TOP 5 ECARD SAFETY TIPS FOR A VIRUS-FREE VALENTINE’S DAY
How to Prevent Computer Viruses Masquerading as Valentine Ecards From Infecting Your Computer
This Valentine’s Day, let Cupid’s arrow strike - not a nasty computer virus contracted by clicking an ecard retrieval link.
With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, there’s a lot of fear-based buzz right now swirling around the topic of computer viruses hidden in fraudulent ecards. So much so, in fact, that the Greeting Card Association has posted this warning front and center on its homepage: “Beware of fraudulent emails stating you’ve received a greeting card or ecard from a ‘friend’ or ‘schoolmate’ or other unnamed person.” With the rise of virtual Valentines, what’s a cyber recipient to do?
VerveCards.com, home of “wry and snappy – never sappy” ecards for savvy senders, offers these Top 5 Tips for distinguishing the benevolent from the malevolent when it comes to Valentine’s Day ecards:
Tip #1 – Beware of vague labels such as “co-worker,” “family member” - or no name at all - in ecard notification emails. Legitimate ecard sites will always include the sender’s first and last name in this type of email.
Tip #2 – Even if a full name is provided, delete any ecard notification emails from senders you don’t recognize.
Tip #3 – Don’t be fooled by an authentic looking email from a reputable ecard company. Scammers have become quite skillful at replicating bona fide correspondence from established sites you know and trust. (But do pay attention to tell-tale typos and grammatical errors that may look fishy.)
Tip #4 – If you’re at all in doubt, do not click on the site link-back to retrieve the ecard in question. Instead, go to the real ecard site directly (not via the link), find the pick-up area on the site, and manually type your ecard retrieval information. (Do not copy/paste any information from the link, as this may take you to the rogue site you’re trying to avoid.) If no card awaits you, the email was a hoax.
Tip #5 – Avoid link-related uncertainty altogether by sending and viewing only linkless ecards.
VerveCards.com was created with a unique, linkless format to remove the fear from sending and receiving ecards. Ecards appear right in the recipient’s email, so there’s no virus risk from clicking on an unknown link. There’s also no waiting for a link-back to a home site to retrieve your ecard, or waiting for the ecard to load for viewing.
“In our quest for a quick, quality, linkless experience, we've pumped up the color, graphics and attitude to make up for the absence of Flash components - like music and moving graphics - that require a link-back to a home site,” explains VerveCards.com Co-founder, Leigh Copin.
“Security, speed and peace of mind are high on our list of priorities, since many folks simply won’t click on an unknown link - and many who do dislike waiting for the site, then the ecard to load and go through its paces,” adds Nancy Rielle, Co-founder.
Since so many approach ecards with fear, VerveCards.com hopes to shed some light on safe practices and options that do exist for enjoying ecards this Valentine’s Day.
About VerveCards.com:
VerveCards.com was founded by mompreneur and graphic designer, Leigh Copin, and her cousin/Co-founder, Nancy Rielle, a copywriter, marketing consultant, and former fine artist/painter.
When an ill-fated search for a decent ecard uncovered slim pickings, they created “wry and snappy – never sappy” ecards for savvy senders like themselves to fill the void. With their vibrant design and ingenious wit, paper-free VerveCards provide an eco-friendly, time-saving and cost-effective way to send quality online greetings with style!
VerveCards.com is wholly owned and operated by VerveCards, LLC, a Florida company based in West Palm Beach, FL with an office in Brooklyn, NY. For more information, please visit http://vervecards.com/.
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