Dermot Harnett

A staple of the spammer's arsenal -- those come-ons for job offers -- is getting a makeover because of the recession as online identity thieves concoct clever new ways to sneak onto people's computers.

One tactic the bad guys are trying is a twist on an old standby: e-mails purporting to come from legitimate companies that say they're still hiring.

Yellow fliers on vehicles in a parking lot. It's not your typical phishing scam, but cybercriminals are getting more creative in a down economy.

The fliers sit atop windshields and claim the vehicle is in violation of parking regulations. The fake pamphlet points the vehicle's owner to a Web site to get more information and pictures about the offense.