Computer Tip of the Day "07-24"

Here are a few things to watch for!
Friend Stranded in Foreign Country Scam Emails
You receive an email from a friend or colleague claiming that he or she is stranded in a foreign country and desperately needs your help to get home. The email originates from the friend's real email account and may even include the same email signature that your friend usually uses when emailing you. The emails can be a clever scheme by Internet criminals designed to trick people into sending them money. Be wary of any email that you receive that asks you to wire money, even if the message appears to come from a friend.
More information: http://www.hoax-slayer.com/stranded-scam.shtml
Enter your PIN In Reverse to Call Police?
This spam email claims that if criminals force you to withdraw money from an ATM, entering your PIN in reverse will automatically alert police. The technology that makes this possible exists, but banks have not implemented it. If you are ever forced to withdraw money from an ATM against your will, co-operate fully and let law-enforcement pursue the matter. There is little chance the reverse-PIN technology will be installed.
More information: http://www.hoax-slayer.com/reverse-pin-ATM.shtml
Web Sites Offer Bogus Swine Flu Products
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released another warning about bogus flu products that are targeting consumers via websites. The FDA has issued more than 50 warning letters to offending websites, and 66% of those have removed the offending claims or products. Examples include: a shampoo that claimed to protect against the swine flu virus, a dietary supplement that claimed to prevent infants and young children from contracting swine flu, a "new" supplement that claimed to cure swine flu infection in 4-8 hours, a spray that claimed to leave a layer of ionic silver on your hands that killed the virus, and several tests to detect the virus not approved by the FDA.
More information: http://www.newsinferno.com/archives/6935