The scammers really, really wanted my eBay account number, but I was deleting their e-mails without clicking on their link. So they upped ante. Because I didn’t reply, supposed “eBay Fraud Mediation” people stepped in and got more and more testy as I didn’t supply them with my eBay account number.

I felt perfectly relaxed through all of this, not only because I got each notice in triplicate (one from each sucker list I’m on) but because I DON’T HAVE AN EBAY ACCOUNT! If I had one, I might have worried, and then done sensible thing: GONE TO THE OFFICIAL EBAY WEBSITE AND ASKED THEM IF THEY SENT IT. My husband did that once and got a form indicating (1) they get a zillion of these things, and (2) they don’t send e-mails like that. It was a scam, all right.

•Anti-scam rule 3: eBay and other legitimate organizations are NOT going to ask you to confirm your account information in an e-mail.

•Anti-scam rule 4: If you are not sure whether an e-mail is from a legitimate organization or is a scam, go to legitimate organization’s website (rather than clicking on a possibly infected e-mail link) and ask them if they sent it.

Coming next: most vicious scam of all.

“But what about all free anti-spyware?” you ask. If you go to http://www.apcug.net/Reports/Editorial/2004.htm, you’ll see under December 2004 an article “Beware of SCUMWARE Pretending to be Anti-Spyware” which tells one man’s experience. Sometimes what you get for nothing is nothing. Or worse than nothing.

When my computer ran slower and slower, some parts of my website disappeared, and question marks appeared all over my website homepage, I yelped for help. Should have yelped sooner, but better late than never. Asked my website manager what he uses. He uses Lavasoft’s PROFESSIONAL program of Ad-Aware and Ad-Watch. I bought it, and it found 17 pieces of spyware (Alexas and tracking cookies), plus a possible browser hijack attempt. (The techie said, “That’s nothing. They found 83 pieces of spyware on mine!” But then he’s a pro.) Ad-Aware removed all problems except question marks on my website home page, http://foodandfiction.com/Entrance.html. These are probably due to attempted hijack. I’m stuck with them. Fortunately they don’t show on any computer except mine.

If you want to lead a simple life, come here to http://lavasoft.com and download their PROFESSIONAL type of Ad-Aware and Ad-Watch.

If you prefer an in-depth investigation of anti-spyware, http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/article/0,aid,119572,00.asp can help you. They’ve tested most of anti-spyware out there, though I must say that Ad-Aware’s pro version was not tested, only pc version.

Just don’t wait until you’re in big trouble. Do something now!

IF YOU’VE BEEN HIJACKED

A good, basic article can be found by going to http://www.apcug.net/Reports/Editorial/2004.htm. Scroll down to September 2004 and download “Help! I’ve Been Hijacked . . .”

Another good article is, “How to Remove Adware and Spyware,” http://antivirus.about.com/od/securitytips/a/removespyware.htm.

You might also read “Invasion of Browser Snatchers” at http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,84464,tk,dn021402X,00.asp. The article will explain how to undo damage -- although some hijack damage can’t be removed that easily.

MORE INFORMATION

Here are more good sources of spyware information:

http://www.scumware.com/ - a website about nothing else but.

http://www2.spywareinfo.com/category/news/ has fascinating current Internet security news flashes, which you will enjoy if you like to feel that civilization as we know it is under constant threat.

Find the best recipe, food gift, and healthy dieting sites on Janette Blackwell’s Delightful Food Directory, http://delightfulfood.com/main.html -- or enjoy her country cooking at Food and Fiction, http://foodandfiction.com/Entrance.html