Beware not to open e-mail attachments supposedly sent by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The FBI has issued an alert regarding fake e-mails supposedly sent by their agency informing internet users that their net surfing and internet activities are being monitored. Furthermore, the e-mail tells online users that they been tagged for visiting illegal websites and they should open an attachment to answer questions.
The FBI has reported that "These e-mails did not originate from the FBI." Recipients of these e-mail solicitations should be aware that the FBI would never engage in the practice of sending unsolicited e-mails to the public this way."
The FBI is looking into this scam and wants people to know that opening attachments in unsolicited e-mails is risky business because these files many times contain viruses which can infect the user's computer.
Guard yourself from e-mail scams by following these simple tips:
- Never provide personal information to e-mail requests
Do not give out confidential or financial information in response to an e-mail request. Reputable companies will never request personal or financial information over an insecure medium like e-mail. Any attempt to fool people into disclosing personal and financial information through phony e-mail messages is known as phishing. Be very careful because some of these messages are very official-looking. Con artists pretend to be well known companies when running their phishing scams. Do not become a victim to these perpetrators.
- Do not open unsolicited e-mail attachments
Following this sacred rule will eliminate you as a phisherman's next target. If somebody unknown to you sends you an e-mail, then you should never think about opening an attachment in the e-mail. This is akin to opening Pandora's box. This means big trouble for you and your computer.
- Scam e-mail attachments that you do open
If you open up e-mail attachments coming from friends, family, or business associates, be cautious and scan all e-mail attachments for viruses. Their computers may be infected, and they do not even know it. Self-replicating viruses can infect a computer and then send an infected e-mail attachment to everybody in the owner's address book. Simply put, some e-mail messages supposedly coming from your friends are nothing more than a self-propagating virus.
There are many forms of internet fraud going on nowadays. It is up to you to educate yourself on what is or is not legitimate. Hopefully, our advice will minimize your chances of becoming a victim of the crime of internet phishing.