Published: May 15, 2008 04:23 am            

Be aware of spam e-mails

Computer Bytes

If you've noticed an increase in spam mail lately, you're not alone. The number of spam and phishing emails I've been receiving lately is definitely on the rise. (For more information on phishing see Computer Bytes No. 11.) Most of these emails are poorly veiled attempts to get personal information and passwords. While some may look authentic, there are a few things you can look for to help determine their authenticity.

I think it goes without saying that any email attempting to get you involved in a multi-million dollar national lottery or transfer of money to 'your' bank account is going to be bogus. Some emails may ask you to just pay a small shipping charge — to a fake account — and you will be given permission to pick up a package of money that is currently on hold. Under no circumstances should you ever respond to, send money or give out any bank or personal information relating to the transferring of money or the claiming of an online lottery.

Those of you who buy, sell or transact business on the Internet should not answer those vague emails asking you to 'confirm' your account information. This type of email is usually associated with an existing account. In these cases you will notice that the sender's email closely resembles the company represented — PayPal, Ebay, Amazon — but on further examination you will see that this email is from a sub-domain registered for the sole purpose of trying to scam you. For example: www.ebay.com is the legitimate business name; http://verifyyouraccount.ebaynotice.com is a scam name. It is worth remembering that the name of the legitimate company will always begin with the www. and look like http://www.companyname.com. A sub-domain for scamming will not have the www. in the address but look something like http://subname.companynameverify.com.

If you receive an email that you think might be intended for you because you actually have an account with that company, bank or institution you should first check the 'To' email address. If the email address is correct, call the company to verify that they sent the request. If so, make the changes through their .com home page NOT through the email link. In most cases you will need to log in to your account to make any additions or changes.

Another scenario — you may get an email where the 'To' line is blank, or maybe it is addressed to an alternate or old email address. If you are computer and HTML savvy, you can view the source code of the email — actually read the computer language used to write it. In this case you may be able to see where the email originated, who sent it and the people they have sent it to. Some online companies like Ebay and PayPal have special departments for reporting such spoof' email. You can forward it to them and they will let you know if it is legitimate.

Have a computer question on a particular topic you would like to see covered? Send me an email at Moncrief@startel.net. Visit Computer Bytes at www.moncriefwebdesign.com where all past articles are available on line. ‘Till next time “Happy Surfing.”

        

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