E-mail is a fast and convenient way to communicate on the Internet. To stay safe when e-mailing, follow these practices every time you send or receive a message:
Don’t share sensitive personal information. Never share passwords, Social Security numbers, and credit card numbers in e-mail.
Choose who you e-mail. Just because someone sends you an e-mail doesn’t mean you need to read it or respond. Set up your spam filters to be restrictive, and check your spam folder periodically for legitimate messages.
Think twice before you open attachments or click links in e-mail. If you don’t know the sender, delete the e-mail. If you do know the sender but weren’t expecting an attachment, double-check that the person actually sent the e-mail.
When sending e-mail to a group of people who don’t know each other, use the Bcc line to protect everybody’s identity. Place all the e-mail addresses on the Bcc (or Blind Carbon Copy) line of the message. That way, no recipient can see the e-mail addresses of other recipients. This respects their privacy and protects their accounts from spammers.