Clark recently learned about a Facebook scam that uses his name. Below is the complete text of the scam, which purports to be from a friend tipping you off to a supposed money-making scheme. Notice the scammer has misspelled Clark's first name with an "e" at the end! We've also kept all other original misspelling intact throughout.

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You know me! I started this and I had to let you in on it! Clarke Howard recommended it also FYI !!!

My college professor told me of a way to pay off my student loans and not have to work these crazy jobs. (If you had Dr. Fred for marketing you know what I am talking about!!) Now all I have to do is let my computer run and sit back and watch the cash roll in. Im not the only one doing this and we are all making at the very least 500 a week. My best week so far I made over 2K. Sounds to good to be true but this is not a scam. This has nothing to do with a pyramid!! My check gets directly deposited to my account by way of wire every two weeks. Or you can have it mailed to you. It's whatever you choose!! After my parents saw how easy it is they are now getting started!! It really is amazing..Thank me later..This was the easiest way I knew how to send this to all my friends wanting the info on how to do this....Good Luck and Love ya and Just follow the link [Link removed for your safety ]

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Users report that if you click the link, a virus will then blast out the message to all your Facebook contacts and likely load malware on your computer.

If you see this message, do not click on the link. If you've already clicked on the link, use our guide to find FREE tools to locate and remove any malicious software from your computer. We particularly recommend Malwarebytes and SUPERantispyware.

And remember, as a general guideline, anytime you hear about a money-making opportunity that sounds too good to be true...it probably is!

RIP-OFF ALERT: There's a new scam you need to know about that has been affecting businesses of all sizes. Special thanks to The Chicago Tribune for breaking this story.

Here's how it works: You get a legit-looking e-mail that's supposedly from the Better Business Bureau, complete with their exact logo. The e-mail says that there's been a recent complaint about your business. You're asked to click an embedded link to respond to the complaint.

When you click that link, criminals load a Trojan horse virus on your computer to gather passwords and bank account info.

In larger companies, the criminals may not able to access bank accounts, but they can often get other proprietary info that may be used for corporate espionage.

What can you do if you've already responded to this e-mail? The Chicago Tribune recommends that you delete the e-mail from your inbox and run a full virus scan -- or get your company's IT department to do it for you.

In other scam news, we've been getting calls on the show about a phone scam that often targets grandparents.

Here's how this one works: They receive a call from a supposed "relative" in need of money to get out of trouble. The caller may even rattle off the names of all living relatives to lend credibility to their scheme.

How do they get that info, you ask? By reading the obituaries and seeing who is listed as a surviving relative. If you get this call, do not respond to it. You'll have plenty of time to run it down with family later and find out if it's legit.

Clark has one last scam to warn you about today. This one plays off legit TV ads that are driving you to call a toll-free number. Within minutes of a new ad campaign airing, criminals will register every number that's one digit off in the hopes of snaring those who mis-dial. This scam typically just generates a charge on your phone bill.

But the message is clear. Be wary and be skeptical out there. Scams come in all shapes and sizes!

RIP-OFF ALERT: Spear phishing is the latest, hottest criminal effort to crack the computer systems of wealthy individuals and businesses, including large corporations. Some of you may recall that Clark talked about this rip-off briefly several years ago. Now it's gained new legs in the criminal world.

As longtime listeners know, Clark often advises people to go guerrilla to get satisfaction when you have an unresolved problem with a corporation. That often means going to the company's website and identifying "C list" executives who are three rungs below the top brass. Then, you call the company headquarters and ask for that individual by name. You'll usually be able to speak to them or someone on their team who can resolve your problem.

Well, spear phishers are essentially using the same technique. They'll find a third-tier executive and send a direct targeted e-mail to that person, which usually masquerades as an official bank communication.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports spear phishing is becoming more and more sophisticated all the time. In another variation, the criminals will use a subject line that's directly related to a new product or specific issue at that company and bam! -- the executive loads malicious software on the computer when they open the e-mail.

You must have security software proactively loaded on your computer. See our list of spyware protection options.

In addition, there's a low-tech way to assess the danger of a link you're thinking about clicking on in an e-mail or on a web page. Simply run your mouse over the link and look at the bottom of your web browser to see what it says. If you're about to click on a link that purports to be "ClarkHoward.com" yet it points over to "StealYourIdentity.com/ImGonnaGetcha," well, you better not do it!

