As disappointing as it is to acknowledge, it seems as though the human race has an unlimited capacity for greed and swindling. I like to think it is a small number of actual criminals who just garner an out of proportion level of publicity.
But no matter what century you examine, you will find documentation of confidence crimes.
When the Internet came along and then took off like crazy, it became a prime, new target. In the days before people grew more savvy and/or were not taking advantage of security software, Internet scams were common and, often, successful. People are more aware now, but attempts to part you from your money are still out there.
Email scams have a long history
I got my first home computer in 1997, although I had been using one at work for about three years it was never for personal use. Once I got my home PC Ebay became a favorite site. A few months after joining, I got an e-mail telling me there was a problem with my account that I needed to rectify immediately by clicking on the enclosed link.
Now, I did not know anything about Internet scams at the time, but for some reason I hesitated at clicking the link and instead went directly to the site. I e-mailed customer service about the message and received a reply that gave me my first Internet security lesson and an introduction to phishing. The e-mail I had received was a fake.
Does phishing require a rod and reel?
Phishing is an attempt to rob you of data or, eventually, money by fooling you into believing you are dealing with a reputable company you have previously done business with. The e-mail looks official, but if you take a second glance, some things will pop out at you.
Often the grammar and language in the body of the message is incorrect or sounds stilted, as though it were written by someone whose first language was not English. Sometimes it is subtle, but other times it is blatantly obvious, as in a greeting that is oddly worded.
How to protect yourself from scams
If you check the return e-mail, you will frequently find a Yahoo address, or another free e-mail site. That should be a red flag. There will be extra wording in the address, it won’t be simply ‘Ebay.com’, for instance. If you click on their link and complete the information they request, such as your password or credit card number, you will be sending that data directly to the criminals.
Reputable sites never, ever ask you for your password. If you get an e-mail from an organization requesting sensitive information, your best bet is to close the e-mail and go directly to the site. Contact the customer service department and ask if they sent the message. Companies want to track phishing attempts, so they will often ask you to forward the original e-mail to them.
Security has improved dramatically over the past fifteen years, but apparently a criminal’s motto is “never say die.” As long as there are possible marks out there, they will be trying.
Another e-mail scam is the now famous African Bank Transfer. There are dozens of variations, but it starts with you getting an impassioned e-mail from someone who usually claims to be a solicitor. They have millions of pounds that need to be deposited in an American bank but they will offer several confusing reasons as to why they cannot do so without YOUR help! And if you do help them, you will get some or maybe even all of the money!
This will usually involve you sending them some money in ‘good faith’ and/or providing your bank account number. Remarkably, some people still fall for this.
Snopes.com keeps track of scams
An excellent resource for determining if something is a hoax or not is Snopes.com. They have an entire article on this scam and its many variations.
Another recent banking related scam is an e-mail telling you your automatic payment failed. But it doesn’t specify which one, which is your first clue it is not on the up and up. Snopes has an article about that one, too.
There are other hoaxes floating around out there that do not necessarily involve money. Rather, they are designed to inflame political hatred or elicit sympathy for someone, usually a sick child, who often turns out to be non-existent. Muslim bashing with preposterous allegations is a popular topic too.
In one example, I have gotten e-mails forwarded by people who were incensed that the President was disrespectful to wounded soldiers. The rage factor was high on this one. Only the facts weren’t straight. Another good source to verify political e-mails is Factcheck.org. The last thing we need in this world are lies and half-truths tearing us farther apart.
Scams show up on Facebook, too
There is nothing more heart-rending than a picture of an infant encased in tubes in the ICU. On Facebook last week a friend posted such a picture with the comment that if 100 people shared the link the child will receive a heart transplant for free. Now as a former hospital executive, that set off alarm bells for me right away. No hospital will just give away surgery, like a prize. They will look for some source of payment, not a popularity contest on Facebook. Sure enough, after checking Snopes, I discovered it was false. I find these despicable because they take advantage of people’s good hearts and inspire cynicism when the hoax is discovered. I hate the idea of anyone feeling foolish because they were compassionate.
Those are just a few of the scams floating around, really just scratching the surface. There seems to be no end to the creativity of criminals and mischief makers. The best rule of thumb when it comes to any unsolicited e-mail is to be wary and check it out at a reputable site. If it seems too good to be true or if something about it appears not quite right, trust your instincts.
Resources:
http://www.google.com/goodtoknow/ (Somewhat self-serving, but contains some good information nonetheless.)
http://snopes.com
http://factcheck.org
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Marie is a retired nurse and healthcare executive who currently does freelance writing. She blogs at Nourish, MS Renegade and The Shore Bookworm.
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