Keep your shields up as you cruise the Internet and, even, as you open and read e-mail. Take this short quiz and see how scam and phish-proof you are.

Related Articles: Scam/Phish Proof Quiz Quiz Solution Dangerous Assumptions Understanding Domain Names Dirty Dozen Online Job Search Mistakes

The Quiz

Answer these 6 questions, and then check below to see your score.

[Note: All situations, URL’s, IP addresses, and names used below are intended to be fictitious. Monster.com is used in the examples because it is so well known, but any job site could have been used. These kinds of situations are not unique or specific to Monster.]

1.  You receive an e-mail recruiting you for a job at A Big Company, Inc. The URL printed in the message is http://www.ABigCompany.com/jobs/

However, when you click on the link, the URL in the “Address” bar of your Web browser is http://216.78.94.111/ABigCompany.com/jobs/

The page you see displays the A Big Company logo and links to the other parts of the A Big Company Website. Can you trust that you are really viewing a page on the A Big Company Website?

     Yes           No

2.  Following a link in a blog comment entry, you visit a Website that displays the Monster.com logo, and it looks exactly like the Monster.com Website looked the last time you visited it.

When you look in the “Address” bar of your browser, you see this URL – http://www.youcantrustus.net/monster.com/

Can you trust that you are really viewing a page from the Monster.com Website?

     Yes           No

3.  An acquaintance sends you a link to a job he found that he thought would interest you.

It appears to be on Monster.com (has the Monster logo, etc.). When you click on the link to apply for it, you notice the URL in the “Address” bar of your browser - http://monster.youcantrustus.net/jobs/.

Can you trust that you are really applying for a job on Monster.com?

     Yes           No

4.  At one of the big Web job sites, you find a good job opportunity. When you check out the company Website to learn more about the employer, it looks impressive. You apply for the job.

Within a few days, you receive an e-mail from one of the company’s recruiters, asking you to fax them your driver’s license so they can begin the interview process. They say they need the license to verify that you can fulfill one of the job's requirements - driving from one company location to another.

Should you FAX them your driver's license?

     Yes           No

5.  At your favorite job site, you submit your resume for a job with A Big Company, because it looks like a good fit for you. Soon you receive an e-mail from a recruiter representing A Big Company. He says that the company is very interested in you, but as part of their pre-screening process, he needs to do a reference check and a credit screening before any interviews are scheduled. So he wants you to send him an e-mail with your Social Security Number and the address of your last residence. His e-mail address is ABigCompanyRecruiter@yahoo.com. Can you trust that this is a legitimate request?

     Yes           No

6.  Out of the blue, you receive e-mail with “employment@ABigCompany.com” as the “from” address.

Can you trust that the message is really from A Big Company?

     Yes           No

Score:

Give yourself 1 point for each “No” you answered, because none of those situations were safe.

6 points   EXCELLENT! You Are a Phish- and Spam-Proof Internet Pro

You must have read the “Dangerous Assumptions” article, and/or you’ve spent a lot of time online. Your score is great, but, don’t become over-confident! There are many more scams than we covered in this short quiz, and more appear every day. So stay alert and skeptical. You might want to read the solutions, just to be sure.

5 points   VERY Good! Pretty Safe, but Not Secure

You obviously are an experienced user of the Web and are nearly Phish- and Spam-Proof, but not quite perfectly. It would be a good idea for you to read the solutions just to be safe, and also read the “Dangerous Assumptions” article.

4 points   Not Secure, but Somewhat Savvy

Good score, but it should be better. You understand some of the ways that you can be scammed, but not all of them. It would be a very good idea for you to read the solutions and “Dangerous Assumptions” article.

3 points or fewer    Not Good!

Read the solutions and the Dangerous Assumptions to better understand how domain names, URL’s, and e-mail addresses are related, and to learn how to be safer when you are online.

Questions about domain names?

For more information, see the article About Domain Names

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Article by Susan P. Joyce, Job-Hunt's editor and senior job hunter

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