The number of bad email has been consistently rising for several months. These email are trying to obtain your personal information (phishing), install malicious software, turn your system into a spam server, etc.  Here are some examples:

Example 1
Dear user of the your_domain.com mailing service!

We are informing you that because of the security upgrade of the mailing service your mailbox (user@your_domain.com) settings were changed. In order to apply the new set of settings click on the following link:

http://your_domain.com/owa/service_directory/settings.php?email=user@your_domain.com&from=your_domain.com&fromname=user

Best regards, your_domain.com Technical Support.

Example 2
Notice of Under Reported Income
Taxpayer ID: frankjames-00000123456789US
Tax Type: INCOME TAX
Issue: Unreported/Underreported Income (Fraud Application)

Please review your tax statement on Internal Revenue Service (IRS) website (click on the link below):

review tax statement for taxpayer id: frankjames-00000123456789US

Internal Revenue Service

Example 3
You may recieve a email from your bank or other financial institution wanting you to verify your account information for whatever reason. THIS IS ALWAYS AN ATTEMPT TO OBTAIN YOUR ACCOUNT INFORMATION!   DON’T DO IT! Your bank or other financial institution will never request this information from you through an email.   If in doubt call your bank.  Never trust any phone number listed in the email.   Use your latest bank statement or the phone book to find the phone number.

Example 4
You should never recieve an email from yourself.  This is one of the many ways spammers use to fool your email system in to thinking it’s a valid email.

Here are a few simple steps you can use to help protect yourself.

• If in doubt JUST DELETE THE EMAIL!
• Ensure your anti-virus software is up-to-date.
• If you get a lot of email from friends and family then ask them to put a secret code in the subject line.  For example “Pictures from Mike’s Birthday Party – 7654″ Only you know this code so it should be a valid email. A spambot will not know about the code.
• If you think it might be legitamate then Google it. I’m sure someone has ran in to the same email and will have some insite on it’s legitimacy.

• If it’s from an institution that you do business with then call them.   Be sure to use a phone number listed on a current statement or the phone book.
• Never send user ID’s or passwords to anyone through email.  Email is not secure!

Be Safe!