Have you recently received an email congratulating you on winning a lottery or urgently requesting you to update your ATM or banking details? Such messages are indicative of an internet 419 or phishing scam. While free online email services like Yahoo Mail, Gmail, and Hotmail continuously work to protect users from these fraudulent emails, phishers persistently develop new methods to bypass filtration systems. Notably, scam emails appear to bypass Yahoo Mail's defenses more frequently than other platforms.

The primary objective of phishers, who send these scam emails to your address, is to illicitly collect personally identifiable information and other valuable data. Common targets for these malicious actors include your name, address, phone number, ATM PIN, credit/debit card details, and banking information. With access to such sensitive data, phishers can commit identity theft, using your stolen identity to steal money from you or others.

Several critical security tips can help protect you from internet scam emails. Firstly, never disclose your personal information to anyone you do not know. A prevalent tactic used by phishers involves sending scam emails claiming you have won a lottery, promotion, or scholarship, then coercing you to provide your details to redeem a supposed prize. Falling for this internet scam can lead to identity theft or financial loss. It is crucial not to respond to such emails, especially if you never applied for any lottery or scholarship. Even if you did apply, legitimate organizations would already possess your details, making unsolicited requests a significant red flag.

Secondly, under no circumstances should you reveal your ATM PIN to anyone. Scam emails often inform recipients of an alleged debit card (ATM/debit/credit card) upgrade, advising them to update their ATM details to prevent their card from becoming invalid. The phisher's goal in this particular internet scam is to acquire your ATM or debit card PIN and other card information. This data can then be exploited to access your funds by cloning your ATM card or using it for online shopping. Always remember: never disclose your ATM PIN to anyone, including bank officials.

Thirdly, refrain from sending your banking details to anyone via email. You might occasionally receive scam emails purporting to be from your bank or even financial institutions with which you have no account. The methodology mirrors that of the ATM PIN scam, where the email requests your bank account information or online banking credentials. Their sole aim is to collect these details to gain unauthorized access to your bank account.

Fourthly, exercise extreme caution and avoid clicking on links embedded within scam emails. Modern phishers are becoming increasingly sophisticated, and some scam emails are designed to trick you into clicking a link that initiates the installation of malware on your computer without your consent. Malware such as keyloggers can then monitor your computer activity and steal valuable information like passwords and PINs. Therefore, always be careful when clicking any link within an email and ensure you have a robust antivirus and firewall installed to enhance your internet security.

Phishers and spammers typically obtain email addresses through email harvesting software, which scrapes addresses from web pages. If your email address is listed in public forums or on the comment pages of websites, it can be harvested, making you a potential target for scam emails. It is advisable to avoid publicly posting your email or phone number in such online spaces.

The landscape of internet scams is vast and includes various types such as Lottery scams, ATM scams, social engineering, Business Email Compromise (BEC), Phishing, Impersonation, Internet Fraud, fake job scams, love/relationship scams, and charity scams. Regarding email service providers, Yahoo Mail addresses often exhibit poorer performance in filtering scam emails, sometimes misdirecting them to the inbox rather than the spam/bulk folder. Conversely, Yahoo Mail can also mistakenly categorize genuine emails as scams and send them to the bulk box. This inconsistent filtering might contribute to Yahoo being a preferred target for scam emails, whereas Gmail generally handles scam emails more effectively by correctly routing them to the spam box.