What Phishing and Email Scams Look Like

(Examples of Common Phish Emails and Online Cons)

Here they are, revealed: the phishing con games of the Internet. They prey on ignorance, tug your heart strings, and promise professional services while secretly taking your account numbers and passwords. Don’t get suckered by these convincing phish emails and web pages! Take ten minutes and see what internet phishing and email cons really look like.

Probably the most damaging kind of email spoof is the “phishing” email. With this type of attack, a clever con artist is trying to lure you not to buy something, but to enter your account and password information, which can then be used for financial gain. Although eBay and PayPal are common targets, any company is fair game. This example above only shows one of many ways phishermen will attempt to con you into divulging your private information.

So, What Can You Do About These Phish Scams?

Answer 1: Be skeptical about any email that asks you to login through a link in the email. No legitimate online financial service will ever ask you to login this way.
Answer 2: Here are specific suggestions on how you can respond to phishing and online cons.

• How to Identify and Defend
• Tips on Defending Against Phishing
• Tips from the US Federal Trade Commission
• Understand: What Phishing Really Is

Like all con games, be they online or in person, the con man is trying to deceive you somehow. In this case, by artifically generating excitement around a stock, the con men can lure hundreds of people to purchase a particular stock. This purchasing excitement artificially inflates and “pumps up” the value of the stock, whereupon the con men will “dump” sell their own shares to reap the dishonest profits. This “pump and dump” spamming is a form of “phantom trading”, which is illegal.

So, What Can You Do About These Online Scams and Investment Cons?

Answer 1: Be skeptical about any random unsolicited email that promises stock tips. If these were legitimate investment planners with legitimate stock advice, they would be dealing with their own existing clients, not recruiting via random email. As with any smart skepticism: if it’s too good to be true, it probably is a scam.
Answer 2: Here are specific suggestions on how you can respond to phishing and online cons.

• How to Identify and Defend
• Tips on Defending Against Phishing
• Tips from the US Federal Trade Commission
• Understand: What Phishing Really Is

Like all con games, be they online or in person, the con man is trying to get you to entrust him with your cash or access to your cash.

So, What Can You Do About These Online Scams and Fake Lottery Winnings?

Answer 1: Be skeptical about any email that claims you have won a prize. A legitimate lottery would not contact you via email; they would be calling you via telephone. And keep in mind: if you never entered the contest, how did you win? As with any smart skepticism: if it’s too good to be true, it probably is a scam.
Answer 2: Here are specific suggestions on how you can respond to phishing and online cons.

• How to Identify and Defend
• Tips on Defending Against Phishing
• Tips from the US Federal Trade Commission
• Understand: What Phishing Really Is

Like all con games, be they online or in person, the con man is trying to get you to entrust him with your cash or access to your cash.

So, What Can You Do About These Online Scams and Fake Job Offers?

Answer 1: Be skeptical about any email that promises high profits for minimal investment. If it’s too good to be true, it probably is a scam.
Answer 2: Here are specific suggestions on how you can respond to phishing and online cons.

• How to Identify and Defend
• Tips on Defending Against Phishing
• Tips from the US Federal Trade Commission
• Understand: What Phishing Really Is

Like all con games, be they online or in person, the con man is trying to get you to entrust him with your cash or access to your cash.

So, What Can You Do About These Online Scams and 419 Cons?

Answer 1: Be skeptical about any email that asks you to move money, especially large sums. A legitimate financier would use legitimate means to move that kind of money. Even if they were only semi-legitimate: why would they find random people through random email to move millions of dollars? As with any smart skepticism: if it’s too good to be true, it probably is a scam.
Answer 2: Here are specific suggestions on how you can respond to phishing and online cons.

• How to Identify and Defend
• Tips on Defending Against Phishing
• Tips from the US Federal Trade Commission
• Understand: What Phishing Really Is

Like all “phishing” emails and web pages, a clever con artist is trying to lure you into entering your account and password information. While eBay and PayPal users are the people most targeted by phishermen, anyone is fair game for them. This example above only shows one of many ways they will attempt to con you into divulging your private login information.

So, What Can You Do About These Phish Scams?

Answer 1: Be skeptical about any email that asks you to login through a link in the email. No legitimate online financial service will ever ask you to login this way.
Answer 2: Here are specific suggestions on how you can respond to phishing and online cons.

