Richmond Times-Dispatch

Dear Propeller Head: I just received an e-mail from my bank saying I should fill out a form with my account information or risk losing my account. How can I tell if this e-mail is legitimate? Nervous

A: Without knowing more, I would say you are the target of a classic phishing scam, which is to say somebody has cast a lure and is hoping you will take the bait. Phishing where do these words come from anyway? Phishing, phat, phood, phlubber, phlick. OK, I might be making some of those up, but you get my beef.

Anyway, Rule 1 about e-mail is that any e-mail can be forged rather easily. You really have to consider the possibility that every e-mail you receive is a possible fraud especially e-mails that come out of nowhere.

So, when you receive an e-mail asking you to follow a link and fill in your credit-card number or other important information, don't.

Even if it is coming from your mother especially if it is coming from your mother! I'd say 99.99 percent of the time it is a fraud. When in doubt, assume it is a scam.

Indicators that there will be dire consequences unless you act immediately are sure-fire signs something is up.

The tone of the e-mail is also a key. If it is addressed to "valued customer" instead of you by name, chances are it is a fake. Either that or it is a sign that the company needs to boost its IT budget!

Casually hovering your mouse over the links in the e-mail will assist you. If the link you see says it goes one place, but the status bar says it goes another place, delete it.

Be especially careful of URLs that are very similar but not the same. For example, mybank.com and mybank-us.com are not the same place.

I'm not sure how useful this is considering the enormous quantity and variety of phishing scams, but some Web sites have tried to archive phishing campaigns.

So you might look at one of these Web sites and see if your e-mail is listed there: www.antiphishing.org and www.mailfrontier.com/threats.

If you are still unsure at this point, give the company a call and find out for certain. And please don't use the number in the e-mail. Either go to the Web site or look it up on your bills.

If you feel that you are too smart and couldn't possibly be duped by phishing, visit http://survey.mailfrontier.com/survey/quiztest.cgi and see how you fare.

Just imagine you received one of the e-mails they offer and you were a customer of the company that seemingly sent the e-mail. Even I got one wrong, so I imagine most of you could be caught, too.

Dear Propeller Head: The local coffee mega-chain is advertising wireless Internet access, but it sounds pricey. Any public places around town where I can find this service on the cheap? Penny Pincher

A: I can't believe this place wouldn't provide reasonably priced Internet access! What's next? Four dollars for a cup of coffee? What good is a $50 wireless card if you've gotta pay someone every time you want to use it in public?

Fortunately for tightwad techies like us, plenty of places in Richmond do offer wireless Internet access, or "wi-fi", for cheap. In fact, how does free sound?!

To satisfy every office worker's two addictions somewhere other than the office, World Cup Coffee on Robinson Street in the Fan is a great place to have a little coffee with your Internet.

Likewise, Panera Bread has five restaurants in the area that cater to high-tech cheapskates such as ourselves. Another good spot is the Baker's Crust in the Short Pump Town Center mall.

If you want to branch out from the cafes, the Apple Store and surrounding areas in that same mall also offer free wi-fi.

Even better, the entire outdoor commons area at Stony Point Fashion Park is one huge "hot spot", as wireless wonks call any public wi-fi network.

For visitors to Richmond, or anyone who likes to Google in splendor, the Jefferson Hotel boasts free wi-fi in its lobby and public-access areas.

Or you can log into eBay from the airport Wyndham and the Marriott west of Broad and Gaskins. The airport itself has free access, as does FANtastic Laundry in the Fan. (That's right: a laundromat with Internet access! Be still my propeller!)

The list is still growing Richmond recently moved from No. 78 to No. 43 on the "Most Unwired Cities" survey published by Intel. Check the web for a free hot spot close to you at: www.wififreespot.com, wifi411.com CQ -NT> or www.jiwire.com.

Last, remember that businesses offering free wi-fi still have to make money, so it's considered good form to actually patronize these places.

They'll be less likely to charge for wi-fi in the future if they don't have 10 wireless moochers for every wired coffee-swiller.

I look at it this way: The Internet access is free, but the coffee costs four bucks. I think that makes us even, don't you?

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