Indianapolis Star

E-mail scams: Don't be fooled by love

February 10, 2006

Purdue University officials are warning Hoosiers about those electronic Valentine cards, maintaining they could come with a nasty surprise from a scam artist.

"An e-mail or instant message from a 'secret admirer' on Valentine's Day may be specifically designed to pique your curiosity," Michael Carr, Purdue's chief information security officer, said in a news release. "It's human nature and exactly what the bad guy is counting on."

Carr recommends practicing "safe computing" by not clicking on links or attachments unless they are part of an expected e-mail or an instant message from a reliable source. Anti-virus software is always a good idea, too.