| Have you received any unusually large phone bills | | | | the Internet. |
| lately? Did the list of calls include suspicious | | | | The rogue dialer can make your computer |
| numbers with high rates that you have no | | | | modem connect to the Internet using the |
| recollection of calling? Then it is possible that you | | | | premium-rate number instead of a regular phone |
| have been victimized by a rogue dialer scam, | | | | line. You then end up paying the premium-rate |
| most likely due to spyware that has secretly and | | | | service for the use of their phone lines, though |
| maliciously planted infected your computer | | | | you had not made any conscious choice to use |
| system. | | | | them. You may end up paying as much as $4 a |
| A dialer, by itself, is harmless enough. It is just a | | | | minute or more, so that a web surfing session |
| piece of software that allows your computer to | | | | lasting an hour or longer can rack up significant |
| connect to the Internet through the phone line. | | | | costs. The worst of these scams bills you for |
| Computers that use a dial-up modem to access | | | | time even after you have disconnected from the |
| the Internet require a dialer. Computers on | | | | Internet! |
| broadband Internet connections do not need a | | | | How can you avoid such a scam? The best way |
| dialer, but if such computers are also connected | | | | is to be vigilant about the software that gets into |
| to a dial-up modem, then they can also be | | | | your computer. There is no way you can guard |
| victimized. | | | | your system with your own eyes, however. You |
| How does a rogue dialer scam work? First of all, | | | | need an effective and reputable firewall to be |
| the rogue dialer software must get into your | | | | installed on your system, as well as anti-spyware |
| computer. It usually does so in the form of | | | | software. Good anti-spyware programs can |
| spyware--apparently harmless software that | | | | detect rogue dialers and remove them from your |
| downloads to your computer and secretly resides | | | | system. Tighten the security settings on your |
| there. These fraudulent dialers search for security | | | | web browser, and make sure it has been updated |
| holes in your system and exploit them to change | | | | with the latest upgrades and patches. |
| the phone numbers your computer uses to dial to | | | | |