Police officers do an important job in our society, putting themselves in harm's way for the public good. When a police officer pulls you over, it's a natural assumption that they're the real deal. Very rarely it will be an impostor -- and it always makes big news. In the Internet world, however, it's much harder to tell friend or foe.

The hottest way to steal your personal info right now is through pop-ups or other ads that claim to be for antivirus programs. A new report suggests that 30 million of us have been fooled in this way. That's 1 in every 7 adults! Panda Labs -- a company selling legitimate antivirus software -- reports there's now 7,000 phony solicitations from the bad guys out there in cyberspace.

Don't click on those pop-ups about antivirus software! Ignore those e-mails about free services!

A North Carolina State study found that a majority of us believe when a dialog box pops that the people initiating the Internet chat are legit. Don't fall for it. The Internet does not have brave men and women running around acting as police officers to protect you. You've got to be your own cop on the beat.

If you need antivirus software, see our suggestions for free or low-cost options. And heed this warning: Don't visit our messageboards looking for a link. Yes, we police our forums with the help of a team of moderators, but we can't ensure that every thing on the forums is completely legit.

In related news, be wary of e-mails promoting secret shopping and mystery shopping. It used to be that you'd get taken for $20 or $30, but now the scammers are angling for $2,000 or more. You should never pay to be a mystery shopper -- whether it's $20 or $2,000.

Finally, Christa read an article in the Pocono Record that reports the money transfer scam -- an oldie but baddie -- is back. Here's how it works: You're contacted to act an intermediary who transmits money for others. You're sent a check and told to keep 10% of it and wire the rest to a certain person or business. It turns out to be a stolen checking account number, perhaps from a real business. When the police come after you for cashing fraudulent or washed checks, that's when you get to wear some new jewelry -- handcuffs! Don't do it!

People generally know that if you shop online marketplaces you run the risk of buying counterfeit goods -- especially if you're shopping for designer clothes. But there's been a lot of counterfeiting going on in the high-end electronics world. Clark believes Amazon is actually damaging its good name with its Amazon Marketplace, which features independent sellers who you must contact directly to resolve any issues. David Colker, a Los Angeles Times staff writer, recently went to the Amazon Marketplace to buy expensive headphones. When he got the goods, they looked like the real thing. The only problem was the terrible sound quality. Colker eventually determined he'd bought a knockoff. So Clark wants to warn his listeners about fakes infiltrating the high-end electronics market. With electronics, the discounts are not so huge that you'd automatically know what you're buying is counterfeit. Clark's advice is to stick to established retailers whether you're buying online or in-person and always pay attention to the return policy. Sam's Club has a policy of unlimited right to return electronics -- there's no time limit or expiration date ever. This latest headphone episode reminds Clark of the time when Tiffany & Co. bought a lot of its goods on eBay to verify if they were real. It turned out that every last item advertised as the genuine thing turned out to be a fake.

Last spring just around tax time, Clark started hearing about a lot of people who received an e-mail scam that appeared to be from the IRS. Now the same scam has resurfaced. Here's how it works: You get an e-mail that appears to be from the IRS saying they owe you small refund usually around $139.50. The e-mail is branded with the IRS logo and looks legit. It originates from an address that ends in .us, which most people think is a sign of authenticity. A .us domain name, however, is the same as a .com. The real IRS website is a .gov, since it's a government organization. The bogus e-mail explains that the money will be deposited into your account -- provided that you send your account number and secret access code. If you comply, your account will be cleaned out by cyber criminals. Know that the IRS will never ask you for your banking info in an e-mail. Meanwhile, there's a similar scam circulating that appears to be coming from Coca-Cola. This one isn't legit either, so watch out!

Check washing is still alive and well. Clark never writes checks anymore because of the dangers inherent in doing so, but he knows that many people still do. Check washing gives criminals a very low-tech way to steal money. It involves using a solvent to erase the payee info on the check and change it, along with the dollar amount. So Clark advises people not to put their bill payments in their home mailbox and raise the flag on that mailbox. That's a signal to criminals to come around for some easy pickings. Instead, you should drop your bills paid by check in a secured mailbox, whether it's a locked box or a USPS drop box. Another way to avoid having your checks washed is to use a pen with wash-proof ink. These kinds of pens are available at most office supply stores.

Businesses are at an even greater risk than individuals when it comes to check washing. That's because they usually have more cash in an account than an individual. Additionally, business accounts are subject to more stringent requirements. For example, if there's a break-in at your business and your checks are stolen by a thief, you can be held responsible for part or all of the losses you may incur through check washing. That's why all businesses need a locked cabinet or a safe to store their checks. Likewise, if you use computer-run checks and you leave blanks in the laser print, you're fully exposed to liability. So if you're a business owner, you must lock up your checks securely at night. One more caveat: a dishonest employee can do the same damage to you as an external thief if they get hold of your business checks. So protect yourself from internal threats, as well as external ones.

