Economic Stimulus Scam

While most everyone these days uses email as the main source to communicate, many unfortunately use it as an opportunity to scam millions out of their hard earned money. This is why it is so important to be wary of and educated about "phishing" emails in order to safeguard against identity theft or other fraudulent activities. The FBI recently announced that internet fraud is their number one reported consumer complaint.

What is "phishing"?
Phishing refers to an email that is used as a means to imitate a business, such as a credit card company, or an official government entity in order to fool you into thinking that it is legitimate. These emails appear to be authoritative and genuine in the respect that they are trying to clear up a problem, or they may even seem to be trying to protect you from some type of scam. They may contain a sense of urgency in which a link is included to a fake website that looks authentic where you will be asked to key in your confidential information. It is important to note the word "fake" because it is really a front for a server set up by "phishers" that will grab this info and use it for their own gain.

An example of "phishing":
One recent example that was reported by the FBI was a spam e-mail that appeared to be from the IRS in regards to the economic stimulus checks that were mandated by former-President Bush to the majority of the U. S. citizens. This email informed and urged the recipients that the fastest way to get their checks was by direct deposit into their checking accounts. A link to a website was provided where the user would fill out a form, which included their bank account number and routing number. The initiators of this scam used authority and a sense of importance to obtain one of the most valuable pieces of information anyone owns. With this, they had easy access to the victim's checking account to withdraw money electronically without drawing suspicion.

The lesson to be learned here is to always be leery of unsolicited emails no matter how official looking they may be. The FBI has stated that the IRS does not send out emails regarding taxpayer information under any circumstances, and they will never ask for any personal information via email. To keep updated on the latest "phishing" scams, you can visit the FBI website by typing in www.fbi.gov/cybperspaceinvest/escams.htm. They also provide many tips on how to avoid these types of illicit schemes.