The Business of Broadband

I tend to think that I’m a more technically savvy user and would often chuckle to myself reading promises of massive amounts of money waiting to be claimed and transferred to my bank account. I’m pretty sure I don’t have a great aunt Wilma who lived in London and wished for me to have all of her money on her death bed. While these types of email scams can be pretty obvious, scammers are developing more sophisticated means of being able to succeed at identify theft, wire fraud, and things of the like. Because the scams are continuously evolving, preparing your customers on what to look for and ways to protect themselves can ease the reluctance to enjoy their online experiences.

Scams Have Evolved

Email scams have long evolved from the Viagra ads which we’ve all grown accustomed to bashfully deleting. I never quite understood why the scammers would target women for these ads, but nonetheless, they still trickle through every now and again. The most recent scams have their eyes on the prize and are looking to cash in on your assets and steal your identity. These scams often capitalize on current events to make the scams seem legitimate or offer some type of unrealistic claim in exchange for money or a service. Many work-at-home and check overpayment scams resort to sending checks that clear your bank and post to your account to only later be detected as fraudulent. Afterwards, your banking information can be compromised because you’ve willingly provided it, or you may be responsible for return of the funds that were contained in the bogus check. OnGuard Online offers a list of the top 10 email scams that you may provide to your customers as a reference for the most common scams.

How to Protect Yourself

One of the first measures that your customers can take is to not respond to or access any links or attachments contained in emails of which they are unaware of the sender. Gut feelings are often correct, so if there is any suspicion, then it’s best to not act on the email. Responding to or acting on the email will confirm with the source of the scam that your email account is active and that will bring on further unwanted messages. Personal information is exactly that, and any requests should come from a reputable source that is familiar to your customers. Most legitimate sources, however, will not request sensitive information via email. If the email does appear to be from a reputable business or organization, you may provide your customers with websites or phone numbers that can be contacted to determine the validity of the emails.

It’s a much added convenience when your customers feel safe and are able to benefit from the perks of using email. Keeping them informed on email scams and the potential dangers will eliminate the possibility of fraud and the devastating effects of the scams. Information on email scams has been provided below that your customers may further reference.

References

24Hoursupport.com: Email Phishing, Internet/Email Hoaxes

Microsoft: Microsoft Online Safety

OnGuard Online: OnGuard Online Email Scams