When I was at the post office this morning (trying to beat the holiday rush) there was a show on the radio that caught my attention. The discussion was about new, more sophisticated internet holiday scams and I thought I would pass some of them along.

As women in technology, you may already be aware of these attempts to steal personal and credit information. If you know of any scams that I don’t mention, or have any stories from friends, please let me know and I’ll pass them along.

The scam that caught my ear was about receiving an email message that included fake information from UPS or Fed Ex about a delivery notification. The emails request your credit card information to get the particulars about the delivery. Of course, there’s no real item. Instead the information the customer provided is sold or used illegally. The tricky thing about this is that I have actually received legitimate notifications from Fed Ex in the past but was asked only about delivery information. Asking for credit card information is the tip-off that something is amiss.

Many of us are not getting more involved on the social networks for both personal and business reasons. Some cybercriminals are now sending authentic-looking new-friend requests. Accepting someone you don’t know may enable them to steal personal information. As an aside I recently read that insurance companies are researching potential clients on the social networks before granting certain types of insurance.

The radio show also mentioned a problem with holiday e-cards that I was sad to hear. People who care about and want to protect the environment would think that sending e-cards would reduce the need for paper. Scam artists prey on this good intention and steal your information when you click on the link. Before this, I would click on a link out of curiosity to see what was offered. I won’t do that anymore.

Since these are difficult economic times for so many, requests for charitable donations can tug at us. Unfortunately, fake websites are created to steal not only donations but the identities of the donors and their credit card information. Be sure of the organization before you donate.

I do almost all of my shopping online these days but now I’ll be more careful. Although I don’t use a public computer, I have, in the past, used open Wi-Fi networks which can make some personal information public. I will only use secure connections from now on.

Auction sites can also be places where scammers lurk trying to catch bargain-hunters. That old adage that, “if looks too good to be true, it probably is applies in this case as well. If you place an order for merchandise that is sold at a deep discount, you may never receive the item you purchased. The entire website could be a scam. In fact, some sites go so far as to use fraudulent Better Business Bureau logos to trick shoppers into buying.

Passwords can be easily stolen by using relatively cheap software. Those passwords can allow the cybercriminals to access bank and credit card information quickly. Consequently, use different passwords for different online accounts. The last time my computer consultant was in my office, he recommended changing my passwords. He told me that some people even store their passwords on their computers or on a notepad right by the computer.

McAfee Inc. offers these guidelines to prevent computer theft of important financial information:

• Never click on links in e-mails. Go directly to a company or charity's Web site by typing in the address or using a search engine.
• Use updated security software. Protect your computer from malware, spyware, viruses and other threats with updated security suites.
• Shop and bank on secure networks. Check bank accounts or shop online only on secure networks at home or work, wired or wireless. Wi-Fi networks should always be password-protected so hackers cannot gain access to them and spy on online activity. Also, remember to shop only on Web sites that begin with https://, instead of http://.
• Use different passwords. Never use the same password for several online accounts. Diversify passwords and use a complex combination of letters, numbers and symbols.
• Use common sense. If you are ever in doubt that an offer or product is legitimate, do not click on it. Cybercriminals are behind many of the seemingly "good" deals on the Web, so exercise caution when searching and buying.