It is clear that web based deviants have capitalised on the current recession and real estate woes, especially in the US. Last year, the trade commission received nearly 250,000 complaints of fraud, in which potential victims were approached online. Fraudulent emails claiming to be a notice of underreported income from the US Internal Revenue Service are being used to spread a virus containing malicious software. For fear of their financial wellbeing and the possible severe repercussions of ignoring the aforementioned warnings, many people are opening these emails and falling victim to these scams.

But Microsoft and the FTC are hopeful this campaign will help. “Search-based public service announcements are powerful because they reach consumers at the teachable moment,” said David Veldeck, director of the FTC bureau of consumer protection. Some of the tips found on the warning sites include; being suspicious of generic email introductions such as ‘Dear Customer’ or urgent messages that demand immediate response. Clues to watch out for include misspellings, requests for personal or financial information, and links to online addresses that aren’t consistent with whom the emails claim to be from. The FTC also mentioned that they hope other search engines will follow Microsoft’s lead in protecting their users and online consumers.

If you ask me, it’s another very smart move by Microsoft to improve Bing’s share of the search market. Consistent with its consumer focused approach, this will not only get Bing some more publicity, but will definitely attract less savvy users who fear these scams, if they haven’t become victims already.

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