PSM - if its too good to be true.....

I received a little email from the Florida Division of Consumer Services and thought a little Public Service Message (PSM) was in order.

Not that I think that the bunch of you would fall for anything so obvious.

I am posting this for those who may stumble here by accident and are unbeleivably greedy desperate for money.

And, my Daddy always told me, "If it's too good to be true, it probably is." (but apparantly this stuff works, or you wouldn't be receiving those 27 million emails every day.)

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With the promise of getting a piece of the stimulus package pie, scammers will try to lure you into giving them personal information by promising to help you get a tax rebate.

Email, online pop-ups, snail mail or by telephone, they will ask for a little personal information pay a “small fee” (what is a small fee when you will be getting thousands?)

Or maybe, they will tell you because of the Stimulus Package, you are now eligible for a grant and they can help you as long as you just provide them with a little personal financial information or visit this website and fill out some form. (hey dude, you contacted me, how the hell did you know that I was eligible if you didn't already have that information?)

Most of theses websites and emails will have "testimonials" from people who swear that they were awarded $10,000 and they are normal people just like you and me. (who you calling normal?)

Kind of like those informercials that just by following the XYZ method, you too can make a gazillion dollars and only work 2.5 hours per week. (Can anyone say actor?)

So, beware of this new "Stimulus Package scam", as well as the "just won the UK lottery", "I am dying of cancer and have no heirs" (but picked you randomly from who knows where and since I get about 50 of these per day, I have one super lucky email address and am planning on vacationing on Tahiti for the next 20 years), or maybe the "I work for the Iraqi government and need help smuggling millions out of my country".

All either want your identity or to separate you and your hard earned dollars from your wallet.

My personal favorite and one I have been directly involved in (but not swindled by). The old, I want to buy an item from you, but I only have this one cashier's check/money order which happens to be quite a bit more than the item I'm buying. Could you just deposit it and then send me the difference? I'll let you keep a chunk just for doing me this this little "favor".

Then, 6 weeks later, you get a little notice from the bank that the check bounced and now you are out a bundle and your signed, Jimi Hendrix, concert poster is now long gone and living in Belize. (no offense to those living in Belize, I mean no disrespect - just sort of popped into my head)

And for those of you that think I am just a negative, doubting, killjoy?

I have this land.... I'm selling........In Florida..........Great Deal..........Really cheap............