Application to share iTunes across all computers and "stuff" in your house

I saw this on Kim Komando: Mediarover  I haven't used it, but it is free.  Might be worth a shot for those of you that have multiple iTunes players. 

Fanbox.com SpamScam leads to porno sites and spamming everyone on your email

I was recently sent an email that was from a relative.  It looked questionable.  It said:

From: Relative Name <friends@yourfanbox.com>
Date: Mon, Dec 20, 2010 at 7:59 PM
Subject: Check out my photos!
To: my email

Hi,

I set up a profile where I can post photos, connect and share.

Do me a favor and confirm our relationship here.


Thanks,
Relative Name

As you might have guessed, this is a scam. 

In Firefox, you can look at the source code of an email by opening an email, clicking on the down arrow next to reply, and clicking on "Show Original".  From there you can dissect what and what is behind the email.  In this case, I traced the sender to Ann Arbor, MI.

I don't like to include links to page unless I'm sure they are going to remain legit, so I copied this from a spam tracking site.  It gives some background on the scam. There are references to links below, but I removed them.  They don't provide any other info. 

Based on my experience with SpamScams, the email address was obtained from someone else's email, someone's address book that subscribed to Fanbox, or from Facebook. 

Spam and Scam:Fanbox.com "Welcome to FanBox" Fanbox.com, formerly known as sms.ac, is one of the most annoying and sleaziest spams and misrepresentations going right now. Here's how to stop receiving this spam. If you are receiving email list this, we urge you to forward them to the federal Trade Commission.  If they receive enough complaints, perhaps they'll get off their lazy government backsides and do something about the scum behind this scam: How to Block Fanbox Emails or Cancel Your Account Don't click on the link to cancel your account. That will only confirm to these scum that your email address is being used and ensure MORE spam. And since you never signed up for it, you haven't got an account to cancel.  They are just trying to trick you into clicking on a link and confirming your information! Instead, put fanbox.com, fanboxapps.com, and sms.ac in your junk / blocked senders, junk email or spam list in your email program (eg., Outlook junk mail list) Report these spammers to the government: To forward unwanted or deceptive spam to the Federal Trade Commission; send it to spam@uce.gov,   Also see the FTC and here to Report Porn Spam.  In California, also use caspam@doj.ca.gov. In Missouri, use spamcomplaint@ago.mo.gov. In Virginia, use cybercrime@oag.state.va.us. If you think you have been taken advantage of by a spam scam, file a complaint with the FTC online at www.ftc.gov. Complaints will help the FTC find and stop people who are using spam to defraud consumers. How their scam works: When you sign up for FanBox, it asks for your permission to email everyone in your address book. After you give them your password (DON'T do it!) it will start spamming everyone in your contact list / address book.  It will send them these stupid ":____ asked you a question" spams. We've received them here; and verified that the senders had no intention of sending them to us, or "asking" a question. They felt victimized. For detailed discussion of this scam see these links: Fanbox is the new plaxo Spamhuntress.com: sms.ac turns into fanbox/ Steve Riley: faxbox, the latest in password scams Fanbox: do not touch it Fanbox SPAM Continues the SCAM Here is an example of the spam: Welcome to the FanBox platform In this email, we'll tell you about your new FanBox account and: Why you want it How you got it How you can control or cancel it Why you want it FanBox enables millions of people to use thousands of applications provided by the best application developers from around the world. Applications that improve your life - such as: Your own @FanBox.com totally spam-free email address Automatically backs up your PC files — you can access them from any Web connection Games to entertain you for hours How you got it You were provided with a free FanBox account when you used an application called "Question It!", recommended to you by otiko. To help avoid a double-registration process, users are instantly provided with a free FanBox account if they attempt to use an application (such as "Question It!") that runs on the FanBox platform. How you can control or cancel it Visit your Web-desktop to enjoy games and applications Visit email settings to control the frequency of emails You can instantly cancel your account in one easy step We hope you enjoy FanBox as much as millions of others. Look for the "Suggest!" links all over the site to let us know what you think. We're here to serve you. Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | FanBox — 255 G Street #723, San Diego, CA 92101, USA

Lastpass "red bar error"

Those who have Lastpass installed:  If you have an error similar to the one shown in the attached file, the solution is to reinstall Lastpass from this address:  https://lastpass.com/dl.  Don't just click on the link.  Instead, right mouse button click on it and left mouse button click on Copy Link Location.  Then do a past into a clean browser address field.  Hit enter.  This will start the install.  Accept everything and at some point you will be asked if you are a new user.  If you already use LastPass, then enter your email address and the password.  Continuing on, click the button about not including existing passwords.  It will ask you to close all browsers, which you should do, and it will finish.  The error will go away. 

This problem is due to some changes in the first week in Dec upgrade coupled with an upgrade of Lastpass. 

If you need help, please let me know. 

Hijacked home pages!

I've been encountering situations where a browser comes up with unexpected home pages or, when searching, presents web sites or aggressive sales window popups, even when the browser supposedly has its popup blocker turned on.  Some things you can do to fix this:

• Go to Tools.(Internet) Options and find the place where you can enter the Home url.  In both IE and Firefox the field  is on the General Tab.  The value there may be set to the undesired web page.  Change the entry to the url (starts with http:// or https://) you want.  Click Apply and then OK.  When you exit, exit using the File.Exit option rather than clicking on the red x, just to make sure you save the option.  
• In Firefox, type about:config in the browser's address field.  You'll get a warning about making changes; click "I'll be careful."  The list you get will be a bunch of lines of settings.  Near the middle is the setting keyword.url.  The value should be your home page.  If it isn't, then right click on the value and select "modify" from the list of actions.  Type the home page you want in the field.  Close the tab.
• Also look for the setting "network.proxy.no_proxies_on;"  The value should be exactly localhost,127.0.0.1 unless you are really sophisticated in your use of the browser.  Anything else is suspicious. 
• Go to Control Panel and double left click on the "Internet Options" icon.  Find the "Connections" tab.  Left mouse click the "Lan Settings" button.  In the Automatic configuration section make sure the "Automatically detect settings" box is checked.  That should be the only box checked on that tab.

If these don't work, then you've got a problem.  Give me a call. 

A new kind of malware (spyware)

There's a new kind of malware. The last phase was malware masquerading as anti-virus programs. The new phase is malware masquerading as various kinds of utilities. For example, it might look like the useful Glary Utilities many of you have seen me use. Here is a utube video for background:

The First IT Professional- An Historic Event

Here's a video someone sent me. It's on YouTube: The First IT Professional. So many things ring true!

Facebook Malware and what to do

I recently received an unusual message/app request on my facebook page:

This is an example of Facebook malware. These work like computer malware infections. The main purpose is to steal your personal information. So... in general, I don' to any Facebook apps, though I occasionally violate the rule. I make sure that my security settings are appropriate to do this. Unfortunately, many of the apps want my email address, etc, which makes me vulnerable to real computer malware.

So... I've written a document, based on an existing document, describing how to manage this problem. It is How to Prevent Facebook Malware.