MakeEndsMeet.net

Spammers are sending e-mails offering swine flu remedies, including a nonexistent vaccine, consumers are being warned.

Others trying to capitalize on the flu outbreak are setting up Web sites to sell products, the Better Business Bureau of Dallas warns. Hundreds of Web sites with the term swine flu have been registered in recent days, according to F-Secure Corp., an online security company. One such site, swinefluvaccination.net, listed Chinese herbal remedies, medical face masks and infection control supplies among products for sale.

“Scammers read newspapers, watch TV and surf the Internet, and they know that by using a hook from the day’s top headlines that they’ll be able to catch lots of fish,” said Jeannette Kopko, spokeswoman for the BBB serving Dallas and Northeast Texas

To avoid being scammed, BBB is advising consumers to:

Avoid opening questionable e-mail or any attachments. Delete the e-mail or forward it to spam@uce.gov to report it to the Federal Trade Commission.

Don’t believe online offers for vaccinations. For more information on swine flu, go to www.cdc.gov/swineflu.

Make sure anti-virus and anti-spyware software is up to date and all operating system security patches have been installed. If your computer becomes infected as the result of a spam e-mail about swine flu, report it to the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.

Source: star-telegram.com