“Avoid identity theft with simple preventative computer use, including NOT forwarding those ‘funny’ or ‘inspiring’ emails to your entire address book,” claims Internet Security Expert Roger Milligan.
Today, I received what should have been a “harmless” email from a lady who blasted an email (see below) to her entire address book.
…her ENTIRE address book!
Believe it or not, this is common and increasingly dangerous.
It was one of those “get $$ free” emails, claiming Microsoft’s Bill Gates would hand me (and you) $24,000 dollars for doing nothing.
It was a hoax!
It was a hoax!
Important: Please do NOT forward emails, even the funny, seemingly harmless jokes.
Forwarding emails–even jokes–to your address book is DANGEROUS!
Click the ‘Read More” link below to discover the dangerous secret about ID thieves operating in full force on the Internet.
You must understand just how dangerous forwarding emails and clicking on links really is.
ID THIEVES WANT YOU!
The following partial email hit my inbox today, sent from a lady who had my address in her Address Book. The following is a HOAX!
“When you forward this e-mail to friends, Microsoft can and will track it (If you are a Microsoft Windows user) for a two week time period.
For every person that you forward this e-mail to, Microsoft will pay you $245.00 For every p erson that you sent it to that forwards it on, Microsoft will pay you $243.00 and for every third person that receives it, You will be paid $241.00. Within two weeks, Microsoft will contact you for your address and then send you a check.
Regards. Charles S Bailey General Manager Field Operations 1-800-842-2332 Ext. 1085 or 904-1085 or RNX 292-1085 Thought this was a scam myself, But two weeks after receiving this e-mail and forwarding it on. Microsoft contacted me
for my address and within days, I received a check for $24, 800.00. You need to respond before the beta &n bs p;testing is over. If anyone can afford this, Bil=gates is the man. It’s all marketing expense to him. Please forward this to as many people as possible. You are bound to get at least $10, 000.00….”
I last saw this hoax years ago. When people email me about others, I ask them to do a little research as with the site below:
http://www.hoax-slayer.com/ms-money-giveway-hoax.html
ID thieves want you to forward emails to your address book.
ID thieves “phish” for your private information so they can steal your identity before you know what hit you.
Important Tip:
- Please do not forward something to your entire address book without sending BCC: (all of our email addresses have been compromised to spammers harvesting email addresses on the Internet. A newer form of Identity Theft called Phishing tries to get you to click on links in emails just like this one. Please resist the urge to click…and certainly please resist the urge to forward to ALL of us.
Identity Theft is exploding as more and more people uprooted during these scary times desperately are searching for help paying the bills.
The other day a lady from New York emailed me, desperately asking for my help. She was really upset. Her story upset me enough that I called her to try to help.
She told me money mysteriously appeared in her bank (checking) account. Before she knew it, the money disappeared (along with HER money too).
She reported this theft to the bank’s manager who told her she quickly needed to file a police report. Actually, that was only a small part of what she needed to do.
A whole lot of damage already had been done. She told me she was getting calls from debt collectors for accounts she never opened. This poor lady never knew what hit her.
I think she really thought she had been the recipient of “free” money, so she didn’t immediately report the “gift.” That delay now has cost her dearly.
She got the necessary forms filed and locked down her credit reports so nobody (but her) could attempt to apply for credit.
However, she will not be able to apply for credit for a very long time.
I’d sad to say she will spend months (maybe years) fighting the theft of her identity. Please understand just how dangerous this is. One wrong click of your mouse to a “FAKE” site looking just like the real site (maybe your bank’s website) could prompt you to give enough personal information to cost you years of fighting to regain your good name (and credit).
Please protect our email addresses by not forwarding jokes or hoaxes to all of us. If you absolutely must send us something heartwarming or helpful, please use the BCC: instead of TO: — our emails addresses remain hidden to everyone else when using BCC:
In the last couple years, I’ve been hearing the most awful horror stories from people whose identities have been stolen.
In these tough times, ID Theft WILL (not if) explode creating more victims. Let’s do our small part to help our friends stay safe.
Forwarding emails is not safe. The bad people out there embed nasty code in these seemingly harmless emails that they know you will want to forward. And then it becomes a numbers game. Will you be the next victim?
What is your experience with ID theft? Who do you know who’s been victimized? What if anything are you doing to minimize your risk of being “stolen?”
Avoid identity theft by not forwarding emails to your address book. If you absolutely must pass your friends a joke or heartwarming email, use the BCC: function available.
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