Hoaxes, Scams and Phishing Expeditions:

• Phishing attacks use 'spoofed' emails and fraudulent web sites designed to fool recipients into divulging personal financial data such as credit card numbers, account user names and passwords, social security numbers, etc. By hijacking the trusted brands of well-known banks, online retailers and credit card companies, phishers are able to convince up to 5% of recipients to respond to them. (Source: www.antiphishing.org) This is a particularly insidious technique designed to separate you from your money. Some recent examples include:
  • a bunch of eBay and PayPal scams;
  • and dozens of false bank account notices.
• Scams often arrive as "make money fast" chain letters -- all quite illegal and all guaranteed to make you lose money fast. Among the most pervasive (and ridiculous) are:
  • a plethora of variants on the Nigerian money-laundering scheme;
  • more and more money from Microsoft and other "something for nothing" junk.
• Hoaxes are in never-ending supply. They can be wasteful, stupid, and sometimes sick. But they're essentially scams; they are all sucker bait. Among these are:
  • the insipid Exxon/Mobil gasoline boycott;
  • an endless stream of bogus petitions, such as the one to save NPR, PBS and the NEA;
  • and the infamous Penny Brown missing child hoax. This last one is a good example of a sick hoax that has taken in a large number of smart people.
• Don't forget: when you power on your computer, keep your brain powered on too!