Google shows map of spamming IPs on LI, world

It may just turn out that the so-called Nigerian prince is your neighbor.

Google released the Postini Threat Identification Network, an interactive map that identifies "malicious IPs" in real-time and then tries to blocks them before they reach your network. Users can zoom in to the exact location of the offending IP, just as they do searching any other Google map.

An IP is a unique number assigned to every machine around the world connected to the Internet (sort of like what addresses are to homes and businesses).

According to the Google map, Hauppauge, Ronkonkoma and Westbury seem to be Long Island  spammer hotspots.

Before you dust off the old pitchfork and organize an angry mob, keep in mind that most of these spammers know how to hide their real IP addresses. So these could be part of their scam, too.

Click here for a tour of the world's alleged spam sources.