When you live in a big city, you learn pretty quickly if there are certain neighborhoods that are infamous for its crime. If you don't want your car stolen, if you don't want to be mugged, if you don't want to unnecessarily risk your life, you avoid going there.

Same thing goes for going into unfamiliar neighborhoods on the Internet, and happily, McAfee Inc., the antivirus software, has released a report that alerts the public where the safe web sites are, and where the not-so safe web sites are. These not-so safe web sites are the ones that are loaded with malware, where suddenly after a visit you have pop-up ads all over the place, or the site will steal your email address in order to use it to send spam.

Just when you finished setting up the final Viagra and ED related keyword filters on your inbox, the scamming spammers have found a new ruse to part fools with their money. The new scam claims to offer a discount of 70 cents on each gallon of gas and originate for now anyway, from an individual representing himself as "Gas Saver." According to McAfee, a security and anti-virus company, in terms of volume gas related spam is still relatively low, but it has the potential to skyrocket over the summer in tandem with gas prices.

Next time you sit down with a friend or relative, do your part; remind them that they shouldn't purchase medication, gas or lottery winnings from an email. It seems to have been said again and again but just like the MPAA and the RIAA run their public service announcements before movies; maybe we need to have an announcement before sending money from your bank to another account. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is, especially when it comes to reduced gas prices.

I truly wonder how many times local news stations and papers need to run the story of an individual scammed out of their life savings due to an email that touted a too-good-to-be-true scheme. At the very least, it seems these email-armed con men are on the ball when it comes to identifying consumer needs, or perceived needs anyway. I hear later this year they are coming out with a reprinted version of Dante's Inferno which has been updated to include a new circle of hell specifically for spammers. Until then, be sure to check out how to get gas for $2.99 a gallon for the next three years legitimately.

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