be clicked on.  Some anti-virus software may not yet detect the malicious software the link points to.

With this wet weather our computers tend to “play up”. I have noticed a few computers coming in (more than normal)for the above reasons. On further investigation we have discovered the fan overheating due to dust build up and this is mostly the cause of computers shutting down intermittently.

The “Beeping” computers are usually the memory has moved due to the change in weather. This is easily repaired with a clean of the memory teeth and reseated.

January has nearly passed and now is a good time for a “TuneUp”. We recommend this annually and costs $229. Due to the amount of work performed we require your computer for 2 working days. (Les is very particular and guarantees his work totally) A few examples of a TuneUp are:  remove all dust from inside your computer, check all updates, remove temp files, cleanup registry and many more procedures,  generally making your computer run as it should.

If you mention reading my blog I will give you a 15% discount.

Please ring me for further information.  3117 0988

I must say this doesnt seem to be a question thought about often. Our young people always seem to have an electronic device in their hands, whether it a mobile phone, ipad or game console.

 I often wonder what will happen if our technoloy breaks down and we actually have to talk to each other???  Being almost 50 years old I am worried about what effect technology will have on my grand childrens ability to converse.

How would our young people manage to share their everyday life with their friends without Facebook or youTube?  Sometimes I think the “olden days” were easier, we had to walk or phone our friends, we were outside 80% of the day. I think our parents were aware of the dangers young people faced.

But today with new technology parents have the extra worry of Cyber Bullying.

For more information on cyber bullying go to www.cybersmart.gov.au or  ww.raisingchildren.net.au

What we recommend you do

If you receive an email that is suspect, do not click on the link in the email. Delete the email message straight away.

If you have already clicked on the link, it is quite possible your computer may now be infected.  It is recommended you seek professional assistance in helping detect and remove the malware.

Computer Troubleshooters Strathpine are more than willing to assist.

Make sure you have anti-virus software installed and keep it updated.

What is the problem?

Various spam emails are circulating which are designed to infect your computer with a program (malware) that could steal your passwords and other personal information (identity theft).
This is a scam.  If you follow the instructions in the email you could lose money or your personal information could be stolen to facilitate fraud in your name.

The subject lines of the email messages include, but are not limited to:

Incorrectly filled tax return
Mistakes in your tax form NAT3799
Mistakes in your tax return
Notice regarding your NAT3799 tax form
Please correct your tax form NAT3799
incorrect NAT3799 tax form application
incorrect completing of your NAT3799 tax form
incorrect filling of your NAT3799 tax form
mistakes in your NAT3799 tax form
wrong filling of your NAT3799 tax form
Urgent! You filled out your tax form NAT3799 incorrectly!
 

The from lines of the email include, but are not limited to:

“donotreply@ato.gov.au” <donotreply@ato.gov.au>
“Australian Taxation Office” <taxiesfmy314@ato.gov.au>
“Australian Taxation Office” <pearliestxy20@ato.gov.au>
“Australian Taxation Office” <defraudingqvs9@ato.gov.au>
“Australian Taxation Office” <noreeniur2@ato.gov.au>
“Australian Government” <staffingtr1593@ato.gov.au>
“Australian Government” <farmr572@ato.gov.au>

The emails contain a malicious link which should not be clicked on.  Some anti-virus software may not yet detect the malicious software the link points to.

 The cyber world that children inhabit continues to shift and evolve. The sites children are using today won’t be the ones they’re addicted to next week.  AVG (AU/NZ) Pty Ltd offers advice to help parents keep their children safe while enjoying their online holiday time.

We cant possible watch our children 24/7 however we are able to check what internet sites they are visiting and if our children are being bullied. 

Always report any cyber bullying to your child’s school or the police. Never ignore it.

 You and your children need to be alert to the potential dangers when enjoying the Internet and know what to do should anything untoward happen. That way your family can continue to benefit from the world of information and opportunity as safely as is possible.

The Government’s SCAMwatch site provides a reporting facility to assist with the policing of cyber crime and alerting others to fraudulent Internet activity.

There are currently emails being circulated asking customers to complete a survey and provide personal details. These are fake. Most Banks will never send emails asking you to provide any account or Internet Banking details.

Even if the emails seem to be genuine they often are NOT.

A number of Australian and New Zealand QuickBooks users have recently been sent emails advising them to download and install an “Intuit Security Tool”. These emails have not been sent by either Reckon Ltd or Intuit Inc (the US QuickBooks company).

Accordingly, if you receive an email about an Intuit Security Tool you should delete it without acting on its advice as installing the tool may result in malicious software being installed on your system(s).

In general, if you receive emails about our products that look suspicious or if you’re concerned in any way, don’t click on any links and contact us for assistance on 1300 784 253 or email customerservice@reckon.com.au

Local business Computer Troubleshooters Strathpine has been recognized for service excellence and professionalism in supporting local business and homes for their IT support by winning the 2011 Computer Troubleshooters QLD Franchisee of the Year. The award was presented to local business owners Tracy & Les Pedler at the recent Asia Pacific Conference held in Brisbane. Computer Troubleshooters is Australia’s largest IT Support Franchise Network and part of the World’s largest IT Support Franchise across 28 countries.

“Having started the business only a couple of years ago it is a great honour to be recognized amongst the group. We have strived to provided outstanding services to our clients in Strathpine and across the north of Brisbane, we aim to be the number one computer support business in the area” said Les Pedler  “These days there are too many risks for businesses and home computers,  not having reliable technical support for the IT systems is a risk in itself, we see ourselves in partnership with our clients to help them get the best results. We really want to deliver locally on our brand promise of “Technology Solved”.”

Replace desktop computers every 36 months. Using computers beyond thirty-six months increases the likelihood of failure without warning, as hard disks, power supplies, motherboards and other critical components are more likely to malfunction and fail the longer they’ve been in use.

Install and regularly update proven antivirus and antispyware software on all computers. Viruses and spyware frequently render systems inoperable or slow, and are a primary cause of error messages and system problems. An effective defense strategy using recommended antivirus and antispyware programs will keep systems running optimally.

Use quality surge protectors on all systems, and uninterruptible power supplies for servers or other critical components. Electrical fluctuations, surges, spikes and lightning strikes all can damage sensitive computer components and cause system problems or lost data. Using good quality electrical protection components, replaced every 24-36 months, will minimize these problems.

Ensure cooling fans are clean and functioning properly. Today’s computers build up tremendous amounts of heat, so having functioning internal and external cooling fans is essential.  Fans should be checked and cleaned regularly to be sure they’re working

Organize software carefully. A leading source of recovery delays is an inability to locate software CDs and licenses. Store original installation media (downloaded programs, CDs and DVDs) in a safe, readily accessible location. In addition, ensure required subscription, service plan, contract and licensing information is stored with the corresponding media.