Date: 3/17/2010
Title: How to Spot an E-Mail Phishing Scam

What is a phishing scam? It's an e-mail sent to you and hundreds of thousands of others with a message that tries to trick you into revealing sensitive personal information, such as passwords, banking information, your Social Security number, your mother's maiden name, your date of birth and more. The attack is waged against you in an attempt to hijack your assets, steal your identity or even open credit card accounts in your name. Top 5 clues for spotting an e-mail scam: Clue No. 1: Check the spelling - Scammers are notorious for their lack of basic spelling skills. Clue No. 2: Who signed it? - If it is signed with something vague, such as "Customer Support," be wary. Clue No. 3: IS THE E-MAIL IN ALL CAPS? - Also look for an excess of exclamation points and dire warnings, such as "Danger!" Clue No. 4: The e-mail has an executable attachment - Never download an attachment unless you are sure it's legitimate. Clue No. 5: The e-mail has a link to a Web site - Don't ever provide personal information if you got to the site by clicking a link in an e-mail.