It is rather sad that you need to know a great deal about computer programming to operate a home PC safely. Imagine what a kitchen would be like if you could get electrocuted for not fully understanding electrical theory.
The latest scam is one that will probably be very hard for most people to deal with. You get an email that says you are being sued. You can settle for $500 or go to court and possibly lose more. The subject of the suit is in the attachment.
Everyone knows that they shouldn’t open an attachment but this one seems important and risky to ignore.
The scam is that the attachment is an .exe file. That means the file can open directly into the programming operation of the computer. Your computer automatically executes an .exe file once you put it in the computer. Exe is short for execute. Your computer can then find your valuable information, name lists and anything else including lurking to watch your key strokes and send everything off to another computer to screw you.
While we’re at it, don’t open a .dll file either. A .dll file is a source file for an .exe file and can bring the computer to a dead stand still if it has an endless loop in it.