Finally, as one listener suggested, you should also be wary of seeing an "@" sign anywhere in the URL. It could potentially be a dangerous re-direct. To avoid danger, try right-clicking on a URL in an e-mail or on a website and selecting "copy." You can then paste it into Notepad and vet it carefully for the "@" character without ever having to click on it.

RIP-OFF ALERT: A sophisticated identity theft ring responsible for $1.5 million in thefts has been cracked by federal prosecutors, according to The Los Angeles Times.

Some 53 alleged criminals posed as bank representatives via e-mail or over the phone to get otherwise savvy victims to divulge personal account information. The info was then used to empty out bank and brokerage accounts. A part of the $1.5 million stolen was routed overseas to Egypt, where another 47 un-indicted co-conspirators remain at large.

This is one of the unintended consequences of dealing with such large organizations today. We don't know who we're doing business with. So unless you're being contacted by an employee who you have longstanding personal experience with, don't divulge any sensitive information. Clark instead recommends calling your bank or brokerage house and asking them if they really requested any updated info on the account.

Keep in mind that banks are duty bound to restore your funds in the event of a breach. However, there is no similar law requiring the restoration of money for a brokerage or mutual fund account.

So if you have a meaningful amount of money in a brokerage house, check your account several times a week. Executive producer Christa and her husband avoided financial Armageddon this way when a hacker targeted their account.

RIP-OFF ALERT: The Orlando Sun's Etan Horowitz has written about a new Facebook scam you need to know about.

Here's how this one unfolds. The criminals look for someone who is popular on Facebook and then hack in to take over their account. Then they send private messages to friends stating that they're stranded overseas after having been robbed and need money to fly home.

People with big hearts who don't know any better may actually wire money overseas to the scamsters in a misguided effort to help a friend who is supposedly in need.

If you encounter a similar scam, you can report it to Facebook using their 419 scam form.

But Clark has a cold recommendation to help you stay safe. If somebody on a social networking site contacts you with this kind of plea, do not even consider sending them money until you have a voice conversation with them to verify.

And even if it is legit, should you give them money? Well, that's a personal choice. Clark's only advice is whenever someone ask you for a "loan," you should treat it in your own mind as a gift. If you get paid back, be shocked!

RIP-OFF ALERT: Have you gotten an e-mail that appears to be from the IRS and says you're owed a small refund or perhaps have some unclaimed stimulus money?

It's that time of year again when crooks come out of the woodwork pretending to be part of the IRS.

These e-mails are typically branded with the IRS logo and look legit. They sometimes originate 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" -- it could be set up by anybody. Some of these e-mails may even come from an address that ends in ".gov," signifying a government organization.

But know this: The IRS does not send e-mails to taxpayers or request detailed personal info through e-mail. For specific examples of fake IRS e-mail scams, please see IRS.gov.

The bogus e-mails explain that the money you're supposedly owed 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.

RIP-OFF ALERT: Scamsters have been getting very sophisticated in their phishing attempts following the numerous bank failures in our nation. Clark himself says he received a phishing attempt that looked very legitimate after the Wachovia collapse.

Here's one example of what's been going on: Within minutes of the original plan for Citibank to take over Wachovia, the scamsters were blasting out e-mails. Each message said that in order to access your Wachovia account, you'd have to fill out an online form that asked for all kinds of personal info. Unfortunately, many people fell for it because they were dumbfounded by the news of the day about Wachovia.

Meanwhile, The Los Angeles Times report that British researchers have found sophisticated phishing scams such as this one have a 90% success rate. That's really scary!

The takeaway here is that you should never reply to any supposedly legitimate e-mail from a financial institution asking for personal info. Nor should you ever click on a hyperlink in an e-mail that supposedly takes you to your bank or brokerage house's website. If you are in doubt, close out the e-mail in question; open a new browser window; and type the URL directly to verify the info contained in the e-mail.

Think you may have already given up sensitive info? Then immediately contact your financial institution and tell them you need to restrict access to your account.

RIP-OFF ALERT: There's a sophisticated ruse going on right now where criminals use the triple threat of e-mail, phone calls and text messages to trick you into yielding your account information.

This trio of messages will look and sound completely legitimate. They may prompt you to call a seemingly legit toll-free number and talk to an "investigator," or direct you to a website that looks real with logos from your bank, credit union or brokerage house.

The truly scary thing is that the criminals already have access to all your contact info. The Kansas City Star reports that the FBI and Secret Service are aware of this scam. So beware if you get hit with this trifecta of phishing (e-mail), vishing (voice mail) and smishing (text).

