Email Safety Blog

Many emails contain attachments. Some can be pictures from family or friends and yet other can be harmful viruses.  Just receiving an email with a virus attached does not mean that your computer is now “infected.” You would actually have to download the virus for it to cause potential harm to your hard drive.

The scam is simply of version of the well-know lottery email scams. As mentioned earlier, the recipient is asked to contact a claims agent who will ask how you want to pay a variety of fees associated with winning the lottery. These “fees” supposedly are there to cover all necessary charges including, but not limited to delivery and taxes. If these fees are not paid, then the winner gives up their rights to any of the prizes. In addition, the scammers may also fool you into sharing a variety of other personal information.

The FIFA World Cup 2010 is now the center of a recent email scam. The scam is sent in the form of a PDF and notifies the sender that they are the lucky winner of a cash prize given by the FIFA World Cup Lottery. The recipient of the email is then asked to contact a “claims agent” listed in the email for further instructions. Please beware, there is no such thing as the FIFA 2010 World Cup Lottery and it is not an official message for FIFA.

If you know what email scams not to fall for,  it’s inevitable that some might just make you laugh.  Instead of reading a classic Nigerian email scam and becoming excited you might profit, you can instead read through and chuckle at the lengths some people will go to earn a buck.

Just a thought for something new to do with all of your spam!

By the time our children reach the teenage years, they have typically have plenty of online experience under their belts. Yet, that doesn’t necessary mean that they are experts. Teenagers might have their fingers on the pulse of modern technology, but they still might fall for the old and often obvious scams that originated while they were just toddlers.

Email forwarding can be one of the common daily tasks they complete that comes with some risks. Without knowing it, a simple email forward can also forward on some vicious malware or harmful attachment. It’s best to remind them to look at the attachment name before opening and use their best judgement to assess any risk.

We hope to teach our children the basics when it comes to the online world. We tell them not to talk to strangers, whether in real life or the virtual world, we ask them to use the computer in moderation, and to be careful with any type of downloads.

Some basic email skills can come in handy for new email users also. We can teach our children how to work around the basic platform of the email provider they chose. For example, teach new users the difference between emails and spam. Show new users how to block email addresses that somehow end up in their inbox.  Also, it might be helpful to monitor their use and watch what emails are opened and who they are from.  Learning to be “email smart” from the start can help build a solid platform for a knowledgeable and safe online life.

Sitting in my Spam box was an email titled, “Job-Offer-1441 Secret Shopper Free Product and Salary.” The email said it was from the Walmart Job Center, but the actual email address didn’t match. Inside was an odd looking advertising that requests that you “click here” to become a secret shopper. This email has scam written all over it. Watch out and don’t click no matter how appealing it may sound. If you are really interested in becoming a secret shopper, seek out a reputable company that isn’t trying to get to you through spam.

There are several pieces of information that you MUST have when you are going to file a complaint with the IC3. These items include, but are not limited to your contact information, the contact information on the email scammer, and a very detailed report of the scam.

Of course, it is in your best interest to visit the official IC3 site for additional information and plenty of other FAQ.

Are you a victim of an email scam and want to spread the word or lodge a formal complaint? There is a place for you to turn… the IC3.  The Internet Crime Complaint Center, the IC3, is a collaboration between the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the National White Collar Crime Center, and the Federal Bureau of Investigations.

The IC3 was established so victims could file complaints on many types of internet crime including, but not limited to credit card fraud, investment fraud, the Nigerian Letter or “419”, and phishing.

Are you sending emails and not even knowing it?  Are you receiving emails from friends and family asking, “Why did you send me this?”

Hackers may infiltrate your computer systems and your email accounts. Most of the time email accounts are comprised so the hacker can send mass emails to your contact list. These emails can include any range of topics including, but not limited to prescription drug sales, travel deals, and malware.

Take the time to read the email subject lines carefully, even if it is sent from a supposed trusted source.