We recently did a post on the Yahoo! Mail Blog titled “Help – I think my Yahoo! Account may have been Phished”, which offered some helpful tips and tricks for our users who were concerned that their email account had been compromised. As more and more media articles surface surrounding the practice of “phishing”, we thought it would be helpful to offer some tips to help us help you keep your Yahoo! Mail account safe and sound. By working together, we can provide the best mail experience possible and keep those looking to harm you with these nasty email scams at bay.

Use multiple passwords. You wouldn’t use the same key for you house, car and safe deposit box, would you? Using the same password on multiple websites is no different. Make sure to use separate passwords for your mail, banking and other sensitive online accounts. That way, if the unthinkable happens on another site, at least your Yahoo! mailbox remains secure.

Update your Web browser.  Today’s modern browsers have a host of features that can protect you from malicious activity and phishing sites. So if you’re still running Internet Explorer 6 because you think it’s cool to be old school, it’s time to upgrade. Always surf the web using an updated browser and install upgrades when prompted.

Check the FROM line. Scammers are getting really good at copying company logos, fonts and so on. So while the email might look legit, one dead giveaway is when a seemingly official message originates from a generic e-mail address. If your bank or another trusted business has something to say to you, the message won’t come from “Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.” Check the FROM address line in the message to help determine whether it is for real (including looking for spelling errors!).

Use common sense. If someone stopped you on the street and said you’ve inherited millions of dollars from a prince in a far off land, you’d probably ignore him and keep walking. We’ve all seen these emails - and they’re no different. Be extra suspicious of someone offering to send you money, or claims you’ve won a lottery or asks you to transfer money on their behalf. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Instead immediately click the “Spam” button on the suspicious message.

Educate yourself. These tips are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to staying safe online. To keep yourself up to date on the latest in computer protection, privacy and child safety tips, please visit Yahoo!’s Security Center at: http://security.yahoo.com/

Be safe and thank you for being a loyal Yahoo! member!

Jeff Russakow, EVP Customer Advocacy