Photo courtesy: amazon.com

There’s a new e-mail scam plaguing many inboxes across the country.

Many have filed complaints with the Better Business Bureau claiming that they have received a e-mail saying that their “Fat Loss Monitor” is in the mail. One problem: The person never ordered that item.

This e-mail unfortunately contains links to check the status of the order, but those links make the recipient susceptible to an array of viruses.

View a sample version of this e-mail.

The BBB offers these tips when confronting this e-mail, and similar shipping fraud e-mails:

• Do NOT click on any hyperlinks. You should, however, hover over the link to see where the link will take you once clicked. Amazon links should always start with http://www.amazon.com. If the destination is anything other than the company sending you the e-mail, do not click.
• If you do click on these links too late, do a full virus scan on your computer.
• Good rule of thumb: If you aren’t expecting an e-mail, use caution before clicking on links or replying. Report to the BBB anything that looks suspicious.
• If you find that you have given a potentially fraudulent company your credit card information, take steps to protect your finances. Contact your credit card company and take their advice on any steps you should take.
• Beware of e-mails full of typographical and grammatical mistakes.

The Better Business Bureau provides a long list of scams on its website: http://www.bbb.org/us/scams

Let’s take a walk down memory lane.

We’re back in school, and there’s a big test coming up. You don’t feel like studying, even though you know you should. After all, it’s a day on the calendar that seems like an eternity away.

Before you know it, you are cramming 2 or 3 days before the test, changing your diet from decent, balanced meals to a steady stream of chocolate, junk food and energy drinks.

At this point, you are limited. You only have so long to cram as much knowledge into your brain before the big day.

Unfortunately, if you are anything like me, you do your best but walk away feeling like you could have done better if you just prepared.

After reading a recent article (Where are key Va. races in 2011?), I was quickly overcome with that nervous feeling of not feeling ready for this year’s Virginia elections.

Here is the Cliff’s Notes version:

• A net gain of just two seats in the state Senate this year would put state policymaking in the hands of Republicans for the first time since 2001.
• Virginia Senate and House elections fall two years after gubernatorial elections, and voters typically already have their sights on the next presidential election.
• In just 20 days, Democratic Minority Leader Ward L. Armstrong raised more than $83,000.
• You can follow the money spent by each candidate by visiting The Virginia Public Access Project online.

Trust me. In school, all of my papers were written at the last minute and I shut the library down the night before the big test cramming.

But there’s always a time to turn over a new leaf and get the homework finished early. Read up on all of the candidates you are able to vote for and know where they stand on the issues. Find out who is contributing to their campaign and realize that the next few years can be changed by one vote.

In just six short weeks, we’ll go to the polls and select what we think are the right answers. Are you going to be prepared?