Entry bubble E-mail Scams and Fraud

By: Joanne | April 21, 2009 | Category: Money

Money Matters: Tips from the Federal Trade Commission

Have you ever opened your e-mail inbox to find a message from a wealthy foreigner who offers you a huge payment to help him move money out of his country? All you need to do is provide your U.S. bank account number.

Or maybe you’ve been nominated for the “Oprah Millionaire Contest Show” and all you need to do to is send money for your airfare and tickets to the show.

Perhaps you’re personally eligible for some money from the Economic Stimulus package and all you need to do is provide bank account information so that the money can be deposited directly into your account.

Sometimes these types of scam emails come from e-mail addresses you should be able to trust: fbi.gov, irs.gov, even usa.gov.

Does all this sound too good to be true? It is!

The sad truth is that many, many unsuspecting people fall for these scams every day, and they pay dearly for their mistakes. They lose thousands of dollars, have their identity stolen and worse. But because these scams really work, people will continue to prey on the unsuspecting.

What can you do? Be alert and use your head – if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

If you’re not sure if an email is legitimate or not, do some checking. A quick internet search can usually give you a pretty good idea. The Federal Citizen Information Center also lists fraud schemes and scams. If you don’t see it on the list, find yourself an alternate, trusted way to reach the alleged source of the email and find out if the offer is for real. You can report e-mail scams to the Federal Trade Commission. Your complaints help them detect patterns of wrong-doing, and lead to investigations and prosecutions.

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