Shortly after Alaska Governor Sarah Palin was named the U.S. Republican vice presidential candidate, her personal email was hacked. The hacker took some screen shots of a couple of messages, as well as some stored family photos, and posted them on the web. He then changed her password (to “popcorn”) and published it to an online bulletin board.

The emails didn’t reveal anything sensational about the governor, but the fact that the crime occurred was embarrassing. (Ironically, Palin’s running mate, Republican presidential candidate John McCain, had already come under attack for not knowing how to send an email.)

An FBI investigation soon tracked down the alleged hacker: David Kernell, a 20-year-old university student from Tennessee and son of Tennessee state representative Mike Kernell. David was charged with hacking into the governor’s Yahoo email address by guessing her password-recovery answers. He pleaded not guilty and was set free without bail. However, the judge forbade him to own his own computer or use the Internet for anything other than schoolwork and email.

The incident caught headlines around the world, but, unfortunately, it was just one of a host of election-related crimes being perpetrated in this presidential race.

One of the more egregious scams centers on voter registration. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) has been warning people about unsolicited phone calls and email from fraudsters claiming to be part of an election board or civic group asking for social security and credit card numbers to verify voters’ eligibility. The scammers are taking advantage of people’s interest in the election to illegally collect sensitive information. The BBB has cautioned the public to be on the lookout for such scams, saying that voter registration is only done by filling out a form in person.

Another way that online criminals are taking advantage of our interest in the election is by sending out emails directing recipients to campaign-related web sites or video. But once computer users click the fraudulent link, their computers are infected by a virus designed to steal sensitive information, such as passwords and credit card numbers. These election-based attacks are relatively new, so computer users should be diligent about keeping their anti-virus software up to date.

Because we tend to surf around the Internet, looking for information on the candidates, cybercriminals are also setting traps in the form of fake web sites, containing false information or phishing scams. Misspelling a candidate’s name or going to a .org or .net site rather than a .com can lead you to murky waters. Take, for instance, BarackObama.net. It presents itself as the Democratic presidential candidate’s official web site, although it’s a lot less slick than the real thing. It has information on the candidate, his family, his speeches and his voting record. The site doesn’t ask for money or personal information, but it is being used to spread inaccurate and unofficial information. (Cyber scammers who take advantage of mistyped or similar web addresses are called “typosquatters.” You can read more about their evil antics in this month’s story, “Cashing in on Typos.”)

So the message here is voter beware. With so many eyes focused on the U.S. presidential race, it’s no surprise that cybercriminals are plotting to steal some of our attention, and a whole lot more. Remember, don’t follow links in unsolicited emails, keep your anti-virus software up to date, and if you have any concerns about the safety of a web site, download McAfee® SiteAdvisor®. SiteAdvisor tells you where it is safe to surf, and, what’s more, it’s free.

You can download SiteAdvisor at http://www.siteadvisor.com/.