Have you ever received an email that looked something like this?

We have all heard stories about people who have lost thousands and thousands of dollars due to email fraud; emails such as this one are usually the first step. It appears to be from someone who genuinely wants to contact you but it is most likely sent to countless people by an automated program. They wait for someone to respond to this initial pitch and they start the real push.

My very worldly former boss and friend, Joe, used to say the spelling errors and bad grammar were intentional because they want their targets to think the writer is illiterate or not very smart. They want to appear weak so you will try to help or try to take advantage of them, either way you will be conveniently distracted when they turn the tables and wipe out your bank account.

If you receive an email similar to this, please don’t respond. Even if you reply to tell them to go away, you will let them know they have reached an active account and they’ll try every technique they can think of to weasel you out of your hard earned money.

For more information on email fraud and other scams, click here. It is important to learn what to look for and details of what you can do if you find yourself involved in this type of situation.