Internet Safety

• Never open suspicious e-mail
• Always compare the link in the e-mail to the link you are directed to
• Log onto the official website instead of "linking" to it from unsolicited e-mail
• Contact the actual business that sent the e-mail to verify its authenticity
• Beware of anything from out of the country.  These scams usually involve overpayments of money for goods such as a vehicle or for a rental deposit.  They often ask you
• to deposit or hold money for them in your personal information
• to refund a partial amount of the overpayment 
• for account information
• Use a firewall
• Use secure websites (Over a secure connection the URL (address) displayed should begin with https - note the "s" at the end; Look for a padlock icon - Microsoft Internet Explorer displays the icon in the lower-right of the browser window:

Mozilla's FireFox Web Browers displays the lock icon in the lower-left corner:

The lock icon is not just a picture.  Click (or double-click) on it to see details of the site's security.  This is important to know because some fraudulent web sites are built with a bar at the bottom of the web page to imitate the lock icon of your browser!  It is necessary to test the functionality built into this lock icon.