A couple months ago, Clark shared the story of Shirley Tias. She had received checks in the mail from scam artists. They conned her into thinking she’d won a lottery. She deposits the checks thinking they’re legitimate. But they bounce and she ends up getting charged with fraud. She spent a night in jail and was facing more time behind bars if prosecuted. Thankfully, the charges were dropped once it got to court. But the process is ridiculous. How many times is law enforcement going to get this wrong? They go after the victim instead of the criminals, who in this case were in Canada. The reality is that we could stop this if banks updated their systems to verify checks electronically. There is no reason why a check that someone deposits can’t be checked on the spot to determine if it’s a fake. But banks don’t want to spend the money to upgrade. If nothing else, post signs warning people about phony cashier’s checks. Basically, the banks don’t care. As a result, about 50 innocent people get taken and end up in jail each year. They will continue to get taken unless the financial industry takes an interest.

If you’re a business owner, you know people are always trying to get your money. Whether it’s a toner phoner scam or Internet servicing company, these criminals make business owners think they need the service or else. There is usually an urgency to their scam and many of the documents look legitimate. The latest one involves a group claiming you have to respond to them within 10 days to keep your corporation registration current. The envelope appears to be from a government entity, as does the return envelope. If you look closer at the fine print on the form, it says it is not a government document. Now, if you have an S-corporation or a C-corporation, you may need to pay annual filings and fees. But the costs are small – about $30. And the filings can be done at the state’s official Web sites. You’ll also usually get a reminder in the mail about these. So, don’t respond to any random forms you may get. Check it out with the correct government office before you do anything.

If you’ve fallen behind on your mortgage, as many people have, you could fall pray to people who want to take advantage of you. Quite often, companies who claim they can “rescue” you are actually out for your money and could put you in more harm. These are the companies whose workers say they will take over your payments to help you out. But what ends up happening is they either put a tenant in your place or live in your home themselves, and they never make a payment. Don’t get into this bind. Talk to your mortgage lender. They want to hear from you and work something out. They don’t want to foreclose on your property. Then, they have to take on the payments, the maintenance of the home and the insurance. Some lenders are calling homeowners who aren’t paying to try and negotiate how you can stay in your home. So, if that call comes in, take it. You and your mortgage company have the same interest, so level with them. And remember to pay your mortgage. Don’t worry about paying your credit card companies until you’re back on your feet. Consider your basic needs first – food, shelter, and clothing.

When you receive a money order or cashier’s check from someone for a car, boat or other large purchase, you probably think it’s legit because it looks so officials. But phony cashier’s checks and money orders is a growing problem. The number of fake cashier’s checks more than tripled in the past five years and grew more than 50 percent in the past year. It’s possible because of the high quality printers out there today. They’re so good that even people in the banking business think they’re real. The fact that the clearance process is so antiquated makes the situation even worse. In 2006, it would be very easy to electronically verify that a cashier’s check is real. But banks don’t want to do that because they have less responsibility the current way and they want to keep it that way. So, anytime you receive a cashier’s check you want to meet the buyer at the bank and get real money from the bank in return.

Clark wants you to know about a scam going on right now on Craigslist.org, the free online classified service. He got a letter from a man who had listed an item on the site for sale who got duped. The man got tons of responses to his listing, but the people want to pay with cashier’s checks that they claimed had already been cut for more than what he was asking. They asked simply that he send them back the difference once he got the cashier’s check. This is a complete scam. The man told the people to send the checks and then he sent them to Clark. They look 100 percent authentic and claimed to have come from several different banks in Houston and Northeast. The checks even have the watermark seal on them and came in the amounts ranging from $2,000 to $8,000. The scamsters sent the man about a half a dozen checks in total, and they’re all fakes. If you get an offer like this, DO NOT RESPOND. The banking industry has failed miserably when it comes to verifying these checks. So, when you cash one, you will be in a world of financial hurt.

Have you heard of the NFIC – the National Fraud Information Center? It’s become a great source for information about the latest scams around the world. Repeatedly, someone drafting your checking account has become one of the favorites for thieves. Sweepstakes are another top complaint. The average loss in a fraudulent lottery is $5,000, which is huge. The No. 2 scam is phony scholarship help. The third most popular scam is magazine sales and callers who are “renewing” subscriptions. No. 4 is credit card offers and No. 5 is fake check scams with the average loss being about $4,000. Advance fee loan scams are also huge, as are work-at-home schemes and lottery pools. We’ve all experienced some type of phishing scam, and finally are the phony vacation offers. Clark has talked about each of these at some point in the show, but you still need to be on the lookout.

Citibank, one of the largest financial institutions in the world, is rewarding its loyal customers by sending them a check for $3. It looks like any other check. But if you cash it, you are automatically enrolled in a credit protection service that automatically renews if you don’t cancel it. If Citibank really valued its customers, the company would warn them about ripoffs like this. But Citibank is not the only company engaging in this dodgy practice. You will not receive random checks in the mail just for the heck of it. There is a ripoff involved, so beware. And Clark hopes banks like Citibank realize what a disservice they are doing for their customers.

