Just when you thought you were safe, criminals are looking for new ways to get your secure bank account info. Many of you may have heard about the recent acquisition of Washington Mutual by Chase. I just happen to be a Washington Mutual customer, so this definitely concerns me personally.

Apparently, there are emails floating around cyberspace asking people to follow a link and enter their bank account login, so this fake Chase can “activate new security features for our new and old online banking customers.” Don’t do it! It will take you to a fake Chase site, giving eager criminals your secure bank account info and allowing them to steal your money or your identity.

C’mon now. Don’t be fooled by this scam better known as phishing - the sending of fake emails to obtain confidential information. Banks typically conduct this sort of thing via snail mail.

If you’re ever in doubt about any email asking for secure online logins, just call your bank representative and get the real scoop. Be safe!

Apparently, there’s a large ISP (Internet Service Provider) called Charter Communications that plans to partner with an ad company to track customers’ traffic on the internet. If the deal goes through, NebuAds will log all of the websites that Charter’s customers visit and eventually serve targeted ads.

Fortunately, two House members have asked Charter to put this deal on hold, as they question whether this “spying” complies with federal privacy laws.

Spooky, isn’t it? It’s creepy just thinking about this ad company knowing exactly what websites I’m visiting, and who knows what else they’ll find out about me? The internet is about the free exchange of information, but is this going too far? I wonder what my ISP is up to these days …