Registered YouTube users have been warned that spammers are using the site to sneak emails past spam filters. Antivirus vendor Sophos said last week that spammers were using the comments section of the YouTube  “Invite a friend” feature to send emails encouraging users to visit dating sites and offering a chance to win free copies of Halo 3.

However, as Sophos’ Graham Cluley says, “this is hardly the most compelling example of a spammer advertising his wares to an internet user”. YouTube has said it will shut down the account of anyone found to be using its site for spam, but as ever, the main part of the battle is encouraging people to engage their brains before clicking.

If something looks too good to be true, it probably is – whether it’s free games, free money from Bill Gates for forwarding an email, or a fee for letting some money “rest in your account” while the nice Nigerian man finishes his paperwork.

And if anyone, ever, sends you email that includes the words “send this to everyone in your address book” – which means it is ALWAYS A HOAX, PEOPLE – you are fully justified in hitting reply-to-all with a one-line debunk from the mighty Snopes.

(Image: from freezelight’s Flickr stream)