How to Learn About the Latest Email Hoaxes and Scams

Finding yourself the victim of an email scam can be painful, both personally and financially. Claims made by strangers through email should be carefully examined or dismissed altogether to protect yourself, but learning about new hoaxes will help you as well.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• An email account
• A computer with Internet access

1. Locate several trusted Web sites that research and report scam emails.
2. Search the Web for scams similar to the one that you may have received.
3. Cross reference any suspicious emails that you receive with several scam-reporting Web sites.
4. Forward the fraudulent email to the scam-reporting email address for any targeted companies, then forward it again to the Federal Trade Commission.
5. Delete the email you suspect to contain a hoax.

Tips & Warnings

• If you want to donate money to a charity, do it through their official Web site instead of through email.
• Never send money to a stranger who contacts you in an email.
• Never open an email from someone that you don’t know. Unless it is a business account, no one that you don’t know should have or be able to use your email. Most of the excess is junk, and the rest is an attempt to scam you or sell to you.
• Never give out personal information over your email.
• Never use email links to get to popular Web sites like eBay or PayPal.