Neowin.net

Retailers' love affair with mail-in rebates may be coming to an end. In response to customer complaints, Best Buy Co. Inc., the world's largest electronics retailer, promised Friday to eliminate mail-in rebates within two years. Best Buy's rivals, including Circuit City Stores and CompUSA, are expected to follow suit.

"Our customers are telling us they just hate the process," said Ron Boire, executive vice president and general merchandise manager at Best Buy. But it wasn't immediately clear Friday whether Best Buy would pass on the eliminated rebates in the form of lower prices, though several industry watchers said they expect the company to do so.

News source: startribune.com

"Computer users can stop phishers by not responding to an e-mail or pop-up that asks for personal information," said Lydia Parnes of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection. "Just delete it."

"Phishing is more than a dirty trick played on unsuspecting consumers - it's a serious identity theft problem," said Grant. "In little over a year it's become one of the top scams reported to our National Fraud Information Center and Internet Fraud Watch program."

"The Internet has revolutionized the way we communicate, transact business and educate ourselves," said Aaron Kornblum, Internet Safety Enforcement attorney at Microsoft. "We must work together to stop these con artists from misusing the Internet as a tool for fraud. Microsoft provides consumers with the information and technology that will help protect all of us from this pervasive and destructive threat, and has filed legal action today against some of these individuals."

Kornblum announced that Microsoft is filing 117 lawsuits against alleged phishers as part of its commitment to protecting consumers against phishing and other cybercrime. The company is filing the lawsuits today in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington in Seattle against John Doe defendants.

Through today's sweep of John Doe lawsuits, Microsoft's legal team hopes to establish connections between phishing scams worldwide and uncover the largest-volume operators.

Internet users should follow these simple steps to avoid phishing scams:

Be suspicious if someone contacts you unexpectedly and asks for your personal information. It's hard to tell whether something is legitimate by looking at an e-mail or a Web site, or talking to someone on the phone. But if you're contacted out of the blue and asked for your personal information, it's a warning sign that something is "phishy." Most legitimate companies and agencies don't operate that way.
Don't click on a link in an e-mail message that asks for your personal information. It may take you to a phony Web site that looks just like the Web site of the real company or government agency. Following the instructions, you enter your personal information on the Web site - and into the hands of identity thieves. To check whether the message is really from the company or agency, call it directly or go to the company's Web site. If you don't have the telephone number, get it from the phone book, the Internet or directory assistance. Use a search engine to find the official Web site.
If someone contacts you and says you've been a victim of fraud, verify the person's identity before you provide any personal information. Legitimate credit card issuers and other companies may contact you if there is an unusual pattern indicating that someone else might be using one of your accounts. But usually they only ask if you made particular transactions; they don't request your account number or other personal information. Law enforcement agencies might also contact you if you've been the victim of fraud. To be on the safe side, ask for the person's name, the name of the agency or company, the telephone number, and the address. Then get the main number (see tip above) and call to find out if the person is legitimate.