You’re probably aware that the Census Bureau is gearing up for the 2010 census, and you can bet there are people with bad intentions that will try to use the census as an opportunity to steal your personal information. I’ve already read reports that the scammers are getting started.

People contact us all the time about e-mail scams and fraud schemes. Sometimes fraudulent e-mails are even sent by someone posing as a government agency, so be careful and if you’re ever in doubt, check it out.

In March 2010 the Census Bureau will mail or deliver census forms to every household in the United States. It’s important that you know the difference between the official forms, and forms or e-mails that might be a scam.

Here are some highlights of the Census 2010 schedule:

• February – March 2010: Census questionnaires are mailed or delivered to households.
• April – July 2010: Census takers visit households that did not return a questionnaire by mail.

So keep yourself informed, and stay one step ahead of the scammers!

Do you want to learn how to protect your computer from viruses and other threats, but don't know where to look? October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month, and it might be a good time to take a look at some of the tips and facts offered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT).

Apparently hackers have been busy. According to US-CERT, if you're connecting a new computer to the Internet, nowadays it can take only minutes for a hacker to exploit the security on some networks. See the Tech Tip for how to protect your new computer before connecting it to the Internet.

Some tips to keep your computer secure:

• Maintain up-to-date antivirus software. 
• Download software programs and updates directly from the vendor's website.
• Don't follow unsolicited links or open unsolicited e-mail messages (pdf).
• Use caution when visiting websites you don't trust. Ditto for downloading and installing programs.
• Protect your privacy and avoid social engineering and phishing attacks (when an attacker contacts you under false pretenses and tries to trick you into providing your private information).
• Sign up for cyber security alerts and cyber security tips.

And if the security of your computer has been compromised, see how to recover from a Trojan horse or virus (pdf), report a phishing site, or notify federal law enforcement if you're a victim of Internet fraud.

For more information on common online threats, protecting your privacy and maintaining your security, and reporting Internet fraud and Internet-related crime, visit USA.gov's FAQ and the Federal Citizen Information Center's publications.

Last week I got a rather panicky call from a friend of mine.

"I think I just got scammed on Craigslist," she said. "How can I report it?"

I asked her to give me some more details so I could tell her the best place to report.

Here's the gist of the story.

My friend and her roommate are moving at the end of next month so they have been searching Craigslist for apartment listings. They'd responded to several ads and found one apartment that sounded extremely promising -- good location, reasonable price, utilities included. When they contacted the poster, he sent them back an application form to fill out.

One part of the form required them to supply their credit score. That sounded a little odd. When I moved, my landlord ran the credit check himself, but I figured maybe this guy wanted a ballpark figure and then he would run it himself too. My friend went to Annualcreditreport.com to find her report.

Both girls filled out their forms and were getting ready to turn them in when they noticed something in the email said it was mandatory that they use a Web site he provided to find their credit score because supposedly the guy had been scammed too many times by other sites. They both thought that was very strange.

Turns out the whole thing was a giant phishing scam. The link for his "safe" site looks like the apartment complex's real site, but instead it steals personal information, like names and social security numbers. Thank goodness my friend and her roommate hadn't noticed that link until later or that guy would have gotten all of their personal information.

I directed my friend to scam resources on the Federal Citizen Information Center Web site and told her to check out the links for the Internet Crime Complaint Center and the Federal Trade Commission. USA.gov also provides information on Internet fraud.

Do you know of any other resources for reporting online scams?

Have you ever opened your e-mail inbox to find a message from a wealthy foreigner who offers you a huge payment to help him move money out of his country? All you need to do is provide your U.S. bank account number.

Or maybe you’ve been nominated for the “Oprah Millionaire Contest Show” and all you need to do to is send money for your airfare and tickets to the show.

Perhaps you’re personally eligible for some money from the Economic Stimulus package and all you need to do is provide bank account information so that the money can be deposited directly into your account.

Sometimes these types of scam emails come from e-mail addresses you should be able to trust: fbi.gov, irs.gov, even usa.gov.

Does all this sound too good to be true? It is!

The sad truth is that many, many unsuspecting people fall for these scams every day, and they pay dearly for their mistakes. They lose thousands of dollars, have their identity stolen and worse. But because these scams really work, people will continue to prey on the unsuspecting.

What can you do? Be alert and use your head – if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

If you’re not sure if an email is legitimate or not, do some checking. A quick internet search can usually give you a pretty good idea. The Federal Citizen Information Center also lists fraud schemes and scams. If you don’t see it on the list, find yourself an alternate, trusted way to reach the alleged source of the email and find out if the offer is for real. You can report e-mail scams to the Federal Trade Commission. Your complaints help them detect patterns of wrong-doing, and lead to investigations and prosecutions.

My mom admits to being paranoid about ATMs, online banking, and shopping on the internet, so she won’t use them.  She says she feels safer doing things the old-fashioned way.  Mom may be paranoid about these "new technologies," but when it comes to dealing with people she is very open and trusting. That is why I worry that someone will take advantage of her.  I don’t want to scare her, but there is a whole bunch of other stuff out there to be paranoid about!

Lately, there are more stories in the news about the elderly being scammed out of part, or all, of their savings.  According to the FBI, the elderly are often seen as good targets because they often have a savings or a "nest egg", they usually own their homes, and often have good credit.  All of these things are appealing to a con-man looking for a mark.  Many elderly grew up in an era where being polite and trusting were the norms.  Con-men look to exploit these characteristics in people.  Con-men also may target the elderly because they feel they can physically bully and intimidate them more easily.

The FBI also reports that some elderly victims are less likely to report a fraud because they are too ashamed at having been scammed.  Some may not realize that they have been scammed.  In some instances elderly victims may not report the incident because they do not want to be seen as unable to take care of their financial affairs.  Often when the elderly do report crime, they have trouble remembering the details of what happened.  Con-men count on the fact that elderly victims may not be able to provide detailed information to investigators.

We all have loved ones that are elderly and we will all be elderly one day, so it is important to educate our loved ones and ourselves about scams being perpetrated on the elderly.  Perhaps something you read in the resources below will prevent you or your loved ones from being scammed.

• Affinity Fraud
• Fighting Fraud 101: Tips for Older Investors
• Living Trust Offers – How to Make Sure They’re Trustworthy
• Identity Theft And Your Social Security Number
• FCIC Scams and Frauds
• Fraud: Recognize It. Report It. Stop It.
• Who’s Calling?  Can You Recognize a Phone Scam?
• FTC’s List of Telemarketing Scams
• Home Equity Loans- Borrowers Beware
• How to Avoid Internet Investment Scams
• Fraud Target: Senior Citizens
• Home Improvement Scam Alerts
• USA.gov search results on scams committed on the elderly
• Consumer Protection for Seniors on USA.gov

Have you or a loved one experienced elder fraud?  Does anyone have any good tips to tell my mom to protect her from scams?