How do you email? Starter's guide

Creating an email (electronic mail) message by using the software such as Outlook or Apple Mail doesn't differ much from creating email using webmail servers (like Gmail or Hotmail for instance), and there are quite a few features similar to ones in word processors (like Microsoft Word) for text formatting purposes. If you want to send a fancy looking email message, you would most likely want to change fonts, insert pictures, add links, and more. While this post is rather about creating and sending than designing the email message, I will provide couple of links that deal with designing nice looking email messages.
Designing of an advertisement-like HTML email is explained in video here. Yet, bear in mind that lot of people prefer to receive plain text email messages, and their email clients are set to show HTML code as a text rather than process it, therefore all the fancy design created can result in the opposite to the expected.
The following video by ISTrainer shows how to use MS Outlook for creating and sending Email messages:

Basic fields to fill in before sending an email message

To:

is the field for e-mail address of the recipient (e.g., johndo@freecomputer.com). If you like you can add the name before address, and it should look like this:

"John Doe" johndo@freecomputer.com

Note that this is the only correct syntax for sending an email. Adding a name before the actual address is optional. You can add quite a few recipients in To: field, but bear in mind, after each email address a comma must be inserted, and it should look like this:

"John Doe" johndo@freecomputer.com, "Mary Poppins" marypoppins@freecookies.com,

and so on.

Subject:

is a field for writing in what the message you are sending, is all about. Keep it short and simple, otherwise the recipient won't be able to see the whole text in the list of all incoming emails.

Bcc:

While every recipient from To: list can see all the other recipients that all have received the same message, every email address that is entered in this field, won't show up to anyone else who receives the message. The syntax for this field is the same as described before. Remember, in order to be able to send the message, you should enter at least one email address in To: field.

Body (or Content)

is where the actual text and links go. (Or images, videos and other fancy things if you are going to send an HTML email message.)

Attach (or Attachments)

is for attaching files to your email message. You can attach any file from the computer to your message but keep in mind that large files (videos for instance) are usually sent using file sharing online servers. Email is suitable for sending documents (like doc or pdf files), compressed/archived documents, small audio files.

Other things to know before sending an email

Every recipient will see who has sent the message to them. Whom they will see as a sender depends on what you have saved in your email settings as your name and last name. Usually that is a From setting that can be accessed in order to change the sender's name.

In email settings there is always an option to set a signature. That is a static text or image that appears at the bottom of each and every message you send. It is a nice way to send some cheerful text or image, or advertise your favourite website.

What else can be seen by recipient

This is more to the point in the context of this website's purpose. Recipient can always see Headers which means that it is possible to see who sent the message, what time it was sent, what email address it has been sent from, what IP address it has been sent from and more. Detailed info on how to read Email Headers can be found here.

A SpamCop.net website explains how to access the headers in all popular email and webmail clients.

How to access your email account using computer's email client

The email client on your computer needs to have correct settings for receiving and sending email to/from your email account. In order to receive messages, software email clients use POP3 protocol, in order to send messages - SMTP protocol. There are two ways to find out correct settings for receiving/sending email using your computer's email client:

• Using Google to find POP3/SMTP settings for accessing your email account
• Calling your ISP for the advice on setting up your email client

Here is instructional page for setting up Email client for accessing the Gmail account. This illustrates the common procedure for accessing Email account by using computer's Email software client.

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Few basic online safety tips for everyone

Yesterday, while going through all the new information on the Internet, I found a useful pdf file that basically covers few things everyone should learn before going on the Internet.
The file has been developed by Citizens Advice Bureau in UK together with Google. It's called Good to Know: How to be safer on the Internet and manage the information you share online. It provides tips on the following:

• How and why you should create strong passwords for accessing your online accounts;
• Why you would want to properly log out and shut down your Internet Browser when you've finished with your Internet session;
• How you can tell a website is safe;
• What is and how to spot phishing;
• How to keep your email accounts safe (Click here for a quick guide on how to send an email);
• How to keep kids safe online;
• What is IP address and why you should know that;
• How searching the web works.

You can view and download the file by clicking here.
Here's a suggested watching: few YouTube videos covering basic online safety tips, including but not limited to password creating advice and what things and why you would want to keep private:

Also, you might want to check out one of my other posts here which deals with common ways a Windows/Mac computer gets infected.

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What is an online scam?

Before we proceed to recognizing the common phishing and scam patterns, let me tell you

Where to report phishing emails and websites?

Go to antiphishing.org website by clicking here, and follow instructions.

How to spot scam and phishing attempts?

In the picture above is a very simple example of what to look out for when you receive an email from a hot blonde with naughty videos online:
1. Spelling. I mean, waht series individuall or organizattion or website would send an email like that?
2. Do you know who is Micah Rafe and a website named cucougars.com?
3. What kind of a link is that anyway?

