Lois,
Good column. Thanks.

It is interesting that you begin the story about fraud by indicating that the targets are recent recipients of the "economic stimulus package" payments.

Since the wealthy who pay a large share of the taxes in this country get nothing and large numbers of people who pay nothing get the maximum amount, the stimulus program is largely a scam just like the email scams you describe. Only this time it is the government doing the scamming instead of some jerk with a computer.

Steal from one guy to give it to another in order to stimulate the economy. How is that different than the phishing scams you describe?

Ripoff: Just consider it a down payment.

The government has been redistributing working-people's money to the superrich for 7 or 8 years now.

We intend to get paid back, with interest, really soon now.

I would agree that there probably have been some "superrich" who have been the recipient of "The government...redistributing working-people's money.." (as you put it) by means of lucrative government contracts, political favors, and by winning at the ballot box. But I believe that by far the majority of rich people got their money the old fashioned way...they earned it!

They worked hard, took risks by starting a business, didn't waste it, and saved a lot. They provide jobs, goods and services that everyone needs. And yes they pay way more than their fair share of taxes.

I know the political left likes to portray every rich person as a big fat cat who rides around in limos and lights their cigars with $100 bills while their poor employees live lives of squalor working long hours in a sweat shop but that is a big fat lie 99.99% of the time.