Scammers are always on the lookout for sociopolitical events they can craft into a phishing hook; we've seen the thieves try lures flavored with everything from holiday celebrations to information on international assassinations. The various security firms and organizations in the United States have been warning of an uptick in recession-themed spam for the past few months. Families feeling the pinch—particularly those where one or more providers is in their second to third month of unemployment—are more likely to take a chance on an ad that seems too good to be true, even if they logically know the chance of finding a golden ticket is slim indeed.

The financial damage these bogus claims could inflict on the population is significant enough that both the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Better Business Bureau (BBB) are taking action now. According to PC World, scammers are thus far focusing on fake pay-to-play websites that dupe the visitor into paying a small registration fee, promise to submit relief-seeking filings on their behalf, and then hammer the registrant for all manner of trumped-up costs and bogus charges. Ads for these fraudulent websites have appeared in Google's text link advertising—the company has pledged to watch for them—and have been spotted on social networking sites.

If it sounds too good to be true it probably is, especially if it involves an economic windfall headed your way in a time of crisis. Expect to see more of the bogus websites, ads, and e-mail in the future; don't forget the basic rules of e-mail security. Don't hand out bank account numbers for "verification" purposes, reveal your Social Security number, or accept assurances that yes, the person on the other end of the phone really is from the IRS.

It's a particularly good idea to warn friends and family who are either less computer-savvy or in more desperate financial straits than yourself—the entire point of scams like this is that they function best when matched with people who don't know how to make the rent or grocery bill.

Real information on government grants or the economic stimulus package should visit Grants.gov or Recovery.gov; the full text of the FTC's statement regarding these scam sites is available here. If you feel you've been the victim of a phishing scam, or were targeted by one, you may forward the e-mail or materials in question to phishing@irs.gov.