Watch Out for Y2K Scams

No, there's nothing wrong with your computer yet. No chaos on the streets. When it comes to Y2K, the problem here already has to do with the scam artists trying to capitalize on it. For instance, I wound up on an email list offering membership in what is called the Citizens' Y2K Association. The dues, only 39.95. And if I refer ten or more other members, I can become president of my local chapter. The email came with a coupon to send to a suite in Chicago along with a check. The founding members are identified only as Walt and Tom. Washington based attorney Greg Cirillo, founder of the y2k.com web site, says panicky people and businesses are ripe to be ripped off by Y2K scam artists...

"If you own a small business that has computers you do want to know whether there's going to be a problem and if you can't figure it out yourself you should look to outside help. That opens the door to people who are not necessarily legitimate to come in and sell you services. It's just a buyer beware situation. There's no way to tell who is legitimate and who is not except for just doing your homework and checking references."

And there's a lot of information you can get for free. You can find links from the Y2K.com site.