The continuing list of tips against 419 Scams, continued!
- Does the link match the organization/site?
If your e-mail claims to be from Facebook or online banking or another legitimate organization but the link in the e-mail does not match (i.e. zapcooltrends4u . com instead of Facebook.com), then this is most definitely a scam. The online banking e-mail might seem legimate, but after hovering over the link that says, "Verify your account!" you can see in the bottom corner the REAL name of the link to the site. Just hovering over the link to a fraud Chase e-mail, I saw the link saying, "sdlkdjflksdjlfkjslkjf . net" and obviously an indication to me that it was certainly not Chase. And remember, there was no https: either.
- Check the name and see if the e-mail matches.
Like the link, you can also check if the name on the sender information matches the e-mail address. If it says it is from Chase but the e-mail address is coolgirls2luv . ymail . com, then obviously that's not Chase either. Some e-mail addresses are now more advanced and may seem like they are really legitimate - onlinebanking . chaseonline . com, but that's when you have to do the one or all steps:
1. Think about it. Do you actually have a Chase account?
2. Does the link match to the site. Does it really say Chase Online's official site
3. And is it https:?
4. Are the graphics just right, and no mispellings?
5. AND MOST OF ALL: IF YOU HAVE AN OFFICIAL E-MAIL FROM CHASE BANK OR SEARCH ONLINE FOR A LEGITIMATE VERSUS FAKE SAMPLE OR FROM A TRUSTED FRIEND AND OR FAMILY MEMBER (MAKE SURE THERE IS NO PERSONAL INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THE SAMPLE IF NECESSARY), USE IT TO COMPARE LINKS, E-MAIL ADDRESS, NAME, SUBJECT TITLES IF APPLICABLE, HTTPS:, AND GRAPHICS.
Another kind of name to e-mail match also occurs in a number of sob story, lotto, or really, any other kind of scams. They may say under name Laura Green with the e-mail address as lgreenjhjhjh @ poodles . net, but in the letter might state for you to either respond or send private information to a totally different e-mail like purtygr33n _ eyes @ voxxxx . net or similar sounding like lgreenjhjhjh @ voxxxx . net. Or even, is a lady named Laura Green using the e-mail sirjamesgreen334444444 @ poodles . net claiming that it is her e-mail? While this might be argued (since we all have varied e-mail names and inspirations), based on other information you can collect on the nature of the e-mail, it is reasonable to assume that perhaps they have used that alias as well in other variations of the same scam.
- Cheesy subject liners or threatening ones.
Aside from whatever personal goes on in your life, scam e-mails have a tendency to have blatantly obvious, "Hello dear" approaches, which are ploys to engage and invite you into believing that the scammer is a kind and generous person. It's sad to say that several of these scammers have little to no consideration about your wellbeing (and the fact that they are sometimes using ploys such as stories about cancer and disaster without considering the gravity of these incidences) and are focused more than anything on taking your money. Therefore, if you already sense that the e-mail is sounding fishy and too friendly for your liking (especially when dealing with the prospect of free money), then you might have just encountered a scam. Other e-mails claiming to be the FBI or from other organizations can attempt to threaten you into telling you that you are obliged to give out your information and total cooperation. Do not give out any information before stopping, thinking, and reviewing scam checking procedures.
As I personally am not familiar with how major organizations such as the FBI divulge information via e-mail, I would suggest that if you have followed other steps such as searching for logos, security assurance, matching links and names and are still baffled about whether you are being scammed or it is truly legitimate, I would suggest for you to go on Google to copy and paste the message to see if such duplicates exist (therefore it's your indicator of a scam sent to multiple people) or go directly to http://www.fbi.gov/ and see if there is any way to legitimately and securely contact someone regarding the situation, and they will be able to most likely direct you to what to do.
Also as a quick note, the FBI's site also has some tabs and links that can also provide information on how to protect yourself from an array of scams, including telemarking, telephone, holiday shopping and credit card scams. It is definitely worth checking out.
- Use attachment previews to avoid clicking the actual file.
E-mail providers such as G-mail, Yahoo, and Hotmail have attachment options on where you want to view graphics, attachments, and attachment previews. Use these as much as possible if you are prone to curiosity to what these attachments may contain, but more importantly, to make sure if an attachment is safe when it comes from a friend. A lot of earlier bug viruses started as people clicking and releasing viruses from attachments seemingly send from friends who were innocently unaware that clicking would continue the cycle over and over again, and since you automatically trust e-mails from friends, you have a greater tendency to open these files. Always check for names of the files and also if possible, keep track of whether this was an attachment you were expecting -- such as a resume or word file that a friend has told you that they would be sending.
If at all, try to avoid chain letters and forwarded e-mails as much as possible to keep your friends and others from becoming accustomed to the excessive flow of attachments and files. It's also good for you to try to avoid these chain letters as well so that you refrain from clicking any files. If you still like chain letters or are receiving them from someone that you know has a penchant for them, keep it in mind but always proceed with caution. You never know if either of you may unknowingly send a message containing dangerous attachments. Never click on attachments if necessary.
Also, thankfully most built-in e-mail providers have automatic virus detection and scanning for incoming and receiving attachments. Use these as much as possible for both, but don't rely on them comfortably in favor of common sense.
- From the preview, does the image look strange or edited?
Editing programs are a common deal nowadays so it's unwise to assume that everything scanned and sent over, form driver's licenses, passports, and "identify information" and pictures strangers may send to you is real. Some of these are so painfully obvious that they have doctored or stolen images that have names and other information retyped and edited. The picture might also be inconsistent with other descriptions they have given, especially if they have claimed in their e-mail to be one ethnicity while the image might say otherwise. Look for gender too!
In terms of telephone scams, if they bring up any deals about ethnicity, age (though this isn't often trusted as many know), or even gender, think about the voice you are listening to. While it's not always the surest way to verify something, keep a cautious mind for little details.
Continued in Part III.
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