Spot the Scam!

How do you know if you're being scammed online?

Below are tip-offs that an email in your inbox is likely a scam:

• GENERIC GREETING: Legitimate companies will often customize their e-mail messages to specifically address someone. Generic greetings like "valued customer," or no greeting at all, are often signs of a scam.

• POOR GRAMMAR AND SPELLING: Many scam e-mail messages are written by foreigners who don't speak English well. Legitimate business letters should have few, if any, errors.
• IMPERSONATION OF REAL COMPANIES: Secret Shopper and the Mystery Shopping Providers Association are real businesses. Just because a company is mentioned doesn't mean the e-mail is actually from that company.
• REQUEST TO WIRE MONEY IN EXCHANGE FOR A CHECK: Legitimate companies will never ask that.
• NO CONTACT INFORMATION: Legitimate companies will always list a way to contact the company, preferably a phone number.
• UNUSUAL E-MAIL ADDRESSES: Strange e-mail addresses, especially those containing obscure country codes, are often a sign of a scam.
• ASKING FOR EXCESSIVE PERSONAL INFORMATION: If legitimate companies do ask for this much personal information online, it will be on a secure Web site (look for the lock icon in your browser), not an e-mail.

Click here for a list of some current scams.