Here’s one more in a seemingly endless supply of IRS phishing scams. You get an email, supposedly from the Internal Revenue Service. It asks you to click on a link to an IRS site so you can fill out a form to get a tax refund. Of course it is a scam, designed to steal your personal information.

But watch out for unexpected twists and unusual variations. One such email had a link promising you a downloadable report on your employer. If you click on it, you will sure enough download something. But it will be malware, not a report.

Remember, the IRS does not send out emails advising people of tax refunds.

Meanwhile, in Quebec, Canada, the Government is warning people to avoid those online offers for foreign exchange trading. The emails, blogs, Web sites, etc. offer to teach you how to make big profits from trading. You can even sign up others under you and earn a commission, in an apparent pyramid scheme.

Foreign exchange trading is very risky. Big companies have lost millions, sometimes even billions, dabbling in this area. Since it appears to be a scheme, which are illegal in most places, you could be breaking the law if you sign up or sponsor someone else. Steer very clear of these schemes.

Syd Tash is a noted computer security consultant and author of How to Protect Your Computer Online. He has been keeping Internet surfers safe and secure since the last century. Find out how he does it; protect your own computer with five layers of protection right here:
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