The Top 5 E-Mail Scams
Usually, scammers attempt to trick you into filling out forms on rogue sites. Rogue sites usually look legitimate (some are even replicas of legitimate sites you trust), but they are set up to spread a virus, collect names for spammers or grab your personal information. Other scams try to get you to reply to e-mails requesting your personal data like passwords and bank account numbers. Once you've given up the info, criminals can siphon your cash, make purchases and get out before you even have a chance to track them down.
To get you the best advice possible on each scam, we talked to Carol McKay of the National Consumers League. She offers up some tips you literally can't afford to miss.
Scam #1: Investment Pump & Dump
The Come-On
Everyone wants to be in on the ground floor when it comes to investing, so it's no surprise that millions of people go for this one: You receive an e-mail from someone claiming to be a power broker containing a hot tip on a penny stock that promises to double, even triple, in short time. So you go for it, only to see it tumble within hours. One such e-mail we received just this week looks like this:
Subject: Your 221.43% - breaking results
DarkLord: DWPI Hits The Street, Price Climbs 221.43%
Distributed Power Inc.
Symbol: DPWI Price: $0.40 (+0.31)
News hits the streets!!! DPWI acquires huge oil reserves, drills deeper on current wells increasing production, and now opens Asian division. Investors go nuts today and price rockets 221.43%. Act fast, read the news and get on DPWI first thing Tuesday!
The Scam
Turns out the people who send you the e-mail in the first place are waiting for a few people like you to get the stock up so they can get out before you even have a chance.
What You Can Do
Carol says: "Legitimate investments are risky, and legitimate brokers will admit that to customers. Be especially wary of offers that arrive via e-mail, offshore investments or commodities, and high-pressure sales tactics. And, if you can't afford to lose all your money, don't invest any of it."
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Cheese said 8:57AM on 6-23-2008
Just go straight to the site in an email instead of clicking the link to avoid going to a fake.
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Larry said 3:35PM on 6-23-2008
On several occassions I have recieved these Algerian e-mails with opportunities and I sometimes respond with information in reference to a group of "Head Hunters" or "Bounty Hunters" that are wiling to pay a commission with e-mails forwarded to them that would lead to the where abouts and end to these CROOKS!!. .... I tell them that these people have the means and financial resources with a few very good "Hackers" to locate these people and put an end to thier taking advantage of unsuspecting people of thier hard earned money. I have yet to hear from any of them again. .........I wish there were such an organization that does that.......and payed me a commission for the e-mail forwarding.
Anyone out there have any better ideas??...that might work??
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