Courtesy of Florence Klein, Founder, SilverPlanet.com

CAUTION! Halloween spam and scams just keep coming like the undead in a zombie movie. With Halloween just around the corner, we all need to beware of holiday fraud attempts. Unlike classic horror movies that don't get changed, Halloween spam and scams are getting updated and rolled out for another viewing. This time of year spammers are ramping up with a wide variety of tricks to get at your money or personal information. Like a Halloween candy variety bag with lots to choose from, there will be a variety of scams for the holiday.

Halloween scams run the gamut. The Halloween spam being identified this holiday includes offers of:

• Jackpots and sweepstakes asking for either personal information, up front money to claim your prize or both
• Free gift cards or other personalized gifts; again looking for your money or personal financial information
• Halloween e-cards from a "special friend" or "secret admirer" ready to launch a computer virus or get information
• Online Halloween contests asking for entry money or account information after you reportedly win
• Free costumes or printed products
• Free decoration templates that can also come a poisoned search engine result

So does all this equate to giving up on the holiday? No. Being a senior, or any internet user, does not mean you have to give up the fun of Halloween. We just need to be safe. Remember the warning given to countless children by parents "Don't take candy from strangers."?

It is good advice for us today as we use the internet. Do not accept free online offers from emails, websites or the phone from anyone you do not know and trust. Always double check email and website addresses to be sure you know who you are dealing with. If you have any doubt, just delete the email or close the web browser and start again.

If you do like to celebrate Halloween, here are some tips to keep everyone safe and the day enjoyable.

For yourself:

• Do not let strangers into your home
• Do not give out candy alone; have a friend over and enjoy the evening together or go to a friends to give out candy
• Do not give out candy after dark
• Be on the look out for children in dark costumes darting out into the street

• Do not go into any strangers house
• Do not trick-or-treat alone or after dark
• Carry a flashlight and use it; dusk is the hardest time to be seen by drivers
• Be sure costume masks do not obstruct vision
• Check over all candy collected

Following these tips should keep you and your family safe this Halloween. If you do run into trouble, know where and how to get help. Any personal physical emergency requires a call to 911 or your local or state police department. If you need to report spam or run across a scam online, you should report it to the IC3 (Internet Crime Complaint Center) on their File a Complaint page.

Be safe,
Florence Klein