Verizon customers are receiving fake emails that are almost identical to the real alerts many customers get to remind them of their monthly payments. 

About the scam:

This phishing scam is notable for its painstaking replication of Verizon emails. Only the large bill amounts (many are upwards of $500) and links to third party websites are tip offs to the real nature of these emails.

You can spot a fake email by hovering over the links and checking whether the URL leads to Verizon's website or, in a scam email, to a third party site. Here is a screen shot of a sample email that shows how hovering over a link reveals its real destination.

If you receive a suspicious Verizon email, delete it and do not click on the links. Clicking through to a scam website can infect your computer with a virus.

More information

If you have any questions about whether your email bill is fake, please contact Verizon directly. For more information, you can also see the security alerts section on Verizon's website. 

See BBB.org's complete scam directory for more information about breaking scams in your area.