Email fraud has existed for as long as the internet has been a popular form of communication. Particularly in the early days of the internet's popularity, email scammers were rampant, taking advantage of the fact that many users were not aware of the dangers of associating with someone that is truly anonymous. There are countless ways that scammers take advantage of their marks when it comes to email fraud, but most can be squarely placed into one of just a few categories. The most widespread scam used today is phishing for user's data. The received email will appear to be from a trusted company, with a link to the 'official website.' The user then logs on to a mockup website, giving the scammers their email and password, along with any other details that may have been inputted. Certain email scammers are even more direct in their crimes, going for the long con. These often involve a long series of back-and-forth emails, often with the promise that the victim is going to receive a large sum of money. Of course, this usually requires the victim to send over a 'transactional fee,' with the scammer never heard from again afterwards. This list takes a look at ten specific examples of scam email that you're likely to have received at some point in your life. Totally obvious to anyone even remotely computer savvy, these scam emails are unrelenting in their taking advantage of the gullible and desperate.
