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Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2008 
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Reporting online crime
Your first warning should be that the "job" offer came via e-mail. I receive these messages all the time from people I don't know. Those messages are spam. Think about it. Who offers a complete stranger a job, particularly one involving large sums of cash? Maybe you have your résumé up on a job site, though. So you may have let your guard down slightly. Unfortunately, crooks have infiltrated job sites. Because of this, you need to be cautious. Be careful what you disclose to potential employers. And be sensible about the messages you receive. An out-of-the-blue job offer is questionable under any circumstance. Before I answer your question, let me explain how this scam works. Many people have fallen for it. So, it never hurts to explain it one more time. Criminals—probably working overseas—reel in victims with a great sounding e-mail. You work from home processing payments. Virtually no work is required, and you're paid handsomely. The criminals send you cashier's checks. People tend to trust cashier's checks. But as you note, they may look phony. That's because they are, well, phony. You're to deposit the checks into your personal account. You take a commission and forward the remainder to someone at another address. Everything is good, right? Of course it isn't good! Why else would I write this tip? Click here. Tough times? I have help Banks failing. Stocks falling. Families losing their homes. This year has brought us a litany of misery. This month, an abrupt surge of sad e-mail arrived in my computer. Let me tell you, many of my listeners are hurting. So, I thought about where I could help. One obvious answer was the Internet. There's a great deal of information on the Web. And I know how to find it. I know where to find free software, too. Last week, I put together Kim's Money Center. It has lots of links that can help you. And it's easy to find. Just click here. You can also reach it from my home page. Click on Kim's Money Center.  Every day, Team Komando produces some of the best content you'll find anywhere on the Internet. Here is a sampling of what's new on our site today! • Today Only: Take the office with you wherever you go! Enter my Giveaway of the Day Sweepstakes today for your chance to win Citrix GoToMyPC software. This prize, valued at $180, lets you access your office computer safely and securely from any Internet connection. It's easy! • Video of the Day: When I say "dancing horses," you probably think of cartoons. But think competition. This horse has some serious moves. • Cool Site of the Day: Perhaps you're looking to improve your gas mileage. You can try a number of things. Track your mileage on this site. • Digital Minute, on your radio: You can afford to visit loved ones this holiday season! You just need a little help finding travel bargains online. • Free Download of the Day: Staying in shape is important. But you should work out your mind as well. I've got a game that does just that. • Tip on the site: Most of us have a computer at home and one on the job. We need an easy way to synchronize our files. So, check this tip. Tomorrow's Tip, in your e-mail: Storing your data long-term. Kim :)  | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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I recently replied to an e-mail about working online. Last Friday, I got three $2,700 cashier's checks that looked phony. I was going to take them to the bank to see if it can help me. However, I received an e-mail from the employer today. The message had a threatening tone. To whom should I report this matter? I think it is a scam.
You're probably right, Robbie. I can say with 99.999 percent certainty that this is a scam. And the other .001 percent? Let me put it this way: You're being scammed out of money or you're being induced to commit a crime.
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Thanks for understanding that we need to prevent the nasties.