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• Fake email addresses - Malicious actors sometimes send from email addresses made to look like an official email address but in fact is missing a letter(s), misspelled, replaces a letter with a lookalike number (e.g. “O” and “0”), or originates from free email services that would not be used for official communications.
While most junk email can seem like a minor annoyance, certain types of email can cause problems for not only you but other people you email. Sometimes these emails can contain dangerous viruses or malware that can infect your computer by downloading attached software, screensavers, photos, or offers for free products.
AOL Mail is focused on keeping you safe while you use the best mail product on the web. One way we do this is by protecting against phishing and scam emails though the use of AOL Official Mail. When we send you important emails, we'll mark the message with a small AOL icon beside the sender name.
The Spanish Prisoner scam—and its modern variant, the advance-fee scam or "Nigerian letter scam"—involves enlisting the mark to aid in retrieving some stolen money from its hiding place. The victim sometimes believes they can cheat the con artists out of their money, but anyone trying this has already fallen for the essential con by ...
Currently it is unclear how far back the origin of scam letters date. The oldest reference to the origin of scam letters could be found at the Spanish Prisoner scam. [1] This scam dates back to the 1580s, where the fictitious prisoner would promise to share non-existent treasure with the person who would send him money to bribe the guards.
Technical support scams rely on social engineering to persuade victims that their device is infected with malware. [15] [16] Scammers use a variety of confidence tricks to persuade the victim to install remote desktop software, with which the scammer can then take control of the victim's computer.
Receiving a call, email or letter from a company purporting to be a debt collector can spark alarm. Before disclosing any information, look for these eight signs of a fake debt collection scam. 1.
Learn how to report spam and other abusive conduct.