They’re not just annoying but also time consuming! And they are also becoming more dangerous to individuals and businesses’ privacy.Think twice when you’re about to open e-mails from unknown senders, especially if you’re using a computer from the office where all your important business documents are saved. Millions of computer users and restaurant owners are getting spoofed by spam e-mails every month, forcing them to pay heavy fees to clean and restore their computer POS systems to it’s working condition.

Here are the 3 computer dangers you should keep away from:

1. Hijacking and spoofed e-mails. Spammers are now using a new tool used to make you believe that their spam e-mail is coming from YOUR computer. This can cause your connection to the internet be terminated or put on hold by your service provider – without you even knowing it. A good spam blocking software blocks inbound spam as well as unauthorized outbound spam from your serves. That’s why it would be a better idea to install one for your own protection.

2. Virus infected spam e-mails. Accidentally open a spam e-mail carrying a nasty virus and you can end up with big problems ranging from the slowing of your system to more serious threats such as system crashes, data loss, identity theft, endless popping of unapproved sites, and more.

3. Phishing spam. Also called phishing scam. The attempt to acquire personal information of an individual either to steal money from their bacnk accounts or use the money to spend it online shops without the owners knowledge. A phishing spam e-mail sends some kind of fake notification or warning to an individual asking for his or her online bank account, social security numbers, passwords, and credit card information. To be able to make someone believe that their spam e-mail is from a trusted website, phishing sites mimics the exact same look of the authentic website..

What to do to prevent this?

First and foremost, it’s absolutely critical that you get a quality spam blocking software installed as a first line of defense.

Many retail business owner over look into this, so their restaruant POS system pays the price.

Next, you want to make sure you don’t get on a spammers list in the first place. The moment your e-mail gets listed on a spammer’s list, there’s no way to get off; and changing your e-mail address can be a big hassle especially if you’re using it to stay in touch with your business contacts.

Below are some of the tips that can help you protect your e-mail from ending up on a spammer’s list:

1. Using disposable e-mail accounts.

Using a free e-mail address like with Yahoo or Gmail can reduce the chance of ending up on a spammer’s list. Always use free e-mail accounts when you’re shopping online or when subscribing to avoid getting your e-mail on a spammer’s broadcast list.

2. Never forget to double-check those tick boxes that are automatically filled in.

Better make sure you don’t check the box that says “Yes! I would like to get other offers from third party companies.” when shopping online. There’s a big chance your e-mail address will be sent to every online advertiser.

3. Don’t post your personal or business e-mail address in public places like your website or blog.

Spammers uses a special program that can collect e-mail addresses from web sites without your consent. If you really want to post an e-mail address on your web site or business blog, it’ll be much safer to use “info@” so all replies are forwarded to a folder in your in-box that won’t interfere with your main address.

4. Don’t open, reply to or try to opt-out of obvious spam e-mails.

Replying or clicking a link on a bogus opt-out link in an obvious spam e-mail signals that your e-mail address is active, and more spam will follow.

The only time it is safe to click or reply to the e-mail is when it is sent by a company you know or do business with (for example, a company that you purchase from or a newsletter you subscribed to).

For more information or to have a local POS professional serving the restaurant industry and your location see more information at POS-For-Restaurants.com.