Here is a scam currently making the rounds on the Internet. It involves the Department of Energy (DOE), presumably in the U.S. People are receiving emails from the , saying they are entitled to a refund from the DOE of some $400. The Subject Line may say something like “User Notification”. If you are trying to reduce your energy use and respect the environment, you may be tempted to reply to the email, and claim your money.

To receive your cash, you are instructed to click a link in the email. Don’t do it. Your computer will be infected with malware. The ultimate purpose of this phishing scam seems to be to harvest confidential information from your computer, such as credit card numbers and passwords. And, of course, you will never get any money.

There really is a in the U.S. But they never collect money or issue refunds by email. Just delete the email. To learn more about phishing scams, go here and play the game with your kids.

Many scams work in a similar manner, so be on your guard, and think before you click.

This is my last post for 2007. Happy New Year Everyone!

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: = > http://MyPCSecuritySite.com

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