What are the most common e-mail scams and how are they used by identity thieves?

What are the most common e-mail scams and how are they used by identity thieves?

Robert Siciliano (Identity Theft Expert and CEO) gives expert video advice on: How can I protect my computer network from identity thieves?; How can I protect myself from identity theft online?; What makes a good password? and more...

There are a number of different common e-mail scams. For example, there's what we call the Nigerian 419 e-mail scam. The common 419 e-mail scam is where someone will contact you saying they are calling from some other country; that they have a certain amount of cash that they need to transfer from one bank account to another bank account, and they are enlisting your help to transfer that money from Account A to Account B. Generally, they are trying to get you to offer your own banking details; to send money to them; they'll maybe even want to meet with you to help them exchange millions of dollars. They are trying to get money out of your banking account via a common e-mail scam. They're preying upon your good nature to get that money from Point A to Point B. Whenever you get those scam e-mails, I always suggest "Just hit delete".