Rare Book Monthly
Gone Phishing? Watch Out For Dangerous Waters.
The classic Nigerian scam, though this one's from the Ivory Coast.
Here is something you can look for. Usually there will be a link to follow in the email, which appears to go to the appropriate site. Depending on your browser and its settings, when you run your cursor over this link, the real address should show up at the bottom of the screen. Usually, this will be different than the link address which appears in the email. Frequently, it will just be numbers, like http://20 34 48 96. This means you are being sent to a different site than you think. If you do not see an address at the bottom of the page, you may need to adjust your browser settings. If you are using Internet Explorer, click "View" at the top of your screen and then check "Status Bar."
If you ever feel overwhelmingly tempted to click one of these links, I suggest you copy the link and paste it in your browser address window at the top of your screen. Click "View" then check "Address Bar" for Internet Explorer if you do not see an internet address bar at the top of your page. Don't click the link because not only might it lead to someplace you don't want to go, it might even download something unpleasant onto your computer. Of course, you should never download any attachments to such a mailing. Better yet, just delete this email and don't waste your time. No good can come from it.
