How to Spot Fraudulent E-Mails

E-mail scam artists are masters of their craft. They can put together a fake message that looks so legitimate, you'd think it came from your own mother (not to mention eBay, PayPal, and other seemingly trustworthy sources). PC World shows you how to spot these fakes so you can avoid becoming a victim of malware, identity theft, and the like. Here's the opening salvo:

You've Got an E-Card -- From the Storm Worm How has the Storm Worm managed to insinuate itself onto more than a million PCs (and perhaps several million) worldwide? The bad guys behind it use slick and imaginative messages to deceive their victims. This wave from around August prompted recipients to download a supposed greeting card. Hallmark says that valid e-mail messages announcing an e-card should have subjects such as "A Hallmark E-Card from [name of the sender]"; the company lists other tip-offs in its notice about fraudulent messages.

This is required reading for anyone who uses e-mail -- meaning you. Do your colleagues a favor and share it with them, too. The identity you save could be your own. [via PC Doctor]