Don’t open emails from someone you don’t know or trust. If it seems fishy, it probably is. Report the message as spam and move on.

Avoid sending any sensitive information over email. When you send a message, you no longer have control over what is done with it or to whom it is forwarded. Common email scams employ email messages and even websites that look official, but are in fact attempts to steal your identity to commit fraud. This is the activity commonly known as phishing. Sensitive information such as passwords, bank account numbers and social security numbers should never be sent via email.

Never open an attachment within an email from a company or person you don’t know (or that you were not expecting).  Attachments may contain viruses, which can seriously damage your computer. Drag these emails to your spam folder.

Never reply to or click on links inside spam emails. Replying to, clicking on links within, or even unsubscribing from spam emails typically only informs the sender that they have found an active email address to which they’ll send more spam emails. Instead, report the message as spam.

Change your password frequently and don’t share it with anyone. It’s recommended to change passwords frequently. Especially if you currently view and manage your email on a public computer. Use a mix of letters and numbers, as those passwords are harder to break. The password should not be easy to guess — a common mistake is to use the company’s name in the password or something generic such as “1234.” Never share your password with anyone.

Avoid unsolicited bulk mail. Unsolicited bulk email messages can fill up your mailbox and become extremely frustrating.  To avoid this predicament:

• Don’t give your email address to sites you don’t trust.
  
• Don’t post your email address to public places online like message boards, comment boards, or even your personal website.
• Keep your personal email private except from people that you really want to hear from. You can set up a second email account for registering for public Web sites.
• Use an alternate email address when buying a product from a site for the first time or signing up for a new service.

If you ever have any questions or concerns about an email you receive contact Exelos before you open it!