FIGHT BACK : CHOCOLATE GETS CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH FROM UC BERKELEY.

Byline: David Horowitz

Chocolate lovers have some good news from the staff of the respected University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter about eating milk chocolate.

The good news, researchers report, is that chocolate does not cause acne. That's according to dermatologists who say diet has nothing to do with acne. (I wish I had known that when I was a pimply teen-ager). Milk chocolate has a very small amount of cholesterol, but it does not raise blood cholesterol. It is not addictive, and it does not cause tooth decay. This sounds too good to be true!

The report did say chocolate is high in calories and that white chocolate is not lower in calories or fat, as some chocolate lovers insist.

However, like other treats, if you eat chocolate in moderation, it still can be part of a healthy diet and is not addictive. Just don't tell the Easter Bunny - he's had many of us hooked on chocolate eggs since childhood.

Internet chain letters

I find the Internet to be a minefield of mean-spirited chain letters written by many nasty practical jokers and get-rich-quick scam artists who only do harm. One such recent cyberspace chain letter told of a Pittsburgh youngster who suffered from an incurable disease.

The letter urged Web users to write an e-mail message to the high school the sick boy attended. It promised that for every e-mail sent, 7 cents would be donated to the society, which raises funds to help combat the boy's disease. The whole idea proved to be nothing more than a scam and a cruel hoax.

Be prepared for similar letters that might pop into your e-mail box with different names, and other money-raising gimmicks.

Chain letters are illegal to send through the U.S. mail, but the Internet is still fair game for scam artists who operate in a relatively enforcement-free environment. You can't access 911 and get a cybercop to pop onto your screen and nail the con artists.

But when you are in doubt, check the story out. Ask for facts, names, addresses and phone numbers before you fall for fiction.

Nigerian con game

Speaking of scams, about $200 million has been lifted out of people's bank accounts worldwide, according to Interpol (an international crime-fighting organization), in an incredible con game run from Nigeria.

Letters are sent in poorly written English from an individual who claims to be a Nigerian government official wanting to transfer millions of dollars out of Nigeria as a trade-out for a share of the loot.

The con artists ask potential victims to send information about their bank accounts as well as several sheets of their business letterhead (that should be a tip-off to a rip-off).

The chiselers never tell you what your stationery will be used for. The victims later find out after their bank accounts are emptied that they were taken in a money-laundering scheme by professional thieves who have been running the scam for nearly 10 years. Now, some Web surfers have reported seeing similar cons on the Net.

Supermarket high-tech

Supermarkets are now on the cutting edge of technology to move shoppers in and out faster by making it easier for them to find bargains and avoid shopping till they drop. Merger-mania continues to reshape supermarket chains into mammoth corporations.

The new key to competition, according to one grocery exec, is to increase customer loyalty by saving shoppers time and money and offering customer service that beats the competition's.

One chain is allowing customers to scan their items as they place them in the cart and bag them at the same time, so all they'll have to do is pay the bill when they're ready to leave.

Electronic shelf labels synched up to the markets' central store computer keep prices current and unit prices up-to-date so a customer can compare the price per ounce, or whatever measure is used.

Shelf tags also can give nutritional information about a product with the press of a button. Other high-tech devices dispense recipes and then provide a list of the items needed to make them, along with the cost of the items and where to find them on the shelves.

Will the cost of using these high-tech methods be passed on to you in higher prices?