Craigslist has been in the news a lot lately after an Oregon man came home to find almost all his possessions gone. Someone had made a Craigslist post stating the man had to leave town on short notice and was giving away all of his belongings, including a horse! Predictably, there was a feeding frenzy at the house. The man got on the scene and told those who had come that the Craigslist post was a hoax, but they just showed him the printout and acted like they had a right to take his belonging. Police have since discovered the post was made to cover up a burglary that had taken place just days earlier at the residence. While the Internet offers so much good, there's also a certain amount of anarchy in cyberspace. Several days ago, Clark was talking about JuicyCampus.com as an example of the downside to the Internet. In other news, there's a new lawsuit against Verizon, AT&T and Sprint for engaging in illegal gambling. TV viewers were paying fees to send text messages to shows that were essentially running non-government sanctioned lotteries.

For years, Clark has been warning parents about the dangers their children face when using MySpace and Facebook. Recently both of the social networking sites stepped up to the plate with procedures and initiatives to safeguard minor users. Just as parents across the country breathed a collective sigh of relief, a disturbing study done by the University of New Hampshire was published in the Journal of Pediatrics. The study found that kids are in greater danger from predators in chat rooms and via IM than on the social networking sites.

As a parent, you need to monitor what your child is doing online. The rule in Clark's house has been that his teenager was not allowed to have a computer in her room until she turned 16. Meanwhile, his 8-year-old is only allowed to surf websites that are on a favorites list that he and his wife set up for her. Be sure to control your child's buddy list when it comes to IMs. You have to know and approve of every person on there to keep your child safe.

Clark wants to warn you about a new e-mail scam making the rounds. Criminals have been gaining access to e-mail contact lists and sweeping out all the addresses. They then send out a very distressed note in your name to every contact on your list. The e-mail will claim that you're in financial, legal or medical trouble and that you desperately need money right away. The criminals hope that even one or two of your closest friends will respond with an offer of funds. Public e-mail services such as Yahoo! have been hit by this scam, according to The New York Times. Sometimes the criminals will even change your password while they're in your account. At that point, it can be very difficult to reclaim your e-mail address. So if you get a suspicious e-mail from a relative or friend, call them first and find out what's going on before you give them your money. On a related note, there's now a $5 security key that really helps secure your PayPal account. The key generates a random code every 30 seconds that you must use to access your account. Even if a thief has your e-mail address and password, they still won't be able to get in without the code. These kinds of security keys have become so inexpensive yet so invaluable. Clark hopes that brokerage houses and banks will soon be offering these devices to customers.

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.

Modern technology brings with it modern crime. Clark loves Craigslist because it offers free local online classifieds across the country. But the website is also beloved by criminals who have made a cottage industry out of selling stolen goods online. The Washington Post reports that very expensive stolen bikes are now showing up for sale on Craigslist. These bikes originally cost their rightful owners thousands of dollars. But because they're not registered with tags or plates, they make a great target for thieves to steal and resell in the anonymity of cyberspace. It's getting to the point where bike theft, which used to be a crime of opportunity, is now like organized crime. Thieves are setting up rings to steal these expensive toys. So people are fighting back on websites where you post pictures and an exact description of your stolen bike. Even better, some owners equip their two-wheel rides with GPS technology so their bikes can be tracked if they're stolen. It's like having LoJack for your bike.

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.

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.

The No. 1 complaint received by the Internet Fraud Center these days is online auction fraud. More specifically, it’s eBay. Two-thirds of all complaints involving Internet crime are somehow connected to eBay. People are getting ripped off as buyers and sellers, as eBay sits back and banks the cash. Clark thinks eBay has some responsibility as the transactor. Christa disagrees. Both of them Clark would like to see eBay start a bonding program to help ensure the products and the transactions. But for now they don’t. So be careful!

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.