What should you do if you think you're on the receiving end? Don't divulge your PIN number or other sensitive information. Go to your real bank's website, look for the contact info and call them that way. Don't respond back to what you see in an e-mail, even if it looks legit.

Yes, Clark wants to make you paranoid.

Think you may have already fallen prey? Contact your bank and tell them to check into it before the suspected crime progresses any further.

RIP-OFF ALERT: The Federal Reserve sets the interest rates it controls at 2%. Prime rate for good borrowers is around 5%. Contrast that with the stories of desperate people who take out loans on the web with interest rates as high as 2,000%. Clark doesn't know anyone who gets up in the morning and actually wants to get ripped off with a loan at 2,000%!

The penny-pinching guru recalls the original Rocky movie, where the famed title character worked for the mob beating up people who couldn't pay their loans. But even the mob in that era didn't charge 2,000%. Yet today, with a click of the mouse, you can borrow yourself into oblivion.

According to a report in The Chicago Tribune, one surprising category of borrowers tends to fall prey to these outrageous online loans. That's people who earn about $35-65K/year. These folks will usually look for loans if they're short on money for the bills.

Clark believes online predatory lenders are sociopaths. They know the difference between right and wrong, yet they don't care about the harm they're causing to families. So put this in the back of your mind if you ever reach that point of desperation.

Business Week, meanwhile, reports that business owners are getting loans with interest rates of more than 50%. While that may not sound excessive by comparison, it's extremely high for business owners.

Retail and restaurants are often targeted for these kinds of loans. The modus operandi of the lenders is that they make an advance against future credit card receivables, which are then redirected to be deposited to them, not to the business owner. It's like mortgaging your future.

Remember Doug Flutie's famous 1984 Hail Mary pass? Well, these business loans are kind of like that. But even though that pass connected, it's not the kind of chance you want to take with the future of your business.

RIP-OFF ALERT: You've heard of phishing, right? That's where you get those scam e-mails purporting to be from your bank or other financial institution. Now there's a new phenomenon called "whaling." According to CNET.com, top corporate executives and business owners have been getting e-mails alerting them to a bogus U.S. District Court subpoena. When you click on the link in the e-mail, you're taken to what looks like a real subpoena. But it's not, and it loads a key-logger virus onto your computer. The key-logger captures all your account numbers and passwords, and it even alerts the criminals when you log on to your bank or brokerage account. The criminals then sign in, change your password and steal your money.

Phishing is targeted at the general public. But whaling only targets the big fish in corporate America or small business owners, hence the name. It's been estimated that 2,000 people have fallen prey so far to whaling. If you're among them, here's what you need to do: Run an anti-virus program on your computer to remove the key-logger. Clark has a couple of suggestions for spyware blockers that you might want to check out. Then change all your passwords at your bank or brokerage house.

Earlier this week, Clark told you about a security breach at Monster.com where hackers stole the names, addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses of 1.3 million people. There have been so many breaches over the years that we're almost numb to news about them. But now there's reason to believe that the Monster breach could affect more than just a million people. Nobody knows the exact number -- it's just larger than previously thought. So if you've ever posted your information on Monster.com, you need to be aware that criminals are calling people up and pretending to be potential employers or banks to get additional personal information. Once they get your additional info, they have all they need to take your identity or empty your bank account. You should only divulge sensitive information in person at a potential place of employment or a bank. The web is too anonymous and dangerous of a place to share your info via e-mail.

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!

Job seekers who entered their information in the Monster.com database may be at risk of identity theft following a massive security breach at the company. Identity thieves managed to steal the names, addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses of 1.3 million people. So beware if someone claiming to be an employer calls or e-mails asking to screen you as a potential employee. If they're an identity thief targeting you, they may ask you to divulge your social security number, mother's maiden name or place of birth. These are some of the remaining key pieces of info they'd need to steal your identity. If you think you've already been targeted or may be in the future, you're best option is to do a credit freeze. Consumersunion.org offers a comprehensive list of states that have credit freeze laws on the books. If you're already a victim, it's free to do a credit freeze. But you may have to pay some nuisance fees if you just want to do a freeze as a preventative measure. Right now 10 million people have their identity stolen each year. So why is there no national credit freeze law? The problem is that Congress is in cahoots with bank lobbyists who want to repel all freeze laws -- even those on the state level. We'll keep you posted...

