I recently received an email phishing scam apparently “about customer complaints from the Dun & Bradstreet Credibility Corp.” It caught me off guard for about a nanosecond but I know how easy it could be when distracted and busy to fall prey to one of these email scams, click on an attachment or link and end up with a messy computer virus or worse.

Generally these email scams are easy to spot – the English is poor, the email address looks phony and more, however, some aren’t as easy to spot. Perhaps coincidentally your relative is away on vacation and you worry he’s in trouble or you believe your PayPal account may have actually been compromised or you decide to warn your friends about a ‘scam’ and send to everyone in your address book.

What should you do if you’re not sure? Visit Snopes first! Described as “the definitive Internet reference source for urban legends, folklore, myths, rumors, and misinformation.” The site is owned and operated by Barbara and David Mikkelson, professional researchers and writers since 1995 and you can find information on all the frauds and scams circulating out there on the world-wide-web.

When you visit the site, use the search box or click an icon to browse the site by category to find accurate and current information. You can sign up for a weekly mailing covering new information added to the site or subscribe to the RSS newsfeed. There is also an area to submit a rumour that you have come across.

Research materials are displayed at the bottom of the page if you want to verify the information because some of these stories do contain many real-life details. Most importantly, do your research and don’t get caught!