Everything is easier online and its open 24 hrs a day. Banking is simple and shopping – oh the shopping. How easy is it to go online and purchase books, flowers, CD or online auction items? It is especially convenient if you are late for an anniversary, birthday or Mother’s Day.

And how about communications? It’s instantaneous! Everyone uses email. If you are not tied to a blackberry device then you are inundated with email at work or you spend hours online at home reading and deleting. We are so comfortable with email and online interaction that we can become careless. Criminals take advantage of this comfort level making us all targets for fraud. They send out phony emails to millions of potential targets and waiting for someone to open it. In some cases just opening the bogus email can set in motion a series of events such as launching a virus onto your system. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released a recent alert to an email that was circulating which appeared to be from the FTC fraud department. In fact it was not and those who opened the email may have downloaded a virus on to their system which may have installed a “key logger”. Installing a key logger in a system allows the fraudster to record passwords, credit card numbers and other personal information. The FTC is encouraging everyone to be cautious, utilize a virus scan on your computer and do not open email that is sent from an unknown or unfamiliar address.

In other known cases there have been emails that are sent which are not dangerous on their own but imbedded within the text of the email may be links to bogus web sites. These sites may mimic legitimate sites such as your bank, credit card company or other legitimate organization. The site may look official but they are intended to encourage you to provide personal information that is then used to defraud.

Spoof Email Fraud is a numbers game for the fraudster. They will send out millions of emails everyday and only need a small percentage of recipients to respond to collect enough information to make money. Don’t let that money be yours. Other tips to avoiding this type of fraud are available by Clicking on Fraud Library and reviewing the tips attached to each Fraud type.

If you have been a victim of fraud due to spoof email click on the Take Action tab and let us know. We would love to hear your story and you can see more on this and other types of fraud weekly on Fraud Squad TV.

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