Have you been receiving phony e-greeting cards in your inbox lately? If you open these, you might get spyware and others kinds of malware on your computer. Clark is really upset about this trend because e-greeting cards should be a pleasant thing. Unfortunately, something so innocent has been corrupted. The latest incarnation in this rip-off scheme works in the following way: Criminals send out bogus e-greeting cards and if you open it, you download a program that steals e-mail addresses from your contacts list. Once the criminals have those e-mail addresses, they send out another fake e-greeting that appears to be coming from you, staring the cycle all over again. The worst part is that when you opened the initial e-greeting, you probably also unknowingly downloaded a key logger program. This program tracks every key you type, including usernames and passwords for your bank, brokerage or mutual fund accounts. Under the law, you are protected if money is stolen from your bank account, but not from your brokerage or mutual fund account. Some brokers have issued their own policies that allow for customer protection. But the bottom line is that you must run anti-virus and anti-spyware software on your computer. Clark likes Spybot - Search and Destroy, a free program that will eliminate key loggers and other spyware on your system. Hopefully the legitimate e-greeting businesses will find a way to regulate their industry so people can again have faith in their products.

There is a phishing scam going on right now whereby crooks are using the name of the Better Business Bureau to take your money. The e-mail is usually sent to people who own small businesses and it contains a very convincing BBB logo. The e-mail says that a complaint has been filed against the business and instructs people to click on the logo to get more information. But, in doing so, people are loading a virus onto their computers. If you get one of these e-mails, delete it immediately and warn your friends about it.

A new scam alert from TechWeb.com warns about a new phishing scam involving phony telephone systems designed to steal your banking information. These criminals have somehow been able to duplicate your bank’s phone system exactly. It’s the first of its kind and apparently the message sounds identical to the one your bank would leave. So, if you get a message from someone claiming to be your bank and asking for account and PIN information, do not call back. They will leave a toll-free number for you to make it easier for you to call back. But it's not your bank's number. Check in the phone book and call your bank for real to let them know. In other tech news, Microsoft's Internet Explorer is the main gateway for the phishing e-mails out there. That’s why Clark uses Firefox as his browser. But Microsoft has released its latest version – No. 7 – and it supposedly has spam protection. Check it out at msn.com. Lycos is also offering a free security bar, which uses “anti-phishing” technology. Even better, Lycos is coming out with free inbound fax service. Instead of paying a fee to computer fax services, you’ll get the service for nothing. Keep your eyes open for these services.

IRS representatives have put out an even more urgent warning about the fake e-mails supposedly coming from its agency. In February, there were 12 phony e-mails circulating. Now, there are 64 e-mails circulating. So, it’s clearly working on some people. The e-mails claim the IRS needs information from you. After getting your social security number, your name and maybe even your credit card number, the criminals take over your account. Sometimes they take over your identity, which is much worse. The IRS would never send out an e-mail asking you to send your personal and financial information in an e-mail message. So what can you do if you’ve responded? First contact your credit card company and file a police report regarding the possible identity theft. Also, add fraud alerts on your credit report and, if possible, freeze your credit file. That way the criminal will not be able to create accounts under your name.

Have you gotten an e-mail about a problem with mailing your tax return? If so, trash it and warn your friends. The e-mail supposedly comes from the IRS, but the IRS does not communicate with people via e-mail. It’s a scam. Someone is trying to rip you off. Also, the IRS wants to remind people who didn’t file a return in 2003 may be owed money. Those people can now can file a tax return for 2003 up until April 17 and get back the money they’ve been owed.

Clark wants you to be aware of a dangerous, new phishing scam out there that purports to be from the National Credit Union Administration. It targets people who are members of credit unions and it looks very official. Not only are the graphics very real looking, but the link in the e-mail looks real too. You never want to update your information or your accounts through an e-mail. Always go to the Web site itself or call the organization.

Clark has gotten a steady increase in calls from people who think they’ve won the lottery. This hoax is so bad right now that The Dallas Morning News has a story about the “Unlucky Seven” worst scams out there, and lotteries are – without a doubt – No. 1. Spain, Germany and Holland are just three of the countries that supposedly have lotteries. An 86-year-old woman featured in the story ended up giving more than $88,000 to these crooks. She was told upfront she needed to cover “administrative costs.” Then, each time, it was something more. She never recovered her money, and the crooks were never caught. When you get these e-mails, you want to believe they are real. They certainly look it. But if they ask for money – even a little – to get you your money, it’s a scam. Throw the paperwork in the trash. The second biggest scam is home repairs. These people get upfront money and then do shoddy work or no work at all in some cases. Work-at-home scams are in position No. 3, and phony charities are No. 4. These scams often affect seniors more than others, but everyone is at risk. Fraudulent “living trusts” come in at No. 5. You need a living trust in only a few circumstances, so most of the people are just trying to sell you insurance products. No. 6 is e-mail phishing scams. And, No. 7 is probably the ugliest of the “Unlucky Seven.” It’s when you’ve already been scammed and a service offers to help you recover your money. The very same people who took your money the first time are the ones behind this, and you give them more trying to get it back.

