The Dangers of E-mail

As with all technology, the use of e-mail poses some risks, ranging from basic annoyances, to serious problems. Spam, or unwanted e-mail, is often a big complaint amongst e-mail users. Most spam is, though irritating, ultimately harmless. Unfortunately, a fraction of the spam we receive can be very dangerous.
Some spam contains messages that try to trick you into sending personal information, or even money, to a fake company or organization. These forms of spam are often referred to “e-mail scams”. A typical scam might look something like this:

Dear Valued Customer,

As of April 2007, our company will be requiring you to provide an annual service fee. If you choose not to, we regret to inform you that your account will be shut down within the next 48 hours. Please send credit card billing information to the following link:

http://www.emailscam1020394949.com/colscam.htm

Sincerely,
The Staff of Canadian On-Line

Overall monetary losses in the United States due to electronic scams doubled between 2000 and 2001, growing to a colossal $6,000,000. If you are tricked by a scam, the average amount that you will lose, according to the National Consumers League of the United States, on average about $518.00.
Being solicited by scammers is, for the most part, unavoidable. There are some serious risks that occur every time you pause for a moment, and check e-mail from an unknown source.