Internet Scams on the Rise

If it sounds too good to be true it probably is. Yahoo customers are getting more scam emails than ever before. Criminals prey on unsuspecting Internet users to enter personal information that they can use to steal your identity. It can take years for a person to prove identity theft and get their identity back. In most cases the culprit is not caught or prosecuted. They are free to steal someone elses identity. In most cases they are able to go by several identities at one time. Millions of dollars are stolen every year making identity theft a profitable crime. Many crimes go unreported because victims are embarrassed for friends and family to find out they fell for a scam.

Everyday emails are avoiding spam blockers and making it to email boxes. Some scams are harder to spot than others but the one common thread is they all want personal information or money. A good rule of thumb is to never give out personal information on the internet or on the phone. The only time to give out information on the phone is when you contact a known company or corporation. If you receive a letter in the mail asking you to call it is still not safe to give out personal information. Many of these businesses are from the United Kingdom, Nigeria and Asia. Anti-Spam detectives know that funds sent to spammers are often shuffled around and hard to trace.

Phony businesses open and close all the time. A popular scam is to assume the identity of a fund raiser. The victim often is unaware a crime has been committed because they are not expecting to get a product or service in return.

Recent spam emails I have received are job offers, lottery, and notification of next of kin benefits. In all cases the sender request information such as name, address, date of birth, social security numbers. In many cases they need some funds to be sent to them upfront. You have won a million dollars but you need to wire $3500.00 upfront for a processing fee.