Some general tips for safe email usage:
1. Do not open an attachement that you are not expecting. Check with the
sender directly. If you cannot contact the sender, delete the message.
2. Be suspicous of ANY message from an address that is unknown to you.
3. If you want to verify that a message really came from the address shown
in the 'From:' field, follow the instructions here.
4. If you are invited to reply to a message to request that you be removed
from their list --- DON'T DO IT!!! To the spammer it just means they
have a "live one", and they will sell your email address to more spammers.
5. If you are asked for a password, social security number, account number
or other such personal information DON'T SEND IT. If you are not sure
if it is valid, look up a valid telephone number for the organization
and speak to a human being.
6. If a message tells you to "forward this message to everyone you know,"
DON'T DO IT. There's a good chance its a hoax.
7. If the sender swears the story is true because their uncle's wife's boss
has a cousin who is a lawyer who was actually there, DON'T BELIEVE IT.
8. Turn off automatic preview. It can automatically run a virus laden
message.
9. Pay attention to the grammar. An email message with bad grammar should
make you suspicious.
10. As always, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
11. Do NOT expect privacy when using email to transmit, store and communicate
information.
An excellent web site to check for hoaxes and urban legends is Snopes.com.
Released: 8/24/2007
Updated: 3/22/2008, 4/2/2008
