Email Attacks: Emails Scams, Email Fraud, Phishing, and Viruses
Phishing Scams
Phishing scams are created to fool you into giving out secret information that can be used for the con artist’s benefit. They are looking for things like your credit card number or passwords to websites, and sometimes even things like your bank account number and social security number. This information is intended to swipe your money.
One kind of phishing email that you might not notice: An email that appears to be authentic from your bank, credit card or another type of financial business. You are asked to provide updated or new information using a link to their website. Since it appears very official, many people click on the link, travel to the website and log in with their password. Of course, it appears the same as your bank’s website, although it is actually a fraudulent one. This is the reason why it is very difficult to notice these scamming emails. Everything appears as it should. One warning sign you should take note of, is that legitimate financial companies will not request that you update your data like this.
Tax Refund Email Scam
The Internal Revenue Service is alerting people concerning a tax refund email scam. You get an email supposedly from the IRS saying they owe you a tax refund. You are prompted to connect to a link to see an “IRS” page. On this page, you are requested to fill in your social security number, and other information, so you can get to your account. This email is a scam and intended only to steal your identity.
IRS Does Not Use Email
As stated on their website, the IRS will never use email to try to contact you. It certainly wouldn’t use it to notify you concerning tax refunds. The IRS will only use the postal services or the telephone to contact you. Don’t be taken in by this!
Other Email Scams
Of course this scheme has some different variations, but basically the scam artist sends out an email alleging to be from someone who wants/needs to move his money out of some country — usually Nigeria — but is having trouble with taxes, crooked authorities, or some other obstacle that will be very expensive or stop the money from leaving the country altogether. This is the place where “you” will come in. A person promises you a large sum of money as a reward for helping him.
Various Kinds Of Bad Email
Other problematic emails are those that place a virus on your computer when you open the email attachment. Some emails will try to get you to click on a link that will cause you to download and install a virus, Trojan or other malware on your computer.
Preventing Losses
Your best weapon in protecting yourself against these scams is your own common sense. What is the most helpful is to tell the authorities about any email that looks strange. If you have any emails from people telling you do something that sounds strange, report it to the officials.
Unless you specifically joined the sender’s mailing list, be very cautious about clicking any links in emails. Keep your anti-virus protection current all the time, keep it set to scan emails that are coming in, and stay protected when you are surfing. If you don’t have it already, install malware blocking software on your computer. A good product for guarding against malware installing itself without your knowledge is Windows Defender.
