Dear LINGUIST Readers, 
 
While LINGUIST List takes every precaution to confirm the legitimacy of the 
submissions we receive and to control messages that are distributed by our 
servers, from time to time we are victimized by spammers and hackers. Our 
gratitude goes out to those among you who take the trouble to notify us so 
that we may take steps to minimize the damage. Here is some important 
information for you regarding email attachments, computer viruses, and 
phishing. 
 
Email attachments are very effective at delivering viruses to your 
computer. The spammer sends you an attachment hoping that you will open 
it, allowing the virus to gain access to your computer. For this reason, 
LINGUIST List will never, EVER, deliver attachments to its subscribers. If 
you receive something that claims to be from LINGUIST and it includes an 
attachment, it is spam and should be deleted immediately - do not, under 
any circumstances, open it. For the same reason, LINGUIST List cannot 
accept email attachments either. 
 
In the interest of helping you protect yourselves against internet fraud, 
we would like to make you aware of a phenomenon known as 'phishing'. 
Briefly, this term refers to the practice of a criminal sending out 
numerous emails requesting sensitive information which can then be used for 
identity theft. 
 
If you suspect you are being phished: 
 
1) Telephone the company who appears to be requesting sensitive information 
- confirm that the request is legitimate. 
 
2) If the company denies that they have made any such request, notify them 
that it appears they are being used or implicated in a scam. 
 
3) Report phishing to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and to the 
Anti-Phishing Working Group, who is building a database of common scams to 
help inform people of the risks. 
 
Learn more about phishing and report it if it happens to you at: 
 
The Federal Trade Commission's website: 
http://www.ftc.gov/ 
 
The Anti-Phishing Work Group's page, at: 
http://www.antiphishing.org/index.html 
 
Knowledge will protect you. Share this information with everyone you know. 
 
Thank you all for your continued support, 
The LINGUIST List Crew