• How to Identify and Defend
• Tips on Defending Against Phishing
• Tips from the US Federal Trade Commission
• Understand: What Phishing Really Is

Like all “phishing” emails and web pages, a clever con artist is trying to lure you into entering your account and password information. While eBay and PayPal users are the people most targeted by phishermen, anyone is fair game for them. This example above only shows one of many ways they will attempt to con you into divulging your private login information.

So, What Can You Do About These Phish Scams?

Answer 1: Be skeptical about any email that asks you to login through a link in the email. No legitimate online financial service will ever ask you to login this way.
Answer 2: Here are specific suggestions on how you can respond to phishing and online cons.

• How to Identify and Defend
• Tips on Defending Against Phishing
• Tips from the US Federal Trade Commission
• Understand: What Phishing Really Is

Like all con games, be they online or in person, the con man is trying to get you to entrust him with your cash or access to your cash.

So, What Can You Do About These Online Scams and Fake Lottery Winnings?

Answer 1: Be skeptical about any email that claims you have won a prize. A legitimate lottery would not contact you via email; they would be calling you via telephone. And keep in mind: if you never entered the contest, how did you win? As with any smart skepticism: if it’s too good to be true, it probably is a scam.
Answer 2: Here are specific suggestions on how you can respond to phishing and online cons.

• How to Identify and Defend
• Tips on Defending Against Phishing
• Tips from the US Federal Trade Commission
• Understand: What Phishing Really Is

Like all “phishing” emails and web pages, a clever con artist is trying to lure you into entering your account and password information. While eBay and PayPal users are the people most targeted by phishermen, anyone is fair game for them. This example above only shows one of many ways they will attempt to con you into divulging your private login information.

So, What Can You Do About These Phish Scams?

Answer 1: Be skeptical about any email that asks you to login through a link in the email. No legitimate online financial service will ever ask you to login this way.
Answer 2: Here are specific suggestions on how you can respond to phishing and online cons.

• How to Identify and Defend
• Tips on Defending Against Phishing
• Tips from the US Federal Trade Commission
• Understand: What Phishing Really Is

Like all “phishing” emails and web pages, a clever con artist is trying to lure you into entering your account and password information. While eBay and PayPal users are the people most targeted by phishermen, anyone is fair game for them. This example above only shows one of many ways they will attempt to con you into divulging your private login information.

So, What Can You Do About These Phish Scams?

Answer 1: Be skeptical about any email that asks you to login through a link in the email. No legitimate online financial service will ever ask you to login this way.
Answer 2: Here are specific suggestions on how you can respond to phishing and online cons.

• How to Identify and Defend
• Tips on Defending Against Phishing
• Tips from the US Federal Trade Commission
• Understand: What Phishing Really Is

Like all con games, be they online or in person, the con man is trying to get you to entrust him with your cash or access to your cash.

So, What Can You Do About These Online Scams and 419 Cons?

Answer 1: Be skeptical about any email that asks you to move money, especially large sums. A legitimate financier would use legitimate means to move that kind of money. Even if they were only semi-legitimate: why would they find random people through random email to move millions of dollars? As with any smart skepticism: if it’s too good to be true, it probably is a scam.
Answer 2: Here are specific suggestions on how you can respond to phishing and online cons.

• How to Identify and Defend
• Tips on Defending Against Phishing
• Tips from the US Federal Trade Commission
• Understand: What Phishing Really Is

Like all con games, be they online or in person, the con man is trying to get you to entrust him with your cash or access to your cash.

So, What Can You Do About These Online Scams and 419 Cons?

Answer 1: Be skeptical about any email that asks you to move money, especially large sums. A legitimate financier would use legitimate means to move that kind of money. Even if they were only semi-legitimate: why would they find random people through random email to move millions of dollars? As with any smart skepticism: if it’s too good to be true, it probably is a scam.
Answer 2: Here are specific suggestions on how you can respond to phishing and online cons.

• How to Identify and Defend
• Tips on Defending Against Phishing
• Tips from the US Federal Trade Commission
• Understand: What Phishing Really Is

Like all con games, be they online or in person, the con man is trying to get you to entrust him with your cash or access to your cash.

So, What Can You Do About These Online Scams and 419 Cons?

Answer 1: Be skeptical about any email that asks you to move money, especially large sums. A legitimate financier would use legitimate means to move that kind of money. Even if they were only semi-legitimate: why would they find random people through random email to move millions of dollars? As with any smart skepticism: if it’s too good to be true, it probably is a scam.

Like all con games, be they online or in person, the con man is trying to get you to entrust him with your cash or access to your cash.

