Avoiding Fraudulent Activity
As mail administrators, it's imperative to disseminate information that will keep your email users safe from any fraudulent activity. In the business world, we often give out our domains and email addresses for obvious reasons, but at the same time, this puts our information at risk for email fraud.
There are a few rules that can help you and your users avoid falling victim to fraudulent activities:
Protect your vital financial information. Do not transmit this information via email, especially to individuals you do not know. This includes bank account numbers, driver license numbers, social security numbers, PayPal/Ebay IDs or passwords, or any password for that matter. Once fraudsters learn the password for your account, they can use that to retrieve other account information.
Avoid email scams. Beware of emails from individuals offering large amounts of money in return for "handling fees" paid to you for transferring the money to your bank account. These "419 Nigerian" scams are definitely to be avoided; in fact, it's best to not even respond to individuals requesting this type of transaction.
Be careful with online sales transactions. If you are into selling goods and merchandise over the Internet, either through auction sites or e-commerce sites, don't do business with individuals from foreign countries who offer almost real (but fake) cashier's checks. The checks will most likely turn out to be fake, and you will be held liable for the amount when cashed. Or, if someone requests wire-service payment via Western Union or MoneyGram, it should also raise a flag. The use of an online escrow service may also be fraudulent. Some sellers may ask for a partial payment upfront, with promises they will ship the products purchased.
Watch out for impersonators. Another prevalent scam involves emails sent by individuals impersonating Human Resource departments at large companies. They often ask users to pay a "traveling fee" to interviews, which they promise to reimburse upon the candidate's arrival at the location where an interview is to be held. The best strategy is to call and deal with situations like this over the phone.
Here are some other tips to avoid fraud:
- Only purchase merchandise from reputable stores or dealers.
- Don't be satisfied with only a post office box and a phone number. Be sure to obtain a physical address as well.
- Call the seller to see if the number is correct and working.
- Sending an email to verify a seller's email address is also recommended.
- Be wary of "companies" that use free web email services, since a credit card is never required to open these types of accounts. Reputable businesses will have email accounts at their own domain for business use.
- Consider not purchasing from sellers who won't provide you with any of this specific information.
Our next post will highlight the ways Mail2World is actively preventing fraud through our mail system and who to notify about fraud or scam attempts.
