Do not be fooled by the use of email
We are all familiar with the use of email. It has become a standard communication tool. In business and in our personal lives it is the best way to communicate. It is fast, efficient, easy and cheap. You can use a dedicated email host; the well-known ones are Gmail, Yahoo, Live Mail and AOL. However, there are other, more sinister traits in the use of email.
Due to the fact that email hosting can be easily set up with instant activation at a very cheap and sometimes free price, it means you can start sending email anonymously and instantly. This means that cyber criminals prefer it as a way to make money.
How can you make money using email?
Well, I’m sure you are well aware of SPAM. The actual meaning is: send persistent annoying messages. This is when you receive an unsolicited email often trying to sell you something. If the email sender has made a sale through your messages, they have made money.
There are other ways to use email that make money, but they’re much worse than a SPAM message asking you to buy something. There are criminals who use email to scam unsuspecting people out of thousands of pounds. They use cleverly worded emails to make it look like you’ve won a huge amount of money in a lottery or sweepstakes.
How the email scam works
I am sure you have received a message that goes like the email at the end of this article. The email seems reasonable enough and they provide you with a web address where you can get more information. I recommend that you do not click on the link they provide as there may be some spyware on the site. Email may just be a way to drive traffic to the infected site in the hope that your computer will be infected with the computer virus.
The email also asks you to provide all your personal details, which is very worrying as these people can use the information you have provided to steal your identity and make money. So instead of you winning the prize, you are giving cyber criminals the opportunity to make money off of you.
Be very careful when using email. Be sure to use an email hosting account that protects your email account from SPAM. If you receive a suspicious email, you should never click on any of the links, as you may find that the site you are taken to is a site that will inject viruses into your computer. This can cause you a lot of problems, including data loss and access to all your personal information such as files and passwords. If you get a virus from the site, you will need to get a good PC antivirus software to remove it.
Some viruses are so destructive that they even wipe out your entire system. This is when it can get expensive, as nothing less than a great IT support service will fix your computer. So be very careful when using email as there are people who can exploit it to make money.
Example of using SPAM email criminals to make money:
CONGRATULATIONS!!!… YOU HAVE WON 750,000 Euros
He has been awarded €750,000 in the SWISS-LOTTO in which email addresses are randomly selected by internet-powered software via the worldwide website.
Your email address was one of those chosen this year for the SWISS-LOTTO. You can login to our website to learn more about our full lottery promotion [they provided a link to a site]
His email address, attached to the reference number 10, 7, 12, 87,16 99 with the serial number 77-11 attracted the lucky numbers 10, 22 and consequently won the lottery in the category ” A”. Therefore, it has been approved for a lump sum payment of 750,000 euros.
Please note that your lucky winning number belongs to our European Booklet representative office in Europe, as indicated on your game voucher. In view of this, our trustee located in Europe will deliver your 750,000 euros to you. Our European agent will immediately begin the process to facilitate the release of your winning funds as soon as you contact them.
All entrants were randomly selected from the World Wide Web site via a computer drawing system and drawn from more than 300,000,000 business and individual email addresses.
This promotion is held annually. For security reasons, you are advised to keep your winning details confidential until your claims are processed and winning funds are sent to you in the manner you deem appropriate to claim your prize. This is part of our precautionary measure to prevent double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program by some unscrupulous elements.
To file your claim, contact our trustee:
MR.FESTUS VAN DER GRAAF Tel:+ 31 645-084-470 EXT-7 Fax: +31 847177323 Email: (they provided us with an email)
Provide them with the information below:
1. Full name:
2. Address:
3. Spousal:
4.Age:
5. Sex:
6. Nationality:
7. Country of residence:
8. Occupation:
9. Telephone number:
10. Fax number:
11. Draw the number above
These details facilitate the due process and release of your winnings to avoid unnecessary delays and complications in processing your Winning Prize funds. Always remember to quote your reference/serial number in any correspondence with us or our designated agent. Congratulations once again from all the members and staff of this program and thank you for being a part of our promotional lottery program.