“I Just got an email that says…”:

1) I was just awarded a million dollars by Google.

2) That my email account needs to be verified and for that I need to provide certain information.

3) That the IRS needs me to fill out a form with personal information and fax it back to a fax number in Canada.

4) That UPS could not deliver my package because it doesn’t have my address, and needs the following data by return e-mail so if you could please fill out the attached form…

On and on ( laughable as they are, the above are actual scam e-mails making their way around the world). So, what do scam e-mails have in common? How can they be recognized?

1. They ask you for sensitive data, such as a password, social security number, bank account or credit card details, and so forth. And usually they offer a reward if provided or threaten a penalty if not provided.

2. They often are written with bad grammar or have glaring typos in them (like an email from Hotmail calling it “hot mail”)

3. They come from an e-mail address that is not related to where it’s supposed to be coming from.

In some cases they throw a curve because they ask for sensitive data and provide a file attached to the email, which one is supposed to use to provide the data. However the purpose of the e-mail is not to get your data, but to get you to open the attachment that is not what it appears and will infect your computer if opened, like the UPS example above. Pretty slimy.

So if you ever get an e-mail with any of the above points (especially the first point), know that it’s a scam, and don’t fall for it.  Delete it, report it if you know how to and feel like it. But whatever you do, don’t provide the information requested. Don’t even reply.