About The World

PITTSBURGH (CBS) ― Lately people have been worried about H1N1 flu and when scam artists see that worry, they also see an opportunity to get your cash.

One of the latest scams is centered around H1N1, but there are also other ways scam artists are targeting the public, CBS station KDKA-TV reports.

KDKA's David Highfield has compiled the four of the top scams going around.

Scam 1: H1N1 Flu Product Scams

The Food & Drug Administration recently sent out warning letters to the makers of 140 products who they said were making bogus claims.

The list included things like Swine Flu Gone, a spray that claimed to use ionic silver to kill the virus on surfaces. As well as shampoo that was said to protect you from swine flu and a photon machine that supposedly prevents the symptoms.

Dr. Bruce Dixon, of the Allegheny County Health Department, took a look at some of the products on the list.

"It might be good to shampoo your hair once and while so it doesn't get dirty, but you don't get H1N1 from your hair," said Dr. Dixon.

The FDA also discovered that fake versions of the drug Tamiflu, a treatment for H1N1, were being sold online.

Officials said one sample was actually made of talcum powder and Tylenol.


Scam 2: Puppy Scam

Swissvale resident Linda Bechtold went searching online to buy her husband, who is a disabled veteran, a Yorkshire Terrier.

"My husband is a hundred percent disabled veteran. He can't get around or do too much," said Bechtold.

She thought she found a breeder who put her in touch with a supposed pastor who had gone to Africa for mission work and couldn't keep his dogs.

The pastor didn't want any money for the dogs, but he did ask a favor.

"The only thing he asked us in return is that his family could not send money to him," said Bechtold. "There was no way he would be able to get money because of their government."

So, he asked the Bechtolds to cash two money orders, which added up to $5,000, and then wire him the money.

"He had a password he told us to use and everything," he said.

But two days after cashing them, the bank notified the Bechtolds that the money orders were stolen. No dogs were ever shipped to them.

"We were scammed," she says. "It's a big scam and we lost $5,000. And now, something I thought was gonna be helpful turned out to be very hurtful."


Scam 3: Fake IRS Email

"Taxpayers may receive an email that looks like it's coming from an IRS site, and in that email it teases you or tempts you with information about an additional refund," says Andy Hromoko, an IRS special agent.

The emails look legit with the IRS logo, but the trouble comes in if you click on an attachment or follow a link.

"It's releasing what's called a Trojan horse," says Hromoko, "and it's actually infecting itself in your computer."

It could allow thieves to steal personal information from your computer, and possibly use it to clean out your bank accounts.

"The bottom line is - the IRS never ever sends you an unsolicited email asking you for any personal identifying information - ever," Hromoko added.


Scam 4: Sony Ericsson Free Laptop Scam

Ellen Roberts, of Zelienople, avoided falling for this hoax.

She got an e-mail, a promotion, telling her all she had to do was send it on to eight other people to get a free Ericsson laptop. It even reads, "I checked it on Snopes. It is legit.

"I'm normally not suspicious; I'm normally very gullible," says Roberts. "I believe everything, but this was even something I was leery of."

Officials with Sony Ericsson say that they have no promotion like it. In fact, Ericsson doesn't even make laptops.

"I could use a nice new laptop, but yeah, it did sound too good to be true," she says.

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