Virtually anyone with an email account eventually receives a message running one of oldest scams in book.

Often referred to as "Nigerian Letter," this scam involves getting a message from someone in a foreign country claiming to need a way to get 21.5 million dollars out of country (the first country used in this scam was Nigeria, hence scam's name).

He knows that you "are a trustworthy individual" and if you'll just send him your bank account information he will deposit money in your account and give you 15% of deposit.

Of course, after you give up your banking information scammer empties YOUR account.

Well a new scam has spawned to take advantage of one of web's most successful and widespread activities - online auctions.

The scammer sends you an email offering to purchase an item you're selling through an online auction or in classified section of your local paper.

They tell you a relative living in area will pick up goods, however, when check arrives, it's made out for more than agreed price (often thousands more).

The bidder asks you to refund difference and keep a percentage for your "trouble."

Of course check is forged and, if you refund difference, you can kiss your money goodbye.

Moral of story: free money is only free for person who steals it from you!

The FTC, along with state and federal officials, filed numerous criminal and civil law enforcement actions and froze corporate and personal assets of some defendants.

According to FTC, they went after a wide array of deceptive schemes and illegal scams including auction fraud, illegal sale of controlled substances, bogus business opportunities, deceptive money-making scams, illegal advance-fee credit card offers, and identity theft.

In other words, Uncle Sam gave notice that people can no longer treat Internet like Wild, Wild West!

I welcome this long overdue crackdown on Internet evildoers.

For years, honest business owners suffered because Internet scammers caused consumer fear and reluctance to conduct business online.

As government cleans up back alleys of Internet, consumer confidence will rise and sales will increase.

However, as with any crusade to bring about law and order, innocent businesses stand a real chance of getting caught in crossfire.

Let's face it, if you get named in a lawsuit by government - even if you're innocent -you'll still lose a lot of time, energy, emotion, and money defending yourself.