Swine Flu: Internet Scams and Computer Viruses Abound

It didn't take long, did it? Already, unscrupulous vendors are hawking products to "cure" or "prevent" swine flu. Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission issued an alert warning about such scams. And that's not all - some swine flu emails actually carry viruses that can infect your computer or steal your personal data. The Washington Post blogs on the problem here.

This is a story worth pursuing if people in your community are receiving spam emails or if flyers are posted, particularly in Spanish-speaking neighborhoods. It's also a good opportunity to remind people about prevention methods such as washing hands and the approved medications that can actually treat swine flu (Tamiflu and Relenza). The FDA has tips for consumers here. Consumers can report fraudulent emails or other pitches to the FDA for investigation here.