The Scam Is In The E-Mail

Now that we find ourselves in an Internet-driven world, we are constantly flooded with e-mails. While e-mail makes it easy to conduct personal and corporate business — around Wisconsin or around the globe, it also makes us easy prey for e-mail scammers.

For example, suppose you receive an e-mail from your bank or credit card company saying that your credit card has been used to purchase some merchandise and the company wants to make sure you actually ordered the merchandise. The e-mail may ask you to enter personal information such as your name, social security number, checking or credit card account number so they can verify this information. When you click “Send,” you’ve just played into the hands of a scam artist who will use your information to steal your identity.

Remember, a bank or credit card company will never ask for your account information through an e-mail. As with traditional mail or telephone solicitations, do not give out your credit card information unless you initiate the transaction or you are sure the website is secure.

Here are some of the top e-mail scams identified by the Federal Trade Commission.

Cable D-Scrambler Kit
“Purchase this kit and you can receive cable television transmission without paying a subscription fee.” Aside from being illegal to steal service from a cable company, you will likely find that after you assemble the kit, it doesn’t work.
Advice: Click Delete.

Business Opportunity
“Work from home. No selling. No meetings. Let someone else do all of the work while you sit back and earn up to $1,000 per day.” The e-mail will give you a
number to call. You’ll probably reach a voice mail instructing you to leave your name and phone number and then someone will call you back with the sales pitch. This is probably an illegal pyramid scheme.
Advice: Click Delete.

Chain Letter
The e-mail asks you to send $5-$10 to four or five names on a list. Replace one of the names with your own and forward the revised bulk e-mail. If you fall for this scam, you may as well throw $5 or $10 in your trashcan and be done with it.
Advice: Click Delete.

Health and Diet Scams
On any given day, you probably receive at least one or two or more e-mails that offer pills and other herbal gimmicks to transform your body into a petite size 6 and grow a full head of hair on your balding head. Beware of terms such as “scientific breakthrough,” “miraculous cure,” and “secret formula.”
Advice: Click Delete.

Vacation Prize Promotions
“Congratulations! You’ve been selected to receive a fabulous Carribean Cruise.” If you click on this one, your “ship” will probably be similar to a small fishing boat and your luxury accommodations may be a grass hut. Don’t worry. For several hundred dollars, you can upgrade.
Advice: Click Delete.

The Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions listed Internet fraud on its 2004 top ten list of scams. It offered a special warning to ignore e-mail offers from individuals representing themselves as Nigerian or West African officials in need of help to deposit large sums in overseas bank accounts. "Don't be dot.conned,” advised Patricia Struck, administrator, Division of Securities. “If you get an e-mail pitching a deal that can't be beat, hit delete."

 Provided as a public service by the Community Bankers of Wisconsin (CBW)