The Better Business Bureau has issued an alert to small businesses and consumers about a new phishing scam that uses the “BBB” name to convince recipients of its authenticity.

The email uses the name “BBB” and an email address of operations@bbb.org. The email cites a complaint case number and a hyperlink where recipients of the email are told to download documents relating to the complaint. This actually downloads an executable file that is believed to be a form of computer virus.

A firm in Kennesaw, GA had its computer system hacked and is generating thousands of these counterfeit messages purporting to be from the BBB.

All recipients are advised that any e-mail from the operations@bbb.org address is not coming from any BBB and should be considered counterfeit. The BBB strongly encourages recipients of any such message to delete the message immediately without clicking on the “DOCUMENTS FOR CASE” links.

The phishing e-mail return address of operations@bbb.org does not exist and is being “spoofed.” Spoofing occurs when an e-mail address is altered to appear as if the message originated from a legitimate source. This is a common practice for both spam e-mail and phishing operations.

Go to the Better Business Bureau website for an example of the scam email.

Better Business Bureau

It’s tax season and a new crop of scammers are “phishing” across the internet. Many scams involve the scammer posing as representatives of the IRS. These scams have a higher success rate than some others. Not everyone receiving a scam email will have a Paypal or Ebay account nor do they bank at a particular financial institution. But everyone pays taxes (with a few exceptions).

Last year’s tax scam is still going strong. The taxpayer receives an email alerting him to a tax refund he is owed and directed to a site where he is asked to input personal information. The scammer then has what he was phishing for.

This year taxpayers are receiving emails stating that the recipient has been selected for an “e-audit”. Again, the purpose of the email is identity theft. The IRS states it does not conduct audits online and has no such program.

The IRS wants taxpayers to know that the IRS does not use e-mail to initiate contact with taxpayers about issues related to their accounts.

These scams are for the sole purpose of collecting sensitive personal identification about the recipient and often ask for social security numbers and credit card numbers. If you receive an email that purports to be from the IRS or if you have any questions regarding contact from the IRS, call 1-800-829-1040 to confirm it.

We’ve all seen the ads that promise big income for little investment. The jobs that promise us more free time and greater control over our lives. Usually the ads or emails declare something along the line of “Work From Home Stuffing Envelopes!”. Sounds like easy money, and it can be - if you are the scammer who places the ad.

Envelope-stuffing scams are pretty basic. You pay a small fee to get started. What you receive, however, will be instructions on how to send the same envelope-stuffing ad out to others in bulk emailings. The only money you may earn comes from others who fall for the scheme. Congratulations, you’ve become a scammer too.

Let’s face it, unsolicited email offers are not likely to result in legitimate employment. Although there are real jobs you can do from home, envelope-stuffing is one of the oldest scams, dating back well before email when the ads were found in the back of tabloids and magazines. It’s tried and true and still entices enough people to make it worthwhile for the scammer.

Make your work at home the task of deleting these email schemes as soon as they hit your inbox.

The savvy internet user keeps abreast of the news when it comes to email and internet scams and schemes. Being wary and informed is the best way to avoid identity theft, fraud and financial loss. As consumers become aware of the old scams, the thieves concoct new ones. Often the emails purport to be from banks and government agencies.

These two scams reported on the FBI website stretch the imagination:

The first threatens the life of the recipient. The sender claims to be a hit-man who was hired to kill the email recipient but in exchange for several thousand dollars will call off the killing. The sender of the email threatens to carry out the killing immediately if the recipient goes to the police and demands a quick response and a telephone number to be provided. The FBI warns against responding to this email in any way or providing any personal information.

The second is a twist on the first but purports to come from the FBI in London. The email states that an individual was recently arrested for several murders in the US and the UK and that information was found on the suspect identifying the email recipient as the next name on his hit list. It further states that the email recipient should respond to help in their investigation. This email is a scam and does not originate with the FBI.

For more information on these email scams and how to report them, visit the FBI website.