Avoiding Email Scams
Email Scams are used by Identity Theft Criminals to Gather Needed Information
When it comes to identity theft, there are so many Internet and email scams out there. Avoiding scams is a helpful way for you to reduce your risk of identity theft. Identity theft scams prey upon the tendency for individuals to be just a bit too trusting. Internet and email scams can be so successful because they often sound very legitimate.
Is It Really A Lawsuit?
One scam that occurred in recent years was an alleged class action lawsuit against Gerber. Every parent who has a young child knows Gerber, so you can see just how valuable Internet or email scams involving such a big name would be for identity theft criminals. Mass emails made the rounds on the World Wide Web instructing parents who had purchased Gerber products to provide information such as their child’s name and social security number in order to participate in the lawsuit. It turns out there was no lawsuit.
If you ever receive an email for a class action lawsuit that you do feel you should be included in, do a little detective work first. In this digital era, emails scams are rampant. Try to find out the name of the law firm handling the case and call the firm directly. Don’t provide any information via email or even over a website because sometimes part of the scam involves a fake website which can look surprisingly legitimate. It’s always best to ask many questions before handing over valuable information such as your child’s social security number. It’s better to be safe than sorry, and asking the right questions upfront can eliminate or reduce the possibility that you will fall victim to email scams.
History Repeats Itself
Keep in mind that many email scams aren’t necessarily new ideas but are based on scams that have worked on unsuspecting individuals for decades. Emails scams just allow identity theft criminals and other crooks to reformat these schemes in a new way.