So, What Can You Do About These Online Scams and 419 Cons?

Answer 1: Be skeptical about any email that asks you to move money, especially large sums. A legitimate financier would use legitimate means to move that kind of money. Even if they were only semi-legitimate: why would they find random people through random email to move millions of dollars? As with any smart skepticism: if it’s too good to be true, it probably is a scam.

Like all con games, be they online or in person, the con man is trying to get you to entrust him with your cash or access to your cash.

So, What Can You Do About These Online Scams and 419 Cons?

Answer 1: Be skeptical about any email that asks you to move money, especially large sums. A legitimate financier would use legitimate means to move that kind of money. Even if they were only semi-legitimate: why would they find random people through random email to move millions of dollars? As with any smart skepticism: if it’s too good to be true, it probably is a scam.

Like all con games, be they online or in person, the con man is trying to get you to entrust him with your cash or access to your cash.

So, What Can You Do About These Online Scams and 419 Cons?

Answer 1: Be skeptical about any email that asks you to move money, especially large sums. A legitimate financier would use legitimate means to move that kind of money. Even if they were only semi-legitimate: why would they find random people through random email to move millions of dollars? As with any smart skepticism: if it’s too good to be true, it probably is a scam.

Like all con games, be they online or in person, the con man is trying to get you to entrust him with your cash or access to your cash.

So, What Can You Do About These Online Scams and 419 Cons?

Answer 1: Be skeptical about any email that asks you to move money, especially large sums. A legitimate financier would use legitimate means to move that kind of money. Even if they were only semi-legitimate: why would they find random people through random email to move millions of dollars? As with any smart skepticism: if it’s too good to be true, it probably is a scam.

Like all con games, be they online or in person, the con man is trying to get you to entrust him with your cash or access to your cash.

So, What Can You Do About These Online Scams and 419 Cons?

Answer 1: Be skeptical about any email that asks you to move money, especially large sums. A legitimate financier would use legitimate means to move that kind of money. Even if they were only semi-legitimate: why would they find random people through random email to move millions of dollars? As with any smart skepticism: if it’s too good to be true, it probably is a scam.

Like all con games, be they online or in person, the con man is trying to get you to entrust him with your cash or access to your cash.

So, What Can You Do About These Online Scams and Fake Lottery Winnings?

Answer 1: Be skeptical about any email that claims you have won a prize. A legitimate lottery would not contact you via email; they would be calling you via telephone. And keep in mind: if you never entered the contest, how did you win? As with any smart skepticism: if it’s too good to be true, it probably is a scam.

Like all con games, be they online or in person, the con man is trying to deceive you somehow. In this case, by artifically generating excitement around a stock, the con men can lure hundreds of people to purchase a particular stock. This purchasing excitement artificially inflates and “pumps up” the value of the stock, whereupon the con men will “dump” sell their own shares to reap the dishonest profits. This “pump and dump” spamming is a form of “phantom trading”, which is illegal.

So, What Can You Do About These Online Scams and Investment Cons?

Answer 1: Be skeptical about any random unsolicited email that promises stock tips. If these were legitimate investment planners with legitimate stock advice, they would be dealing with their own existing clients, not recruiting via random email. As with any smart skepticism: if it’s too good to be true, it probably is a scam.

Like all con games, be they online or in person, the con man is trying to get you to entrust him with your cash or access to your cash.

So, What Can You Do About These Online Scams and Fake Lottery Winnings?

Answer 1: Be skeptical about any email that claims you have won a prize. A legitimate lottery would not contact you via email; they would be calling you via telephone. And keep in mind: if you never entered the contest, how did you win? As with any smart skepticism: if it’s too good to be true, it probably is a scam.

Like all con games, be they online or in person, the con man is trying to get you to entrust him with your cash or access to your cash.

So, What Can You Do About These Online Scams and Investment Cons?

Answer 1: Be skeptical about any random unsolicited email that promises stock tips. If these were legitimate investment planners with legitimate stock advice, they would be dealing with their own existing clients, not recruiting via random email. As with any smart skepticism: if it’s too good to be true, it probably is a scam.

Like all con games, be they online or in person, the con man is trying to get you to entrust him with your cash or access to your cash.

So, What Can You Do About These Online Scams and Investment Cons?

Answer 1: Be skeptical about any random unsolicited email that promises stock tips. If these were legitimate investment planners with legitimate stock advice, they would be dealing with their own existing clients, not recruiting via random email. As with any smart skepticism: if it’s too good to be true, it probably is a scam.