Spam, Scams, Viruses. Sometimes the painted picture can seem like one big landmine. But it only takes a few seconds to think before you click to spot the scams. Here are some of the more common ones out there that seem to catch too many people out.

You have a virus!
There are many variations of this malware/scam. In almost every case, it will come in the form of a popup that informs you that you are infected with a virus. The popup then offers a link to click on or visit to get a free scan of your computer. Downloading this free software actually infects you with a virus that you then will need to pay to get rid of.

Most free malware removal tools such as Adaware and Spybot can detect and remove these nasties for you, but the trick is avoiding the click in the first place. A lot of these popups emulate Nortons or Symantec antivirus detections very well, but usually have a surrounding frame on it or if you right click inside the window, it will have web page options (such as view source, view image, etc). To avoid getting tricked, be familiar with your virus scanning software. The fake windows will never look exactly like your anti-virus program and your official anti-virus will never ask you to visit a website to remove a virus.

Account Suspension / Details Changed emails
I'm sure most of you by now have recieved at least one email from a website that you have never heard of telling you that your account has been suspended or your details have been changed. These emails attempt to get you to click a link and log in to a "fake" website that they hope you are a member of, so that they can steal your username and password. This is popular for banking or auctions websites.

The easy way to avoid these is to never follow links in emails. In fact, most websites will state on their login screen "we will never send you an email that contains a link asking you to log in". If you are ever uncertain, close the email and typein the address to the websiteinto the browser yourself. You can trust what you type, but you can't trust a link that has been placed in an email.

You've won a free (insert popular gadget here) emails / banners / popups
The phrase "if it's too good to be true, it probably is" is a good fit here. These scams usually offer free Xboxes, Playstations, iPods and so forth. All they ask for is your credit card details so they can cover the measily $4.95 shipping fee. Of course, if you follow through, you will soon find your credit card maxed to the limit. It is the same scam as the Nigerian email scams asking you to pay the transaction fee in exchange for 10% of 50 million dollars.

Remember, think before you click.
If you are ever uncertain about an email attachemnt, a popup or similar, ask your IT consultant.