Have you heard of crime ware? It’s the term law enforcement has come up with for programs that spy on you and steal your passwords for all kinds of accounts. According to the LA Times, this kind of crime is exploding. It works like this: you open an e-mail or Web site and type in your login and password. These programs capture the key strokes and send them to the crooks. They’re also known as key logging programs. And people have been able to steal tens of thousands of dollars. It’s a new version of "phishing" because you don’t even know it’s happened. The folks at ING Direct have come up with a way to prevent this exact type of crime. Instead of having you punch or type in your code, the site displays a keypad on the screen that people touch with their fingers. Most of other banks aren’t concerned at all. But banks are responsible if a customer’s information if compromised. Bank of America is being sued for allowing criminals to hack into people’s computers and get these numbers. If you’re doing online banking and your bank is not installing better technology, it’s time to move on to a new company.

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.

As you may know, there are fake universities operating around the U.S. that will issue you a phony degree if you send them enough money. A bachelor’s degree may cost you $200 or $300, while a doctoral degree costs up to $1,000. According to NBC, Pennsylvania’s Attorney General wanted to see how far he could take the hoax. So, he sent in his cat’s resume. That’s right, his cat Colby apparently earned a master’s degree in Business Administration from Trinity Southern University. The school is supposedly in the Dallas suburb of Plano. Along with the diploma, Colby got a transcript of all the classes he supposedly took to receive his 3.8 GPA. You might find this funny. But if you’re an employer, it can be very damaging. People are “buying” degrees – even doctoral degrees – and passing them off as real because employers don’t check as intently as they should. Reference checking is more important than ever because it’s so easy to buy your education without doing any work.

When Clark checks his e-mail these days, the spam box outnumbers legitimate mail about four to one. And in his regular mail, there are things that shouldn’t have made it through because they are actually spam. At the same time, real e-mails are sent to the spam box and Clark never reads them. Spam has become such a huge issue because it accounts for about two-thirds of the mail people receive. The “pre-text” spam e-mails and “phishing” scams look so real that people open them unknowingly. They end up giving personal information and passwords because these spam/scam artists are so sophisticated. Furthermore, the big e-mail operators have failed to communicate with each other and develop good systems to block spam. But there are attempts underway to combat this problem. One that just got underway by the federal government is called “Operation Slam Spam.” Now, the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) is making its own effort. The DMA thinks these e-mail scam artists will severely damage their ability to market legitimately to the American people, so they are going after them. You’ll soon see people on trial for taking money out of checking accounts through phony e-mails and for lying to the public. You’ll never eliminate this problem entirely though. So, the major e-mail companies need to come up with ways to curtail this. And, as consumers, you must be sure never to respond to these e-mails. No matter how legitimate they look, no bank, auction site or credit card company would ask you to send personal or financial information over e-mails. Call the company directly if you have questions.

Some street vendors are selling fake I-Pod headphones because having one of these hip gadgets is considered the coolest of cool. In fact, I-Pods are such a hot commodity that owners are having their I-Pods stolen even as they listen. The thieves don’t want your money or your car; just the I-Pod. I-Pods allow people to walk around with the equivalent of 60 CDs in a gadget that is smaller than a deck of cards. Clark has a Trio 600, which can also carry tons of music along with other functions. He doesn’t use it as often as some, but he enjoys it. Trios and Blackberry devices have become targets of espionage among some criminals because they carry a lot of personal information. So, software experts are working on how to wipe out this information so it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. Watch your gadgets!

An old, but evil scam is back bigger than ever, according to a report in the St. Petersburg Times. It targets people on the Internet who use a dial-up connection. DSL and cable subscribers are not affected. What happens is you’re surfing at home, and a pop-up appears. You try to click out of it, but you don’t quite hit the “X.” And when you’re not at home or on the computer, or when you’re asleep, a dialer program takes over your telephone line and makes calls to places you’ve never heard of. Your phone has been hijacked. Unfortunately, the phone industry has taken the position that you are responsible for the charges. That is ridiculous. There is a lot of gray matter when it comes to resolving these issues. The industry knows all about it, but many companies claim they don’t know anything about it. Verizon is at least notifying customers that it is going on. But, the only solution is to get “international call block” on your phone if you have no need to make international calls. Even if you need to make international calls, Clark has ways other than dialing “011” first on his site. Click here for more. You can also block pop-ups from appearing on your screen in the first place. On Clark’s site, we have information listed about this. Or Clark is fond of the toolbar.google.com.