Scam artists live to take advantage and profit from other's misfortune or lack of information. In today's Internet world, there really is no excuse not to do some quick background checks before responding to an email or request that elicits an emotional response.

We have covered this type of tip in the past, but in light of this week's events along the Gulf Coast it warrants reviewing the rules.

Snopes.com [1] is a new site we are adding to the arsenal of fighting bogus email and scams, but it certainly isn't a new site. The site started in 1995. It isn't the easiest one in the world to navigate and has its fair share of pop-up ads and flashing banners, but if you can get through that clutter you will find a large repository of information dedicated to urban legends, scams, and bogus chain mail.

When you arrive at Snopes.com, I recommend starting with the search engine. Try searching for an email title or main topic of a suspect email. If that doesn't work, then use their directory system on the home page to look for the possible scam in the its appropriate category.

In our archives, you will find three tips relevant to this topic that discuss methods for spotting bogus email and include links to other scam and urban legend sites. Find those tips at:

• Beware of Fraudulent Email [2]

• Learn to stay safe with your email [3]

• Spot a Bogus Email [4]

Also, to help filter out the scams and spam before they even reach your Inbox (must be using Outlook Express or Outlook), strongly consider the Cloudmark Desktop [5]. You can read our review of its predecessor by clicking here. [6]

Before your mouse hits the "forward" button on an email asking you to send it to everyone in your address book, look up the information at Snopes.com or some of the other sites outlined in the three tips I provided in the above bulleted list. Remember that your intuition and instincts are usually correct, and if something smells like a fish and looks like a fish, it is probably a fish.