Speaking of links. Before clicking on any of them, at least hover your mouse cursor over each of them as to see where the link is supposed to take you. The address can usually be seen at the bottom left of the browser screen (and even then it might redirect the browser to another destination). The linked text can say Click Here, or it can look similar to one in the picture above, but in reality, can take you to a malicious website that is set up with an intent to collect personal or financial data (pharming), or to infect your machine with malware.
Even if the link looks legitimate at first sight (starting with www.paypal.com, for example), double-check that you read the link right (in other words, it's not www.paypalcom.com). Here's an excerpt from an article at scamdex.com website regarding links and DNS system:

• Just because the domain name of a website mentions kitties and fluffy bunnies, it doesn't mean that it's not a porn site.
• A mis-spelled bank domain name is probably a spoof website, trying to get you to enter your bank access details for a scammer.
• The DNS system makes no decisions of any kind about the content of or suitability of or legality of websites - it is just a tool.
• When your kids use google or any other search engine to search for stuff, the results returned may expose them to violent and/or sexual images which would horrify you.

Very simple and useful tips regarding to spotting the scam and phishing messages are provided in the following video (authors come up with an interesting fact that mobile users are receiving 3 times more scam messages than those using computers):

While we are at the subject of scamming, ladies, check out the Valentine's Day article on online dating scams by Ann Brenoff at Huffingtonpost.com website.
An extensive list and information on known scam patterns can be found at Consumer Fraud Reporting website.

Phishing and Identity theft

The essence of an Identity theft attempt looks like following:

Dear Sir,

I have 2 million dollars. I will give you 1,525 million dollars because I trust you. Please provide

Your Name:

Your Data of birth:

Your address:

In reality you would probably get more elaborate email message like this:

For your confidence,
Please consider to help me relocate this $2.5mUSD for establishing an industry in your country.
This fund was deposited in our bank by Mrs. Nina Wang from Hong Kong who died of cancer on April 3rd 2007 without a heir.
A routine notification was sent to her forwarding E-mail address but without responses.
She did not declare her next of kin in the bank
official papers including her real home contacts.
This money has been floating and if I do not remit it out urgently it will be confiscated by the government as unclaimed fund.
You will be compensated with 40% for your collaboration to receive this fund.
Click here [link withdrawn]
I will give you all vital information and clarification so that you will contact my bank for the release of the money into your account as next of kin to the deceased depositor.
As one of the bank directors, I will play a role to make sure that the fund will be released to you.
Mr.Abdul .F. Umar

As you can tell straight away, should you decide to reply to the sender of the message, eventually you would be asked for your personal and financial details because, how would you otherwise be able to "help to relocate" the sender's "funds"..? My advice: don't reply to the message, blacklist the email address the message was sent from, and delete it.

In order to be aware of the seriousness of keeping your personal data safe, a list of methods (from Wikipedia) of obtaining data on other people will (hopefully) give you the idea of how much effort some people are ready to invest in obtaining data on other people:

• Rummaging through rubbish for personal information (dumpster diving)
• Retrieving personal data from redundant IT equipment and storage media including PCs, servers, PDAs, mobile phones, USB memory sticks and hard drives that have been disposed of carelessly at public dump sites, given away or sold on without having been properly sanitized
• Using public records about individual citizens, published in official registers such as electoral rolls
• Stealing bank or credit cards, identification cards, passports, authentication tokens ... typically by pickpocketing, housebreaking or mail theft
• Skimming information from bank or credit cards using compromised or hand-held card readers, and creating clone cards
• Using 'contactless' credit card readers to acquire data wirelessly from RFID-enabled passports
• Observing users typing their login credentials, credit/calling card numbers etc. into IT equipment located in public places (shoulder surfing)
• Stealing personal information from computers using malware, particularly Trojan horse keystroke logging programs or other forms of spyware
• Hacking computer networks, systems and databases to obtain personal data, often in large quantities
• Exploiting breaches that result in the publication or more limited disclosure of personal information such as names, addresses, Social Security number or credit card numbers
• Advertising bogus job offers in order to accumulate resumes and applications typically disclosing applicants' names, home and email addresses, telephone numbers and sometimes their banking details
• Exploiting insider access and abusing the rights of privileged IT users to access personal data on their employers' systems
• Infiltrating organizations that store and process large amounts or particularly valuable personal information
• Impersonating trusted organizations in emails, SMS text messages, phone calls or other forms of communication in order to dupe victims into disclosing their personal information or login credentials, typically on a fake corporate website or data collection form (phishing)
• Brute-force attacking weak passwords and using inspired guesswork to compromise weak password reset questions
• Obtaining castings of fingers for falsifying fingerprint identification.
• Browsing social networking websites for personal details published by users, often using this information to appear more credible in subsequent social engineering activities
• Diverting victims' email or post in order to obtain personal information and credentials such as credit cards, billing and bank/credit card statements, or to delay the discovery of new accounts and credit agreements opened by the identity thieves in the victims' names
• Using false pretenses to trick individuals, customer service representatives and help desk workers into disclosing personal information and login details or changing user passwords/access rights (pretexting)
• Stealing cheques (checks) to acquire banking information, including account numbers and bank routing numbers
• Guessing Social Security numbers by using information found on Internet social networks such as Facebook and MySpace
• Low security/privacy protection on photos that are easily clickable and downloaded on social networking sites.
• Befriending strangers on social networks and taking advantage of their trust until private information are given. 

If you think that someone would write you an email wanting to pay you million dollars from the bank in Hong Kong or Africa, or that they are eagerly willing to pay you a jackpot that you have supposedly won in a lottery you have never taken a part in, better delete the email message and watch how some people have managed to scam the scammers (note: don't try this at home, might get you in trouble):

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