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Email Security: If you rely on web based email, make sure to always use the log out function when you are done. This will allow you to navigate away from your inbox so that a safe and secure exit will occur. This is important to consider if you are at your job or in a public library because without a complete log out, curious individuals can search the history of your email account activity and gain personal information.

Common E-Mail Scams

Work From Your Home: You are offered the opportunity to assemble things like jewelry, toys, or craft kits. They will ask you invest money up front in return for the materials, only to find that your work cannot be sold to the promoters because the instructions are too difficult (sometimes impossible) or your completed work does not meet their standards.

Multi-level Marketing or Pyramid Schemes: These will often pretend to be an opportunity to make a lot of money with little work. You usually have to join their club and then send a small cash payment. It then becomes your responsibility to recruit other participants to sell products or services.

Credit repair: These scams offer to remove negative information from your credit file so you can qualify for a credit card, an auto loan or a job. Despite the assurances, promoters can’t do what they promise.

Tax Refund: A scheme in which a tax refund form is e-mailed, supposedly by the Taxpayer Advocate Service (a genuine and independent organization within the IRS which assists taxpayers with unresolved problems), is particularly blatant in the amount and type of information it requests. The top of the form tells the recipient that they are eligible for a tax refund for a specified amount. The form asks for name, address and phone number and a substantial amount of financial information, such as bank account number, credit card number, expiration date, ATM PIN number and more. It also asks for mother's maiden name (frequently used by many people as an account security password). At the bottom is a phony name and signature, claiming to be that of the Taxpayer Advocate. The implication is that the taxpayer must fill in and submit the form to receive a tax refund. In reality, taxpayers claim their tax refunds through the filing of an annual tax return, not a separate application form.

Another fake e-mail claiming to come from the IRS is about the "2008 Economic Stimulus Refund" and tells recipients to click on a link to fill out a form, apparently for direct deposit of the payment into their bank account. The scheme is designed to obtain the recipients' personal and financial information so the scammers can clean out their victims' financial accounts. In reality, taxpayers do not have to fill out a separate form to get a stimulus payment or have it directly deposited; all they had to do was file a tax return and provide direct deposit information on the return.

The IRS has seen several variations of a refund-related bogus e-mail which falsely claims to come from the IRS, tells the recipient that he or she is eligible for a tax refund for a specific amount, and instructs the recipient to click on a link in the e-mail to access a refund claim form. The form asks the recipient to enter personal information that the scamsters can then use to access the e-mail recipient’s bank or credit card account.

In a new twist, the current version of the refund scam includes two paragraphs that appear to be directed toward tax-exempt organizations that distribute funds to other organizations or individuals. The e-mail contains the name and supposed signature of the Director of the IRS’s Exempt Organizations business division.

Supplements: Offers a pill that helps you to lose weight "While You Sleep," "Without Exercising," or "Eat All You Want And Still Loose Weight". Other offers may include cures for impotency, extending the length of certain body parts, creams that bring back hair, and even raise your IQ. These types of offers are sometimes accompanied by testimonials from satisfied customers. Common phrases that appear in these ads include expressions such as “scientific breakthrough,” “miraculous cure,” “secret formula,” “time tested,” and "ancient ingredient". Be aware that most of these products don’t work.

Investment opportunities: These schemes typically offer high rates of return with little or no risk. A common version involves investment in an offshore bank. Investors are lured by assurances that those handling their money have high-level financial connections and have inside information.

Phishing: involves an email to trick the intended victim into visiting a fraudulent website disguised to look like a valid eCommerce or banking site. The victim thinks they are logging into their real account, but instead, everything they enter on the fake site is being sent to the scammers. Armed with this information, the scammer can wipe out the victim's accounts, run up their credit cards or steal their identity.

Vacation Prize Promotions: You receive an e-mail congratulating you on winning a vacation opportunity at a rock-bottom price. It might say that you have been specially selected. Keep in mind that the same notice may have gone out to millions of others and that the accommodation you receive will offer far less than what was advertised.

Find Nigerian Love: This email claims that it's affiliated website is a leading African dating site linking the world to African women and African singles. The email may sound something like the following: "Search though African personals and find African singles that interest you. Communicate with 1000's of African women using email or chat. Join now and get immediate access to African singles from around the world! Browse through our African personals and you are sure to find the love you've always dreamed about. Join for free now!"

Pump-and-Dump Stock Scam: This is a common form of spam these days. According to the United States Security and Exchange Commission (SEC), spammers send 100 million of these e-mail messages per week! The pump-and-dump scams work by scammers buying stock in a small company, often with stock prices of only a few dollars per share. Then they send out millions of e-mail or text messages across the globe to encourage recipients to buy that stock. These messages can even be disguised as confidential information that was sent to the recipient by mistake.
  When enough people buy the stock, the price of the stock goes up. When the price is high enough, the spammers sell their shares. The price goes back down, and people who purchased the stock as a result of the tip suffer.
  It can be difficult to find out who's behind pump-and-dump e-mail scams. That’s because spammers can take control of large numbers of computers and turn them into zombies that can work together as powerful 'botnets' to send the spam messages out.

The following will help you avoid these scams:
- Use spam filtering technology. For more information, see Help keep unwanted e-mail out of your inbox.
- Don't make investment decisions based on anonymous e-mail or text messages you receive.
- Don't open attachments in unsolicited e-mails. Stock spam usually is sent as an image or as a PDF attachment.
- Use an Internet service provider (ISP) or e-mail provider that has implemented Sender ID Framework, a technical solution to detect and block spoofed e-mail. All of the latest versions of Microsoft e-mail software support this technology.
Where to go for more information - In the United States, advance fee frauds are investigated by the United States Secret Service. For more information, visit www.microsoft.com/protect.

Firewalls provide protection against outside attackers by shielding your computer or network from malicious or unnecessary Internet traffic. Firewalls can be configured to block data from certain locations while allowing the relevant and necessary data through. They are especially important for users who rely on "always on" connections such as cable or DSL modems.

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