As the number of malicious sites and attacks increases it is extremely important to observe a few BASIC rules to stay safe while online.

• Install, run and regularly update Antivirus and Anti-Spyware programs
• Turn on and use Anti Phishing filters, both IE and FF have good ones.
• NEVER use simple passwords on websites.
• Use STRONG passwords on sensitive web sites, that's 8 or more characters including lower case, CAPS, numbers and Special characters like #,!,*.
• NEVER click on links in E-mail unless it's from a 100% trusted source.
• Your Bank, eBay, Paypal etc will NEVER send you links to follow, so DON'T !
• Be wary of your personal information after all this is your identity and is very valuable, especially in the wrong hands.
• If it sounds to good to be true it normally is, so steer clear.
• Use Google to check on unknown programs and sites and see if anything negative has been reported.

Now this isn't an exhaustive list and I'm sure others will add to it, but the basic idea is trust NO-ONE !!!
Assume everything is a scam until proven otherwise.

NeedKarma

And no, you have not won the lottery, regardless of what that email says.

Clough

Rats! I thought that I had won it!

Awesome job there Ben and definitely something that needed to be a sticky and pointed out on this site for further enrichment here of the site!

I would just like to add, that when I get or find something in an email or on the web that seems to be questionable, and if I want to do a search for it to see if it's legit or not, I'll put the name of it, or whatever is being proposed by it, into a Google search using search terms such as, spam, hoax, fraud, bogus, scam and virus.

I also have a couple of free tracing programs on my computer where I can find the origin of things in emails. They are NeoTrace and LanWhois.

I know that there are other tracing programs out there other than those two.

There have been so many times when I've gotten emails saying that I need to update my account at eBay or a certain bank, or haven't paid for something on eBay, when I've never had an account with eBay or the referenced bank.

Thanks!

vingogly

I received several phone calls from my bank asking me to go online and update my account information. Turns out it was a phishing scam ... so you can be phished over the phone, too. I reported it to my bank and they said there were a number of their customers who had been victimized by the same scam. So don't trust someone telling you over the phone to go to the internet and update your info, either!

Curlyben

This is well worth a read: BBC NEWS | Technology | Q&A: Stay safe online

seahwk83

If you have a static IP address and you receive spam or suspicious email, you can forward the mail to SpamCop

SpamCop.net - Beware of cheap imitations

You do not need to pay for this service as you can forward email to them but they also do have pay services if you would want to go that route

I personally forward unwanted/unsolicited email to:

ja77

Damn I just won the Canadian lotto and I live in the UK having never played it.

I would also like to add -

Emails saying that you have been left millions of $$$$ in someones Will is also a massive scam -

LJStepdad

One other important thought is to use a secure browser such as Mozilla Firefox. I've seen people's spyware and malware decrease up to 80%. The main way those nasties get into the system is through the front door, your web browser.