How many times have you heard about or received an e-mail scam from someone in Nigeria? It’s known as one of the most pervasive e-mail crimes out there, yet people continue to get taken. The overall umbrella for these scams is known as a “419.” It’s basically a statute under the Nigerian legal code that means “fraud.” There are about a half a dozen scams coming out of this country, and they are all legitimate according to the country. An LA Times reporter went to Nigeria to find out more about these elusive yet prolific scams. He found Internet cafes set up for the purpose of scamming people, mostly Americans. They are actually called 419 cafes, and people who just want to surf the Internet are not allowed in. The people in the business see nothing wrong with what they are doing. In fact, they think it’s something certain types of Americans deserve if we’re willing to believe it. There is the “closest relative” scam, the “gorgeous person in trouble” scam, the “laundered money” scam, the “cheap oil” scam and of course the lottery scam. Nigerians in the business basically think Americans are greedy and willing to do anything for money. Don’t perpetuate that idea. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Do you use a color printer? PC World magazine reports that every color printer in the world has a tracking code that can be seen with special equipment when necessary. Every sheet that is printed with this code via a program and the identifiers can tie the printer directly back to you. The purpose is to shut down counterfeit money makers, who have grown out of control in the world. The government has gone to extreme measures to counteract counterfeiters with new designs of bills and holograms on money. But crooks have been able to duplicate them. So what percent of counterfeit dollars are coming from a printer? About 60 percent, according to the Secret Service. So, just be aware that your printer is spying on you.

One of the biggest scams of the past year and a half is the “free grant money” ploy supposedly from the federal government. It started in 2004 and has escalated ever since, usually through e-mails. People have called the show in droves asking how much they should give to these outfits to get their money from the Feds. Clark always has bad news for them. Well, something is finally being done about it. The Attorney General in Massachusetts is suing three of these companies in what’s being called the “Bogus government grant scam.” The companies guaranteed that people would receive government grants of up to $5,000. So, how many people actually ever received money? None! Instead, when they gave their checking information, they got a brochure in the mail telling them how to apply for government funds. The problem with these scams is that by the time the cops get involved it’s too late and the money is gone. We have a responsibility to be our own police officers and not get taken. Anytime an organization guarantees you money in return for your own money, RUN!

The newest scam these days involves ripoffs on currency exchanges. Clark had only heard about this a few times, so he didn’t think it was that bad. But according to the Dow Jones News Wires, these scams are growing out of control. They are set up as traditional boiler room cons, where scam artists are using telephones to cold call you. They claim that, due to rapid movements in currencies, there are billions to be made. They also say their proprietary software to help you make moves on the spread. But the only thing they can do successfully is help you lose your money. The average person getting conned loses $15,000. And they don’t have to get too many people to agree to it before they’re making big bucks. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been stolen in this scam, but the amount per person is so high that it’s not registering as widespread. It’s a tricky game, nonetheless. If you hear a pitch for currency or livestock or oil, basically any commodities trading, run away! And if you don’t understand a pitch, don’t get involved.

Over the past four years, Clark has gotten lots of phone calls about phony cashier’s check scams. But over the past four months, those calls have been replaced by questions about a new counterfeit scam that has taken its place. Starting about Thanksgiving of last year, calls started coming into the show about phony money orders. Basically, criminals are using phony money orders to buy items through classified ads, on eBay and from retailers, and the phony forms look perfect. The New York Times published a comparison graphic recently that showed a legitimate USPS money order next to a fake one and they looked exactly the same. The reason cashier’s checks and money orders are so popular with criminals is that they haven’t changed much over recent decades. We need some type of electronic verification with these services before more people get taken.

Clark often reports on ripoffs going on in the consumer world. Today, he has a Top 10 list of scams, schemes and scandals, provided by the state regulators who watch over financial analysts and brokers. Drum roll please…. The No. 10 scam is variable annuities. If you don’t know what these are and you don’t have any, good. If you do, you don’t want to put any more money into these plans. They have massive commissions and are absolutely horrible for your wallet. No. 9 are scandalous mutual fund companies. No. 8 is Internet fraud. No. 7 are “high yield investment” scams. Some that Clark has received calls on involve exotic overseas investments that are a complete scam. Insurance agents who sell people bogus investments come in at No. 6. Most insurance agents are honest, but a number of them have been involved in very scandalous affairs. No. 5 are church ripoffs. Just because someone seems religious does not mean that person is on the up and up. At No. 4, phony brokers. Just because someone says something is going to be a great investment doesn’t mean it will. Promissory notes – or fake CDs – are No. 3. These are promises that someone will pay you later if you give them money. But there is no guarantee, and it’s not safe. No. 2 is any kind of scam against seniors. If you’re not involved in your parents’ finances, be nosy! And, the No. 1 scam in the U.S. involving your wallet are Ponzi schemes. These are schemes where criminals recruit people to pay back other people who have invested, and then you have to recruit someone once you’re in. Eventually, these collapse because there are no more people willing to “invest.” There a lots of people who will sell you sizzle, but that’s all it is.