1. Nigerian Letter Scam: This one's been around for many years but continues to flourish. Many of these e-mails claim to be from a person in Africa, usually Nigeria. The writer claims to have access to millions of dollars, either from a relative or from knowledge of an idle account. A percentage of this money is promised to victim if they will allow money to be processed through their personal bank account. The victim is instructed to keep their share and send remaining money to scammer.

The check given to victims is fraudulent. The victim is then liable to bank for check they wrote to scammer.

Here's what will happen when you give strangers your bank account information: They will take your money. Period.

2. Phishing Scams: "Phishing" is a high-tech scam that uses spam or pop- up messages to deceive you into disclosing your credit card numbers, bank account information, Social Security number, passwords, or other sensitive information.

Phishers send an e-mail or pop-up message that claims to be from a business or organization that you deal with--for example, your Internet service provider (ISP), bank, online payment service, or even a government agency. The message usually says that you need to "update" or "validate" your account information.

Recent phishing victims include Yahoo, Citibank, eBay, Best Buy and Bank of America among others.

If you get spam that is phishing for information, forward it to spam@uce.gov.

3. Chain Letters: In this classic scam, you're asked to send a small amount of money (usually $5.00) to each of several names on a list, and then forward letter including your name at top of list, via bulk e-mail. Many of these letters claim to be legal. They even include a section of U.S. Postal Code on illegal schemes. Don't be fooled. They are not legal. And if you participate, not only will you be breaking law, you'll lose your money as well.

4. Work-At-Home And Business Opportunity Scams: These scams tempt victims with ads stating "no experience necessary," promise high earnings and claim to have inside information. The scammers usually require victims to pay anywhere from $35 to several hundred dollars or more for information, kits or materials that do not provide promised results.

Frequently, these schemes involve making handicrafts, stuffing envelopes, medical billing, or state, "Use your home PC to make money fast in your spare time!"

In craft making or envelope stuffing scam, after paying fees and completing assembly of products, victims are told their work is low quality and unworthy of compensation.

Medical billing scams require victims to purchase supplies and lists of doctors who, inevitably don't exist or are not interested in service.

5. Bulk E-mail Scams: These solicitations offer to sell you bulk e-mail addresses (spam software) or services to send spam on your behalf. Example: "Reach 100 million websites, $39.95"! The software is usually of poor quality. It's spam and a scam. Don't do it.

6. Auction and retail scams: These schemes typically offer high-value items, such as Cartier watches, Beanie Babies and computers, in hopes of attracting many consumers. What happens is victim wins bid, sends money and receives nothing or receives products of much lower quality than advertised.

Do you think they could let me send and receive important business letters? Nooooo! Mention SFI, or have a link to an Affiliate Gateway in your signature block, and suddenly, you are considered a garbage eating dog spammer! Some things just aren't meant to be easy, but there are a few things we can do to work around these problems.

Spam Filters

I'm not going to get into this subject too much, except to say, they are some of finest and most frustrating tools on Internet. Any time someone sends an unsolicited commercial message, it should be blocked by filter. Spam filters assign points to different aspects of a message. Too many points, and a message is filtered out. Where problems arise is when filter fails to distinguish between legitimate commercial messages and those that are unsolicited.

There a couple of things that can be done to help insure that important messages are delivered.

1. Don't use affiliate gateway links in your signature block. Your message will be delivered. However, in bound filter will assign points if a reply has that link in it. The reply stands a good chance of being blocked by filter.

2. Avoid using all capital letters in Subject Line of your message. The spam filters will assign several points to your message for this. If too many points are accumulated, it goes in trash.

Recognize a Scam

I'm sure most of you are familiar with Nigerian Scam, or one of many variants. Some rich oil executive or a bastard prince has just died a tragic death. If you would be so kind as to sign a legal document stating He is your long lost cousin, and that You are his only surviving relative, You will be paid 20% of money safely stashed away in a foreign vault. Blah! Blah! Blah!

This scam has been around for years. However, many may not know that Nigerian scam is actually an effort to collect your personal information for purpose of stealing your identity!