Using the Internet Safely For Seniors

➟ Requires the physical address of the sender to be

included in the e-mail.

➟ Creates criminal penalties for those who violate sub-

stantive provisions of the law.

To file a complaint under the CAN-SPAM Act, e-mail details to the FTC

at [email protected].

The FTC also provides more detailed information

about spam issues and the CAN-SPAM law on the FTC

Web site, http://www.ftc.gov/spam.

Recognize Fraud and Scams

As in the offline world, the Internet has a criminal element. These

cybercriminals use Internet tools to commit the same crimes they’ve

always committed, from robbing you to misusing your good name and

financial information. Know how to spot the types of scams that occur

online and you’ll go a long way towards steering clear of Internet crime.

Beforeyou click a link that comes in a forwarded e-mail message or for-

ward a message to others, ask yourself:

➟ Is the information legitimate?Sites such as

http://www.truthorfiction.com, http://www.snopes.com

(see Figure 5-20), or http://urbanlegends.

about.comcan help you discover if an e-mail is

a scam.

➟ Does a message ask you to click links in e-mail (see

Figure 5-21) or instant messages?If you’re unsure

whether a message is genuinely from a company or

bank that you use, call them, using the number from

a past statement or the phone book. Remember:Don’t

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Part II: Using the Internet While Dodging the Risk