How to Recognize Internet Phishing and Lottery Scams

Internet scams are on the rise, and their sole purpose is to separate you from your money or steal your identity. In some cases, Internet scam artists are more interested in stealing your identity than your money. Knowledge is vital in recognizing Internet scams. The more you know how they work, the better armed you are against becoming a victim of their costly traps.

Phishing scams are used by Internet scam artists to get you to reveal personal information like bank account numbers, a social security number, Internet login and password information, credit card account numbers, etc. Phishing scams come by way of fraudulent e-mails that work to first lure you into a false sense of security by using familiar company names or logos of legitimate or well-known companies, banks or other institutions. A typical phishing e-mail will always look convincingly legitimate - maybe even containing the actual name of a company employee in the "from" line or within the text of the message. You will always be asked at some point to either "verify" or provide personal or valuable information. The best defense against Internet phishing scams is to remember that this is not how legitimate companies work. Your bank or credit union or credit card company or any other financial institution will never ask you for verification or provision of sensitive information through a non-secure method like an e-mail.