Have you heard of “spear phishing?” it’s the newest, dangerous form of e-mail phishing. It’s more insidious than regular phishing because the person sending it knows exactly who you do business with and what kind of accounts you have. So the e-mails they send are very convincing and people open them without hesitation. They could come from a credit union, stockbroker or friend’s e-mail address. And once you open it, the crooks have access to your account numbers and passwords. If you open one of these e-mails and realize it’s not a legitimate communication, you need to assume that someone has installed what’s called a “Trojan Horse” on your computer. Until you’ve loaded a spyware program like “Spybot – Search and Destroy” or Norton, do not go to any of your financial accounts and log in. The program records your keystrokes and then the crooks sell this information to the highest bidder. Banks have another year to let your information out without protection, so practice extra caution with e-mails from now on.

You’ve probably gotten at least one phishing e-mail since they became the hot target of crooks. They claim to be from your bank or some other institution and tell you that you need to verify your account information. About 2 million people have gotten taken by phishing scams, and one of the first ones involved a fake eBay e-mail. The eBay e-mail claimed to be about PayPal and asked members to update their information because it had been comprised. Tons of people took the bait. One English man, David Levi, had a gang that started this scam. He stole tons of identities and now is going to prison for four years. The rest of the members of the gang were sentenced to two years. Identity theft is a huge problem in the U.S., much worse than in England. So, it’s good to see people paying for their crimes.

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.

If you have gotten an e-mail with Clark’s name as the sender, you need to pay attention. These e-mails are from an imposter who is trying to sabotage the site. If you receive an e-mail like this, DO NOT RESPOND! Delete the e-mail immediately and send us a note at chsite@clarkhoward.com. So far, we haven’t found any security breach at the site, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. Clark would never ask you to verify your information in such a way. For more information, check the front of the site. And to review an example of the kind of e-mail you might receive, click here.

Clark talked about a scam a few months ago that involved a message on your answering machine, supposedly left for someone else. You were supposed to believe they just misdialed. The message was about a hot stock tip, and people thought they’d lucked into something huge. People would then find a stockbroker and buy stock on that company. But the company being touted had no idea. It was simply a “pump and dump” scam. Criminals create hype about a stock, people buy in, and the criminals dump the stock suddenly, making a killing. Now, it’s happening on cell phones. You receive a text message that looks like it was meant for someone else. It’s a stock tip and people run out and buy in. One company’s stock went up 200 points over night because people thought they were going to score big profits. What you need to know is you should never trade on “inside information.” It’s potentially illegal and almost always wrong. Secondly, never buy into a stock you know nothing about. Criminals are smart. They move from technology to technology and you are a target.

Clark never opens an e-mail if he doesn’t recognize the sender. He misses some e-mails that way, but he’d much rather that happen than get a virus. And getting a virus is happening to a lot of people in the wake of the London terrorist bombings. The e-mail is entitled “Terror Hits London,” and people are opening it because it appears to have footage of the terrorist attacks. But what it really does is attack your system, which is called a “Trojan Horse” program. Clark is appalled that someone would use the tragic deaths of people to infect unsuspecting users’ computers. But it’s happening. And what you need to remember is to never open attachments from someone you don’t know. Even if you know the person, it may not be a good idea to open the e-mails. And, if you use Outlook as your e-mail client, there is a setting you can change so that the program does not automatically open attachments. That’s how some computers are getting infected. So, do what you can to prevent it.

BEWARE! There is an e-mail scam going around that claims to come from the FBI. Unless you normally receive e-mails from the FBI, you should delete any e-mail that appears to be from the FBI. The reason for this is that there is a nasty virus in the e-mail that will infect your computer. So, be warned!

