The Internet makes it easier to accomplish many things - banking, research, travel, and shopping are all at our virtual fingertips. And just as the Internet makes it easier for legitmate pursuits, it also makes it easier for scammers, con artists, and other online miscreants to carry out their virtual crimes - impacting our real life finances, security, and peace of mind.

Phishing is a scam in which the attacker sends an email purporting to be from a valid financial or eCommerce provider. The email often uses fear tactics in an effort to entice the intended victim into visiting a fraudulent website.

Attackers are increasingly using greeting card scams to foist trojans on the unsuspecting. Fortunately, there are some tell-tale signs and tips to follow that can help you avoid becoming a victim.

The Nigerian 419 scammer claims to be the relative of some high-profile deceased/arrested political figure. The scam claims this relative has horded millions of dollars in cash and are now seeking someone to help transfer the money in exchange for a hefty percentage of the profits.

The hitman emails often include personal information - one such email even included the recipient's daughter's full name in an attempt to legitimize the correspondence.

Ever received one of those emails that pretends to be TO someone else, passing on some hot stock tip they've learned? Referred to as 'pump and dump' scams, the intent of the email is to get lots of people to take advantage of this unexpected windfall of information and buy the stock.

Scams, in general, are the new malware delivery method. Social engineering is the norm. Falsifying a link is the hallmark of phishing scams, seeded downloader Trojans, and other web-based malware. To understand how trivially easy it is for a malicious person to falsify a link, see: "Ferreting out a Fake".