Pope Francis Scam

How to avoid:

With the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI – an almost unheard of event in the history of the Catholic Church – and the subsequent appointment of Pope Francis, many people around the world have been riveted by any Pope-related story. And typically, where there is controversy and curiosity, there are scammers ready to take advantage of the publics’ thirst for more shocking and tawdry news.

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The Pope Francis Breaking News scam involves an email advising readers of a breaking news story about the new Pope, urging readers to click on the link in the email to receive an article containing “shocking revelations” about the newest leader of the Catholic Church.

The email typically has one of the following subject lines:

* Pope Francis says all religions are true!

* Pope claims women are naturally unfit for political office

* Family sued new Pope. Exclusive!

* New pope tries to shake off the past

* Can New-Pope Benedict be sued for the Sex Abuse Cases?

* New Pope, Vatican officials sued over alleged sexual abuse!

* New Pope Sued For Not Wearing Seat Belt In Popemobile

Of course, once you click on the link to the “story” you have released malware in your computer.

How to avoid:

Never click on a link in an email from an unknown sender. If you have done so already be sure to run your antivirus program on your computer and delete the malware as quickly as possible so as not to further compromise your computer’s integrity. If you are tempted to click on the link do your homework: research the company or person who sent you the link to verify their online integrity. If they check out, type the links address into a secure web browser to protect your computer. And always keep your computer’s antivirus software up to date for the best protection possible.

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