E-Mail Scam Amazon Phishing Scam Targets Holiday Shoppers Guaranteed Computer Protection Now Available Ask The Help Desk Adjusting The Volume On Your Computer Sites Of The Month Great Sites To Check Out In December! Short Tutorial Increasing The Font (Text) Size On Web Pages

Hello West Central Internet Subscribers Our December issue contains information to help you manage the demands of this hectic time. We warn you about an Amazon phishing scam aimed at online shoppers. We teach you how to adjust the volume on your computer and the font size on web pages, so you can better enjoy the sights and sounds of the season. We also share Great Sites to enhance your holiday celebrations with creative ideas for cooking, entertaining, gifts, and crafts. The goal of each of our monthly eNewsletters is to keep our subscribers informed regarding their Internet connection and to improve their Internet experience. To meet this goal, each monthly newsletter will usually contain information related to: Warnings on a recent virus, e-mail hoax, or security issue that may affect you An update on new services and other local interests An answer to a frequently asked Internet related question Some fun, seasonal websites to check out A short, step-by-step tutorial on an e-mail or browser related task We think you'll find the information contained in this newsletter to be a valuable tool for enhancing your Internet experience. If, however, you'd prefer not to receive these bulletins on a monthly basis, click HERE. To see what's inside this issue, take a look at the index to the left and thanks for reading! - West Central Internet Services Team

E-Mail Scam - Amazon Phishing Scam Targets Holiday Shoppers

'Tis the season for even more scammers to try and get sensitive financial information such as your bank PIN number or Social Security number. One such phishing scam that's currently making the rounds is disguised as an e-mail from the giant online retailer, Amazon.com. The message fraudulently claims that their “Account Review Team identified some unusual activity in your account” and that “account access will remain limited until this issue has been resolved.” Recipients are then instructed to click on a link to “perform the steps necessary to restore your account access as soon as possible.”

If you receive an e-mail message like this, DO NOT CLICK ON THE LINK. While the website looks like the real Amazon.com, it's actually a phony clone set up for phishing purposes. The scammers are hoping you'll be so busy with holiday shopping that you'll fall for this scheme. But thanks to this warning, you'll know better.

As always, be on guard while shopping online and practice these strategies:

• Purchase items through well-known retailers you can contact via phone if necessary.
• Look for a locked padlock in either the address bar or in one of the corners of your browser window when making a purchase. This indicates a secure transaction.
• Check bank and credit card statements frequently for suspicious transactions.

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Guaranteed Computer Protection - Now Available

According to Consumer Reports 2007 State of the Net survey, Americans spent $2.6 billion in anti-virus computer protection software over the past two years. Has it helped? You may be surprised to learn that more than $9 million was spent over the past two years to fix problems with Internet-delivered issues caused by viruses and spyware.

With all that money being spent on protection, why does the problem continue to grow? The majority of consumers rely on free downloads and software in a box solutions. These products require users to install, maintain, and keep them updated. According to the 2004 National Cyber Security Alliance Online Safety Study, the majority of anti-virus programs weren't up-to-date or set up properly.

Now there's help with Secure IT Plus available from West Central Telephone. Recognizing the need to help our customer protect their computer, we have partnered with the only guaranteed computer protection service on the market — SecureIT Plus.

SecureIT Plus service provides:

• Firewall Protection
• Fully automated protection and removal of viruses, spyware, and adware
• Automated hard drive maintenance and optimization
• Automated installation of tested Microsoft patches
• Monthly e-mail reporting
• Free professional installation
• Free technical support

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Ask The Help Desk - Adjusting The Volume On Your Computer

Question: I enjoy going to holiday sites and listening to the music as I browse. However, the volume is turned way down on my computer and I do not know how to adjust it. How do I turn my computer's volume back up?

Answer: That's a good question. With the many changes in operating systems going around these days, it's easy to lose track of where you make changes to settings. With sound settings, however, it's relatively easy to turn your computer's volume up or down. First, look for volume buttons on your keyboard that look like speakers with sound waves coming out of them. Press these buttons to adjust the sound.

