Begging/Stealing Emails

JOJOPEA

Can you please help me? Sorry if its been covered before.

I am receiving an email every day pretending to be from normally an african guy in trouble/a banker who is offering to steal money from an offshore bank account of a dead guy/variations on this....

I am on blueyonder and have zone alarm anti virus software. Dont want to restrict email account that much but they are a bit intimidating...Please help.

soolin

don't be intimidated just delete them unread.

I'm getting at least three a day at the moment.

Soo

Jay_Hoe

JOJO,

thesae are known as 419 emails. Typically they are from Nigeria (where they are illegal under some rule/law numbered 419).

Never answer them, just bin them. Have a look on google for 419ers.

sergeant121

I am receiving an email every day pretending to be from normally an african guy in trouble/a banker who is offering to steal money from an offshore bank account of a dead guy/variations on this....

I managed to set up a filter to eliminate these some time ago. I found a word which was common to them all which could not be in the text of a genuine email (I chose the word 'Ghana') and set up a filter, "If body of email contains the word 'Ghana', delete."

Worked like a dream (I have now had to add another - using the word Nigeria) but they save a lot of pointless reading!

Noobie_2

Always found filters pretty effective (I think most email progs have them, in one form or another).

I never open any email from anyone I don't know - could contain a lot worse than a scam.  These days you also need to look out for emails which LOOK to be official (eg, from Microsoft, your bank, etc - Microsoft rarely send emails (if ever - unless you've emailed them first), does your bank even have your email address?, etc, etc).

Like others have said: ignore, delete, set filters.  Should work a treat.  DON'T reply (however tempting it might be to tell them where to go) - this confirms your email address exists (they don't know you and usually just churn this stuff out automatically to any possible email address).

PS  JOJOPEA - don't worry that they are 'getting past' your antivirus (think Zone Alarm is actually a firewall -and a damn good one - not an Anti-Virus (take it you have got both AV & firewall?)) - these aren't designed to protect you from things like phoney emails, but will help protect you from some of the contents emails may contain.  There's a bit more to it than that so, if interested, see Techie Questions & Discussion section, on this MSE site, for loads more info - at the top of that section there's some very useful info from Fran re protecting your pc and you can also post a pc related prob there for help.

theskulls

use the word "God" or "bless" to filter them.

no one european would dare to mention god in a message however these nigerians cant help it, they must think it makes them sound trustworthy.