DATA DOCTORS

Why celebrities are dangerous

Aug 25, 2014, 12:00 PM | Updated: 10:09 pm

Social media and the Internet allow us to keep tabs on our favorite celebrities but doing so can actually be dangerous.

Hackers are both evil and psychological in their methods and they know how to take advantage of our celebrity obsessed culture.

They routinely create online scams designed to allow them to sneak into your computer using celebrities as bait.

The most recent example is the fake post circulating on Facebook claiming to be a goodbye video from Robin Williams.

In most cases, if you click on the link, you’ll be told that you need to update your video player in order to watch the video.

If you fall for this, you essentially just granted remote access and control of your computer to a remote hacker.

Whenever you see a site telling you that you need to update your media player, that’s a huge red flag.

Why would you suddenly need something special when you view online videos almost every day. The answer is you don’t.

Celebrity based scams have long been one of the most effective tricks in the hacker’s playbook, so don’t let your guard down!

Data Doctors

Patrick Mahomes #15 and head coach Andy Reid of the Kansas City Chiefs are recorded on a phone as t...

Data Doctors

Handy tech tips all Valley residents should use to find lost phones in a snap

Q: My phone went missing, and I haven’t been able to locate it using the Find My service, so what should I do next?

5 days ago

(Pexels Photo)...

Ken Colburn, Data Doctors

Here are tips for freeing up Google storage space

Google provides a generous amount of free online storage but it can fill up quickly depending on how many of its resources you use.

12 days ago

Discover how to assess, estimate, and shop for the right battery pack with this concise guide. (Pex...

Data Doctors

Here is everything you need to know for testing and buying battery banks

Discover how to assess, estimate and shop for the right battery pack with this concise guide.

19 days ago

(Pexels Photo)...

Ken Colburn, Data Doctors

Here are the truly free smartphone video editing apps

The processing power on our smartphones has grown exponentially, allowing anyone to perform sophisticated video editing easily.

26 days ago

Google Maps app....

Data Doctors

How to rediscover places visited years ago on Google maps

Whether you're an Android or iOS user, or prefer accessing Google Maps on your computer, you'll find step-by-step instructions to unlock your travel memories effortlessly.

1 month ago

(Photo by Michael Bocchieri/Getty Images)...

Ken Colburn, Data Doctors

Here’s how to calculate your bandwidth needs

When searching for an alternative internet service provider, here are some tips on how to know how much bandwidth is needed.

1 month ago

Sponsored Articles

...

COLLINS COMFORT MASTERS

Here are 5 things Arizona residents need to know about their HVAC system

It's warming back up in the Valley, which means it's time to think about your air conditioning system's preparedness for summer.

...

Day & Night Air Conditioning, Heating and Plumbing

Day & Night is looking for the oldest AC in the Valley

Does your air conditioner make weird noises or a burning smell when it starts? If so, you may be due for an AC unit replacement.

(KTAR News Graphic)...

Boys & Girls Clubs

KTAR launches online holiday auction benefitting Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley

KTAR is teaming up with The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley for a holiday auction benefitting thousands of Valley kids.

Why celebrities are dangerous