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If a service threatens to shut down your account, consider whether it makes sense:
(1) HOTMAIL: shutting your account saves them server storage space, and it allows them to more accurately estimate their user base for advertizing purposes. The email was legit. The policy is also contained in the agreement you got when you signed up.
Beyond all that, the email didn't ask for any sensitive information...it just told you to log into your account. No benefit in it for a scammer to write a fraudulent email, since there's no way for him to gain anything from you.
(2) and (3) PAYPAL and EBAY: It costs them next to nothing to have you as a member, so there's no reason to threaten to delete your account. And they're asking for personal information...always a sign of potential fraud.
(4) US BANK: Banks will never ask for secure information via email. When there's a potential problem, they always contact you by phone.
(5) PAYPAL: The email never asks you to click on a link or respond with any information, so it's useless as a scam: again, it gets the scammer nothing.
(6) EARTHLINK: This one is a bit tougher. It's almost a legitimate situation: your credit card info has changed, so they can't bill you, so they're threatening to discontinue your account. One problem: billing for internet services always has a snail-mail option, and if this were the problem, they'd contact you by snail mail, not email.
(7) CITIBANK: (a) bad grammar is a dead giveaway. (b) It just doesn't make sense...what does clicking a link once a month verify? That you haven't forgotten your name in that time?
(8) EBAY Bad grammar, "verify your account" crap again, and the threat to close your account. This was an easy one.
(9) PAYPAL: It's simply an informational notice. The author doesn't ask you for anything, so it can't be a scam.
(10) VISA: "verify your account" again. How do they know your information is out-of-date? Did you change your name and forget to tell them? Or did you just forget your name? Oh yeah, and the punctuation is incorrect, and a credit card will also contact you by phone if there is a problem.
Matt
'99 9³
posted by 65.106.18...
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