I think most of us have probably received some (or a lot!) of these:
FBI NATIONAL PRESS OFFICE
(202) 324-3691 IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JULY 17, 2007 FBI WARNS PUBLIC OF E-MAIL SCAMS
Washington, D.C. - The FBI today warned the public against three separate Internet scams that continue to flourish through spam e-mails. The warning comes after the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received a rising number of complaints from citizens over the past few weeks.
In one scam, an e-mail recipient receives an electronic greeting card containing malware (malicious software). The cards, which are also referred to as e-cards or postcards, are being sent via spam. Like many other Internet fraud schemes, the perpetrators use social engineering tactics to entice the victim, claiming the card is from a family member or friend. Although there have been variations in the spam message and attached malware, generally the spam directs the recipient to click the link provided in the email to view their e-card. Upon clicking the link, the recipient is unknowingly taken to a malicious web page.
In another scam, fraudulent e-mails misrepresent the FBI and/or Director Robert S. Mueller III and give the appearance of legitimacy due to the usage of pictures of the FBI Director, seal, letter head, and/or banners. The types of schemes utilizing the Director's name and/or FBI are lottery endorsements and inheritance notifications.
The third is spam e-mail which claim to be from an official of the U.S. military sent on behalf of American soldiers stationed overseas. The scam e-mails vary in content; however, the general theme of each is to request personal information and/or funds from the individual receiving the e-mail.
These spam e-mail messages are hoaxes and should be immediately deleted. Consumers need to be wary of unsolicited e-mails that request them to take any action even if that means just clicking on an attachment. It is possible that by "double-clicking" on attachments to these messages, recipients will cause malicious software - e.g., viruses, keystroke loggers, or other Trojan horse programs - to be launched on their computers.
For further information on computer safety tips please visit the FBI website at www.fbi.gov and the IC3 website at http://www.ic3.gov/.
Here are the rules to avoid the common scams, including the ones above - this will protect you from most scams:
1. Never ever use a link in an email to go to a banking site, your eBay account, PayPal, or any other sensitive account. Always type the URL into the browser yourself. This includes "payment notifications", "billing notices", "auction messages", and any other emails that are routinely sent from online account companies - every single type is also mimicked by fraudsters.
2. If a greeting card subject line does not have your name, or the name of a friend that you know in it, it is not legit. HAVING the name is no guarantee that it IS legit, but that will weed out 99% of the fraudulent ones.
3. Anyone telling you that someone needs you to help them recover some money is trying to defraud you. Period. The soldier emails are just a variation on the oldest of vicious scams (the Nigerian scam). There are also check cashing scams, which are perpetrated on individuals and businesses.
4. If someone calls you on the phone asking if you are a supplier of something in quantity, and they want that item shipped overseas, or if they have an address overseas, this is most likely a scam. This is especially true if they are using relay calling - this tool for the deaf has been overtaken by scammers, who use it to hide a non-native accent. Now, it is not that you should not trust someone with an accent - not at all! Just that this form of scam is often carried out through relay calls.
5. There are hundreds of types of scams being operated at any given time, and once your business phone number gets onto the phone lists, you'll be a target for legitimate fundraising companies, but also for credit card scams (offering you a credit card, or telling you your account is overdue), fundraising scams (old as the hills!), internet yellow pages scams (free listings for which they want a credit card number!), and all sorts of other things. Do not give a credit card number over the phone to someone who called you, or to someone you do not absolutely know is who you think they are! If you think you might be interested in the offer, then ask them to send you literature for it through the mail. Legit companies will do this, and you can check them out. If your credit card company calls you and wants you to make a payment, tell them thank you for the information, but you will make a payment online, or you will call them back to handle the transaction.
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