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Right now I just got some weird ass ims sent to me. First, there was this im sent by an account called "Defenseshieldbot"

"Dear AIM customer, it has come to the attention that your account may be infiltrated by malicious software from an external source designed to disrupt local server ports in your area. AIM Customer Service has been notified that account name (screen name) is causing several interruptions in the AIM local network connection in Fresh Meadows, NY. In order to fix this problem, AIM must verify that you are, indeed, the legitimate user of this account. Your password is needed to confirm your identity and can be sent via this bot. Failure to comply with the following procedure aforementioned may result in a deletion of your account in the next several days. AIM will then proceed to notify you when the problem has been fixed via the alternate e-mail address you provided when you first registered your screen name. We apologize for any inconvenience we may have caused you.
9:30 PM
Warning. You have five minutes before account deletion."


AOL never asks for your password right? It obviously looks fake but has anyone seen it before?

Then I got these other ims saying stuff like "Oh I found your sn on this website" and they knew where I lived. Another sn had my name in the screenname as well which kind of freaked me out.  Has this happened to other people as well? Does this mean I'm going to have to delete my sn and make a new one?

Can websites get your personal information if you browse through them (not as in filling in information, I mean just from browsing)? 
I also download torrents a lot so could it be possible that some sites I get torrents from take my information?

As if we needed another reason not to use anything associated with AOL. Their software is spyware, plain and simple. 

If they were putting spyware on your computer they could potentially take stuff off your computer.

Oh I also forgot to mention I'm on a Macbook so does that make any significant difference? I know macs are less suspectible to viruses and what not but that's only because so little people used them; now it's getting more popular so being on a mac is still going to lead to viruses right? I'm just wondering if my OS has anything to do with it.

i get them alot on my yahoo..not so much on aim...i just report and block...its been a very long time since i've gotten one....

Eventually they will. I wish my gmail spam would. 

But seriously, one of the first things that should be done is what tdawnaz said. Allow only buddies (if you MUST use AIM, that is) or contacts or whatever they are called in the IM that you use.

I dont ever have any problems with msn messenger so far