WARNING: New phishing scam on the loose...

More things to be wary of I'm afraid...

A client sent this to me over the weekend. He fell for it, and had to go through the hassle of changing passwords and canceling credit cards, etc...

It's just another "phishing" scam, but one that is directly targeted at Mac users who may have been following the news about Apple's upcoming iCloud service that will replace MobileMe sometime this fall. Even if you don't have a MobileMe account right now, you could be a target for the scam, as iCloud will work for anyone with an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.

If you'll notice, the "From" field says 'MobileMe Team', but the email address is '@iCLOUD.com', instead of 'apple.com'. Subtle things like that are what one should keep their eyes peeled for when trying to discern an email's legitimacy. Of course, the basic rule still applies: NEVER assume an email asking you to log in to a secure website is legitimate. Instead, go to that site using a known-good web address (i.e. apple.com, chasebank.com or wellsfargo.com), and look around for anything related to the email's claim. Better yet, call the company's 800 number...

Here's the original message client received:

Feel free to contact me if you have questions about this. Now back to your regularly scheduled programing!

Mac Classes - August '11

Happy Colorado Day everyone! I trust you're enjoying the 135th anniversary of Colorado's statehood (not to mention all this rain we've been having!)...

Mac class news for the month:

 First off, Saturday, August 13th, from 10 a.m. to noon, I will be presenting a class on the iPhone, iPad & the iPod Touch. Now that the iPhone has finally come to Verizon and the iPad has gotten so popular, more and more of you might have one or the other (or an 'iTouch'), or maybe it's simply time for you to find out what the fuss is all about! Either way, this class will teach you everything you need to know about these amazing devices... Cost is $20.

 Then, on Saturday, August 27th, from 10 a.m. to noon, for the first time, I will be covering iMovie. Since most point-and-shoot cameras (and even the newest digital SLR models) take video these days, I figured it was high time I covered Apple's powerful video editing software. If you'd like to learn how to make your own Oscar contenders, this class is for you! Cost is also $20.

***The above classes are always held in the small meeting room at Ridgway Town Hall, and are open to drop-ins, with no sign-up necessary***

Then, don't forget, there's...

 The regular FREE "Overview of Mac OS X" class will take place on the last Wednesday of the month, August 31st from 5-7 p.m. These overview classes are held in the computer lab at the Ridgway Library. There are only eight seats available, and the Library has asked that I handle the sign ups, so give me a call at 970-417-8434 (or drop me an email) if you'd like to attend. (Be aware that first-timers take priority over anyone who has taken the class before, but there are often openings for repeaters).

There are six Macs in the computer lab, so only two of the eight attendees need their own laptops. This class is beginner-oriented, but we cover some different things every month; repeat attendees are encouraged (when there's room)!