Just in case you are not aware of the potential for scams, spams, phishing and other attempts to get you to part with your passwords, credit card details, logins and cash at this festive time of the year, we have two extra warnings concerning emails directed at Mac users, one of which may affect users of Mobile Me.

• Topher Kessler on CNET outlines a scam that purports to come from Apple Christmas Awards and dangles the idea that the recipient is A Winner, always sure to grasp the attention of some of us. However the email is not from Apple and the document attached (an attachment?) is a Microsoft Word document. [Some people have no imagination.] A free iPhone 4S is the lucky winner's prize.

• A phishing attempt that is aimed specifically at users of Mobile Me is outlined on MacNN where there is a template of the communication sent to those users who have been targeted. It warns users of the DGTFX virus in the MobileMe folders and threatens deactivation with the usual request to send in confirming details for the account with all the usual address, username and password information.

As a note on that second item, if you put "DGTFX virus" into a Google search window, there are multiple entries, most of which include the words, "phishing", "fake" or "scam." This was earlier used in similar phishing mails to Yahoo! email users.

Stay safe.