On a PC that uses either the Windows XP or Windows Vista operating system, look for the sound icon in the system tray of the taskbar on the lower-right side of the screen. Click your cursor arrow on the sound icon and adjust the slider either up or down.

On a Macintosh that uses any version of OS X, look for the sound adjustment icon on the menu bar towards the upper-right side of the screen near the date/time. Click your cursor arrow on the sound icon and adjust the slider either up or down.

If these adjustments don’t do the trick, perhaps the program you are using to listen to music has its own separate sound settings. For instance, this is true of Apple's iTunes. To locate the volume control for a specific program, go to the progam's Help menu.

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Great Sites To Check Out This Month

Ray of Sunshine
http://rachaelray.com -  Rachael Ray has one of the top-ranked daytime programs on TV, and each one-hour episode features her warm, no-fuss approach to life. Viewers tune in for her signature quick meals, improvised entertaining, celebrity surprises, and more. Get a taste of what makes Rachael Ray so popular by visiting this site. Just in time for the holidays, it's the ultimate resource for her recipes, party tips, and other seasonal ideas. Plus, you'll find restaurant reviews from around the globe and food favorites contributed by her famous friends.

Get Crafty
http://familyfun.go.com/arts-and-crafts/season/minisite/christmas-main -  Deck the halls with cute holiday crafts that are easy to make with kids. Family Fun magazine shares lots of ideas on their site with printable templates and step-by-step instructions. Choose from festive stockings, decorations, cards, ornaments, edibles, and gifts — created for elves of all ages. It's a wonderful way to spend a winter afternoon.

Forecast for Fun
http://theweatherchannelkids.com -  Are your kids a little cloudy on weather concepts? The Weather Channel launched this educational and entertaining website to teach school-aged children about meteorology. It includes a Forecast Center, weather encyclopedia and glossary, interactive weather-related games, and videos of athletes performing in extreme weather conditions. There are even downloadable curriculum plans for teachers and a Homework Helper channel for students.

Gifts in Mint Condition
http://usmint.gov -  Coins can make great holiday gifts for new or seasoned collectors. Think of them as mini history lessons that have lasting value. UsMint.gov offers an online catalog with plenty of options such as the James Madison Presidential $1 Coin, the 50 State Quarters® Greetings from America Portfolio, and the 2007 United States Mint American Legacy Collection.TM

Chimney Safety Tips
http://www.csia.org/?gclid=COG71dGX4o8CFQIegQodQT5A7Q -  As temperatures drop, you'll probably be using your fireplace and wood stove more often. The Chimney Safety Institute of America is a non-profit educational organization that provides homeowners with resources to help prevent chimney fires and carbon monoxide intrusion. Check out this site for online tutorials on chimney inspections, chimney and fireplace sweeping, firewood selection, and other important safety advice.

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Short Tutorial - Increasing The Font (Text) Size On Web Pages

Sometimes the font size is too small to easily read on web pages. Thankfully, Microsoft's Internet Explorer, Macintosh's Safari, and Mozilla's Firefox browsers each provide an easy solution for increasing the size of text on web pages.

Changing The Font Size On Your Browser When Using Internet Explorer 6.0 With Windows XP Home Edition SP2

1. Click your cursor arrow on "View" located on the menu bar found at the top of your computer screen.
2. Move your cursor arrow down to "Text Size." You can now choose "Largest," "Larger," "Medium," "Smaller," or "Smallest" from the resulting submenu.

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We hope you found this newsletter to be informative. It's our way of keeping you posted on the happenings here. If, however, you'd prefer not to receive these bulletins on a monthly basis, click HERE.

Thanks for your business!

Best regards,

The WCTA Communications Team
Internet Specialists
E-Interface



WCTA Sebeka
308 Frontage Road Box 304
Sebeka, MN 56477

1-218-837-5151 or toll free at 1-800-945-2163

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