Warning! Email Scams to Watch For! :Episode 1

I thought I would share a quick example of an email scam that appeared in my inbox this morning. It's very easy to see why so many get caught up in these things. The included example shown below is an email alleging to be from HP Computers. Now just why did this peak my interest? I'm glad you asked.

1. I have just purchased an HP computer within the last two weeks.
2. I applied for a rebate on the purchase price of the system. (but NOT from HP)
3. I was expecting an email confirming my submission for the rebate.
4. The email itself looks so darn official!

Email Scam! (click to enlarge image)

But because I'm suspicious of ALL emails offering me money, I took the extra step of hovering my mouse over one and all of the links in the email to observe where on the internet it would actually take me. I've marked the areas in the picture so that you can see that this email in fact isn't legitimate at all. If I hover over a link purporting to be from www.hp.com, by golly, it should be taking me to www.hp.com

So, buyer beware... if you receive an email from ANY company, please be prudent and take the extra moment needed to hover your mouse over the links in the email and see if the email is legit. If you're unsure, you're better off deleting it. Remember the saying, "curiosity killed the cat". In this case, while it may not kill your pets, it most likely would have infected your computer!

Until Next Time,

Happy Computing!