The Truth About Computer Scams

Steve Weisman

Trojan Horses

Keystroke logging programs, most commonly called Trojan horses, are a kind of spyware that, after installed on your computer, monitors all activity on your computer and transmits that information back to the scammer, who uses it to access your bank accounts, credit cards, brokerage accounts, or any of your online business. This information can even be used to establish credit in your name that the scammer will use without, of course, ever paying on the account, which then turns up as a black mark on your credit report and makes your life more difficult.

The truth is Trojan horses are aptly named because they are installed in your computer by you when you unwittingly download them. A common ...