Roseland Online reader, Martin Edwards, wants to make everyone aware of an email scam which, although obselete since 2005, seems to be on the prowl again. Martin said: “I received this in my mail box this morning. I have had it before and it goes back to as far as December 2005 when it was closed down. This email is now just a spam and comes out every Christmas.” The email text reads:
I do not know if this is totally accurate especially the phonecall price but it is worth circulating. A card is posted through your door from a company called PDS (Parcel Delivery Service) suggesting that they were unable to deliver a parcel and that you need to contact them on 0906 6611911 (a Premium rate number). DO NOT call this number, as this is a mail scam originating from Belize. If you call the number and you start to hear a recorded message you will already have been billed £315 for the phone call… etc.
Martin adds, “We seldom send them on because most of them are spam or scam emails and most have been circulating for many years. Just thought this might be useful.”
Roseland Online wants to give you a few tips for anyone recieving unsolicited emails:
1. If it doesn’t have YOUR OWN NAME on, it’s almost certianly spam mail. It’s no different from a letter that comes through your letterbox at home saying “Dear Occupier”… if you’re anything like me, it’s destined direct for the recycling!
2. 98{c8c3b3d140ed11cb7662417ff7b2dc686ffa9c2daf0848ac14f76e68f36d0c20} of all “Act-Now-Or-Else” emails are spam and you can take that to 99.999{c8c3b3d140ed11cb7662417ff7b2dc686ffa9c2daf0848ac14f76e68f36d0c20} when it isn’t addressed to you specifically.
3.EVERY email from a bank or credit card company asking you to “Act Now Or Else” is spam… that’s 100{c8c3b3d140ed11cb7662417ff7b2dc686ffa9c2daf0848ac14f76e68f36d0c20}! No bank would ever advise their customer to take urgent action my email, especially when not even calling you by your name, so don’t give it the time of day.
R.O. TIP OF THE MONTH
If it doesn’t have your name on it, it’s not urgent and is almost certianly spam… DO NOT REACT, or even worse, DO NOT SEND IT ON!
Lastly, if you do decide to send any bulk email to friends – even pleasant ones – remember to use the BCC function. The BCC (blind Carbon Copy) function is there so all the recipients of your bulk email cannot see the other recipients it has been sent to. This respects your friend’s privacy and cuts down on spamers finding your and your friend’s email address. After all, if the next person sends on that email on without using the BCC function, too, EVERYONE who recieves if (and their friends, too, etc.) will get YOUR email address; and that’s the source of most spam emails in your inbox!