Since Pope John Paul II died a few weeks ago, shady characters are trying to play on people’s sympathies. The scam that is most rampant is the e-mail offering a “free book” about the Pope and his life. There is an e-mail in the link that people are supposed to follow to get the book. But what you’re really doing when you click on the link is setting yourself up to be flooded with spam mail. It could compromise your computer and, worse yet, allow these people to gain access to your computer files. There is no free book, so don’t believe it. And don’t click on any e-mail subjects you don’t recognize. Many people know to automatically delete e-mail from people we don’t know. But these people are tricky. They know our weak points. So, if you’re in doubt, delete, delete, delete.

BEWARE! There is an e-mail scam going around that claims to come from the FBI. Unless you normally receive e-mails from the FBI, you should delete any e-mail that appears to be from the FBI. The reason for this is that there is a nasty virus in the e-mail that will infect your computer. So, be warned!

An alarming number of people have been taken by the phishing e-mails that supposedly come from eBay. People get the e-mails, which include very believable graphics, and they send back personal information to scam artists. It’s known as phishing. But to eBay’s credit, the service is trying to prevent its customers from getting taken. The auction site has started a new e-mail function where people can check for mail from the service. So, you will no longer receive e-mail from eBay in your mail Inbox. From now on, you simply go to the site and login to their system to read correspondence from them. So, if you ever get an e-mail with the eBay logo, you will know it’s a scam. Approximately 15 percent of people have been taken by phishing scams so far, according to Cnet. That is huge, and Clark commends eBay on doing something to stop it.

Clark hates getting spam, like most people do. He uses a free mail service that diverts spam mail into a “Bulk Mail” account, and it does a pretty good job. But about 10 percent of the mail coming into his regular Inbox is still spam. What if you were blind? Many blind people use vocal e-mail services that say the messages out loud. They hear all kinds of inappropriate messages, and they are starting to give up on e-mail. Clark is happy to report that the biggest players in the e-mail world are working together to stop spam at the source. Right now, we focus on stopping spam once they’ve already arrived in our Inbox. But we should be concentrating on preventing spam from arriving in the first place. In addition, the government has decided to stay out of a “Do Not Spam” list. Clark is glad to hear this. The “spamsters” are not going to abide by laws anyway, so establishing legislation would do nothing. Coordination in the industry is what we need. When it comes to the e-mail phishing scams in particular, Visa, the BBB and the federal government are all working together to stop this crime. During summer, our natural patterns are disrupted. For instance, we may go months without looking at our bank statements over the summer. If a criminal gets a hold of your account information through these phishing e-mails and 60 days go by without you reporting it, you lose the money forever. The bank does not have to give the money back. So, check those statements.

Criminals are usually pretty stupid. But sometimes criminals are so brilliant that they seem unstoppable and indestructible. One recent crime wave involves “phishing” e-mails, and unfortunately criminals are having tremendous success with it. What happens is these clever crooks send you an e-mail, pretending to be from your bank, credit card company, Internet service or auction site. They convince you that you need to verify your information by using very realistic graphics and phony but very believable Web sites. You think you’re verifying the information, but you’re really handing over your financial information criminals and they’re stealing your money. According to Gardener Inc., criminals have stolen between $2 and $3 billion over the past year. The average amount stolen is about $1,200. The e-mails you receive are so realistic that people don’t even realize or remember that they have responded. Yet about one in 30 are responding. Whenever you get one of these official looking e-mails, don’t bite. No organization would send you an e-mail like this. If you think your bank is contacting you, don’t click. Call your bank on the phone and ask someone. In many cases, if you get scammed, your bank will give you your money back. But in the meantime, you don’t have any money.

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.

Clark wants to warn you again about the “phishing” scams going on out there. These technically-adept crooks solicit you, pretending to be from a bank or government source. They say they need to update your records and they send you links to Web sites that look just like the real thing. AOL and other providers have put several warnings about these scams, but they are not working. The FBI says people are responding to these in huge numbers and they’re freely giving out their phone numbers, social security numbers and other financial information. These crimes account for half of all complaints coming into the FBI’s Internet Crime Center. About 12 million of these e-mails are going out every month, in fact. A miniscule number of people are responding to regular spam, yet one in 20 people are responding to phishing scams. It’s scary. Do not ever respond to any e-mail you receive from businesses claiming they need to update records or any of that business. They are cheating you.

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In other Internet news, Rutgers University has done a study about what people do to make them more susceptible to identity theft. The school has put together a quiz that tells you if you are at risk. You should take if you are concerned about ID theft – and even if you’re not. Link to the survey here.