How do I know if an email offer is legitimate?

- Hmm, congratulations. You've just won a brand new iPad. Click here now to claim my reward. (soft sad music) - Your account is overdue. Click here to login to your account and make payment in full or we'll report you to the IRS. You must click here to resolve the issue. (soft sad music) - Sorry. You didn't win an iPad. And that account warning sounds urgent, but didn't you just pay off your credit card? So, how I know if an email with an offer is legitimate or not? You probably seen or heard of foreign princes offering you vast sums of money is a scam to get you to wire money to somebody, but many fake emails set the stakes lower and look completely legitimate, trying to get your personal information or gain access to your accounts. This is commonly referred to as phishing with a ph. They bait you with something exciting or scary and snag your information when you bite. The idea is that you click on a bogus link or login to a fake website that looks completely legitimate, and someone…