Last week I got two pieces of spam, apparently from myself.
I don’t know the technical details of how someone is able to steal my good name, and it concerns me that some friend might get a message from me that is actually a virus or part of some other nefarious scheme.
And I’m not alone.
Similar concerns were expressed last week by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Trade Commission, which warned the investment community and consumers about scammers and schemers who pretend to be what they are not.
With the SEC, the problem is phony e-mails supposedly from SEC agents. With the FTC, it is messages, e-mails and Internet ads — complete with photos of President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden — promising a piece of the economic stimulus package.
Don’t believe them, said Eileen Harrington, acting director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.
“Unfortunately, it’s taken scam artists no time at all to exploit the headlines about the president’s plan to stimulate their own fraudulent businesses and reel in unsuspecting consumers,” Harrington said last week.
Rather than helping you get a piece of the $787 billion stimulus pie as promised, a small upfront fee that is requested can be the down payment on a “negative option” agreement that may cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars if you don’t cancel.
She used one site, Jessica’s Money Blog, as an example.
“When you click on the link to get your free kit about government grants, you get to the second page, where President Obama, CNN, MSNBC and CBS news seemingly want you to know that you can get $25,000 in free grant money to pay off your debt,” she said.
All it costs is $1.88.
But “read the dense and lengthy terms and conditions” and you’ll find that if you don’t cancel within 14 days…