Top Dog protects you from hoaxes that can damage your computer, your pocketbook and your pride.

Email hoaxes can be dangerous and expensive.
It is often very hard even for experienced people to determine what is a hoax and what is not.
Top Dog takes the guesswork out of it!

Top Dog protects you from such scams using two methods:

• First, by checking for common techniques that hackers use to disguise the true origin of the email.
  When deceptive links or other indicators are found you are alerted to the fact and warned that the email is likely a hoax.
  
  
• Secondly, by checking each incoming email against Apocgraphy's database of known hoaxes.
  This database currently contains thousands of hoax email compiled by Apocgraphy staff and reported by people like yourself.
  You can report a hoax with the click of your mouse as well as share any links, references or other information on the hoax with other Top Dog users.

Phishing Scams

Phishing is the practice of sending out millions of email to people pretending it is from their bank or an online payment service like PayPal.
The email directs the recipient to a website that is made to look like the bank's website but is actually controlled by hackers.
The recipient is then asked to provide the password for their account, credit card information or other sensitive financial information.
Estimates vary but at the low end 500 million dollars was stolen in this way in 2003 and the problem is getting worse.
Top Dog protects you from phishing scams.

Identity Theft

Phishing Scams and similar hoaxes are also used in identity theft scams in which thieves steal your personal information and then use it to impersonate you.
This allows them to apply for credit cards in your name and can result in your credit rating being destroyed, your remaining assets being frozen and legal bills resulting from your attempts to clear your name.
Top Dog detects and warns you about such scams.

Advance Fee Frauds

A typical advance fee fraud is the so called Nigerian scams where people are promised money in exchange for the use of their bank account to transfer money out of Nigeria. The target may be lured to a foreign country where some people have been known to disappear.
In another common scam people are informed that they have won a large sum of money in a lottery.
In all cases an initially small amount of money is requested to release the money to you or to pay the taxes or some other such pretext.
Top Dog compares all your incoming email against a continually updated database of such scams and warns you if one is detected.
In addition you can report such scams with the click of your mouse.

Virus Hoaxes

Virus hoaxes are email sent around by well meaning people in an attempt to warn you about a virus that is circulating.
While these email are usually only damaging to the sender's credibility, some like the SULFNBK and JDBGMGR virus hoaxes contain instructions telling you to delete important files from your computer.
Top Dog detects and warns you about such scams.

Urban Legends

Top Dog also protects you against urban legends which are a related form of hoax.
Urban Legends circulate very quickly in the form of email. They usually contain warnings about imaginary dangers and urge you to forward the email on to all your friends and family.
Top Dog warns you if the email you receive is an Urban Legend.