Top 12 Bulk Email Scams

Believe it or not, your email inbox can be dangerous. As a general rule, when something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. With many email hosting companies trying to fight off spam as protection along with their email archiving services. As you proceed with caution, watch out for these common scams:

The Nigerian Scam

The Nigerian email scam appears to come from a wealthy Nigerian family whose money is somehow stuck. You are asked to help them in some way, and in return you will get a cut when they receive their money. The money never shows up or the check bounces, and you are scammed out of your money in the process.

Lottery Scams

You receive an email in your inbox stating that you won the lottery in some far-away location. In order to receive your winnings, you must pay a few thousands of dollars in processing fees. Once you pay these fees, you will never see the scammers again.

Overpayment Offers

If you have posted something for sale online, watch out for this one. Someone offers to pay you much more than your asking price, and asks you to give them the difference. When you cash the check and give them the money, the check will bounce, and you will be left with a huge hole in your budget. The FTC offers more information about overpayment scams.

Credit Card Pre-Approval – For a Small Fee

If you ever receive information indicating that you are pre-approved for a credit card, but you must pay an upfront fee first, ignore it. This is a bulk email scam. Annual fees are worked into the credit card agreement, but not charged before you even receive the card.

Bank Phishing Scams

These emails look like they come from your bank and ask you to verify some information about your account so that it will not be shut down or your debit card will not be canceled. You are redirected to a site where you are asked to enter your account number. When you do, the scammers get the information rob you of your money. For more information about phishing, visit these links:

· Anti-Phishing Working Group – A group dedicated to fighting Phishing Scams

· FDIC Phishing Information Page – A helpful resource from the FDIC.

Travel Prize Scams

If you win a cruise or vacation that you never applied to win, you are looking at a scam. These are never free. You will pay many fees to receive your "prize," making them far more expensive than you would normally pay for a cruise, and some deliver no prize after you send the money.

PayPal Phishing Scams

If you have a PayPal account, you will probably receive phishing emails from time to time. These look like they are from PayPal, using the PayPal logo, and they threaten you with account suspension if you do not verify information. Read more about this at the PayPal website.

Disaster Relief Scams

Disaster relief scams pull on your heartstrings. They ask for help or donations for victims of the disaster. Before you donate, learn how to spot a legitimate need. This scammer may be looking to steal your identity or simply be looking for a free handout.

Employment Scams

When you look for work online, you may receive an offer to work as a "financial representative" for an overseas company who claims to be struggling to accept money from their U.S. customers. You send your information, including your Social Security number, and they steal your identity.

Chain Emails

Chain emails offer you the chance to "make money fast" by sending money to people whose names are at the top of the list, while forwarding the email to all of your favorite friends. This is not only a scam, but it is also an illegal pyramid scheme.

Make Money on Your Computer

Never download something that will turn your computer into a "money making machine." These scams will steal your identity, download Trojan viruses onto your computer, and make your life miserable. Never download anything, no matter how promising it is, without having proper anti-virus programming installed.

Work from Home Scams

Not all work from home offers are a scam, but unless you applied to receive information, an email you received offering to help you work from home with "no skills and no training" is something to avoid. You will likely have to pay for this "job." Learn how to spot legitimate work from home opportunities before you respond.