17. Recognizing Spam
New technologies lead to new problems. Email scam
one of these problems. The new technology has
the less-than-honest people reach a greater number of
than ever before. In the past, fraudulent scams
limited to phone and traditional mail delivery system.
methods were time-consuming, required extensive research, and reached
potential victims. With email, scammers can reach tens
thousands of individuals per email blast. They only
to reach a very small percentage of people
email to be successful.
Many of the email
present today are recycled scams from the years
the use of email. The Federal Trade Commission (
), which regulates communications in the United States, has
the 12 most common email scams, such as
letters, phony business opportunities, work-at-home schemes, investment opportunities,
goods, and guaranteed loans. Beware of these types
emails from unknown users or sources, especially if
are marked "urgent" or "immediate action required."
There
some actions you can take to help you
becoming an email scam victim. You can filter
emails through your settings. Most email applications and
mail services include spam-filtering features, or ways to
your email to detect spam. Regard all unknown
with suspicion, and treat email attachments with caution.
antivirus software and keep it up to date.
firewalls on your personal computer may also be
good idea. By practicing these precautionary methods, you
avoid becoming another victim.
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