Internet Scams and Fraud AlertsMore details here on the latest scams and outright fraud you need to know about!Please NOTE these names may soon be removed (if I get threatened), but they will be added to my FREE SCAM REPORT where I roll up all the scams I've found. Sign up FREE here. Check the PlanBreview Scam blog too and please add YOUR comments. 3 Clicks to Cash - and Other TV InfomercialsWe see the best sales pitches on infomercials, don't we? Well, I think Jeff's "3 Clicks to Cash" system needs an independent review. So, I put it on the What's NEW Corner, along with other "candid" reviews. Is it a SCAM? Read this to see my opinion.
TINYURL Warning - What is a tinyurl?A tinyurl is a service to cloak links. Whenever I see a tinyurl, I cringe. If you have to hide a domain's real name or a long string attached to it, you are tricking someone, aren't you?Anyone can use a cloaking service or redirect to hide the link from visitors. When I have clicked through a tinyurl, in particular, I have found mostly scams. Sebastian Foss uses them, for instance. I realize that it doesn't matter what you sell, if you aren't up front with it, you have something to hide. Internet users should be, and are, getting more savvy. Most will avoid clicking on a link that is hidden. This issue has greater ramifications too. The affiliate marketing business is all about pre-selling and recommending something, and hoping for a commission from "hoplinks". In all fairness, tinyurl's and other cloaking services are also useful services for other reasons, as are redirects and such. It can make life easier for a webmaster in other ways. I still hate to see them in an email promotion. What is the Google Cash Machine?It is easy to find the answer in google results and you will find Sebastian Foss. See the RipoffReport.com results for independent opinion of him and several of his "systems" and his company e-trinity - and his money pits.Mr. Foss, from Germany, is the man behind the Google Cash Machine and people think they have been cheated. Selling dreams is his biz - he doesn't deliver. I'm having SWREG refund me now for 101Websites and RapidRiches. Okay, I still fall for a promise myself occasionally. Get your money back too. Conservative Cat - What is That?Another sad note - the Google SERP results for Sebastian Foss included ConservativeCat.com posts about his dirty tricks. It turns out this is a blog about SCAMS that has since been removed.I am highly suspect that somebody put ConservativeCat.com out of business because they published warnings about the scams they uncovered. Shame, shame! CashinontheDream.com - Catchy Domain Name - Target = "the churn"This is another one. The website is NEW, nobody owns it. While good looking and catchy, that should not be enough to go on. The only way to research more is to sign up. I won't. I hope you don't either. This REEKS of SCAM. Their target is everybody who wants the dream and probably hasn't been scammed yet, in other words, "the churn".Avoiding Internet Fraud and ScamsBEWAREThe Internet gives us new challenges to avoid the tricks and scams that will surely waste your money and time. There are probably as more fraudulent activities on the Internet as there are legitimate ones. It is a shame that we can't trust other people. As an Internet consumer and as an Internet marketer you have to be careful what you do online just like anywhere else. Partial list: The "famous" 419 Nigerian Scam is behind many of the phishing emails. I still get SEVERAL EVERY DAY! Lately I've won so many lotteries, that I should be rich - NOT! Please be careful. I even found a website dedicated to exposing the 419 Scam - check out 419 Eater - and read more about it below. Unfortunately there will continue to be more types of scams and fraud created. You have NO control over some of it because "hackers" and those with skills or access to steal secure information continue to find more clever scams. Fortunately our Internet providers, PC software manufacturers, and the government regulations continually improve systems and services to reduce your risk. Below is a list of helpful resources where you can read more and report incidents if you have been a victim. Read more to learn how to avoid this fraud by knowing "how they work". Purchasing with a Fraudulent Check or Money OrderMaybe obvious, but as you get your new Internet store started, you are more likely to fall victim. Imagine that you finished your product catalog and are working on the details needed to load your shipping rates accurately. Soon you will advertise and hope to begin making money. Then you get an email that someone wants to buy multiple items that would give you a good profit, but they need to send you a check or money order for some reason rather than using your secure transaction credit card processing. BEWARE!A few days later a check or money order comes in the mail for a huge sum, perhaps more than you expected. In good faith you obtain the merchandise, if necessary, and prepare to ship as soon as YOUR bank clears the deposit. You wait a week or two. Maybe you even ask your bank to verify the funds. They can't. They say they need to wait and see if the check is returned to them. Meanwhile, you see this deposit credited to your account. Your "customer" emails that he needs your merchandise quickly due to some promotion or whatever. It's been over two weeks and your bank account still shows the funds are available. You ship your goods. Another week goes by, maybe two. Your bank sends you a letter, via snail mail, that states they are charging your account for uncollected funds, plus a fee. You run over there and demand to know why it took them so long to determine that your customer's check was worthless. They can only tell you that they have no system in place to ensure that your funds are available. They have to wait until the check was sent to the originating bank - TWICE, and returned as "uncollectible funds". Ok, it's tempting to try to make your first big profit and fall victim. (I did.) That's why the International delivery carriers may "hold your delivery" until you verbally release the shipment to your customer. They may call you at home and warn you. Meanwhile, the carriers will charge you for returning your merchandise and the holding docks will charge you each day your shipment awaits return or delivery. Email "Phishing", like someone died and left YOU money?You open an email from an attorney (or barrister) that says you are the only name left on their list of relatives for some rich person who died without a will or close relatives. They want to send you lots of money so they can receive their costs for their services and give you YOUR INHERITANCE -that is rightfully yours(?). NO NO NO! This is "phishing" for your personal bank account information that can be used to withdraw from your accounts.Some emails can appear to come from your actual banks or PayPal accounts because those scammers have copied the logos, names, and formats of the real banks. NEVER reply to these emails. If you want, check with your real bank, via phone, or go directly to their website with your secure login and password and check for messages from them that you need to verify or confirm something. A bank will NEVER ask you to reply to their email with your personal information. I know that PayPal has a "Report Fraud" service where you send them suspected email that says it is from PayPal. They do check it out and email you back their findings. I have had several of these and I forward them to SPOOF@paypal.com. You should too. You Won a Big Prize and Must Send Your Personal InformationYes, this is another attempt at phishing. Though it IS possible that you could win a prize legitimately. Just be sure that you only provide your shipping address. If they want your credit card number for ANY reason, like to pay the shipping costs, it is NOT legitimate.There are also marketing campaigns that include winning prizes for your agreement to do or try something. It usually starts with a survey. BE CAREFUL. They aren't all fraud schemes. But they usually aren't FREE. They want the opportunity to "sell" you something high-priced. Or, they might try to get you to agree to many, many offers for other services or goods that will eventually cost you more than what your "prize" is worth. Once I shot the duckie in an ad to see what happened. I won a laptop. Not really. I just needed to accept several offers from a list of several more offers. Then I "almost won" but another page of offers was presented for me to select more. I had 2 new credit cards, two diet programs and a diet patch, bi-monthly book deliveries, and monthly wine deliveries before I just cancelled out. It took me months to remove all the goodies from my credit cards. (I did it for this "research".) MLM- Multi-Level Marketing SchemesMLM's are not always fraudulent, but they are schemes and can be scams. A hint of a scam can often be seen in the way they are presented. Does the email look legit to you? Read more about them in MLM's.Online Chain Letters are Still Chain LettersChain letters just got high-tech on the Internet. They are still chain letters. The "luck" might be passed around, but don't send any money (or your personal statistics)!Resources for Victims of Internet CrimesIf you have been victimized and it cost you a lot of money or credit charges, you should seek help. Here are the best resources.
www.ic3.gov More Resources on Internet Fraudwww.scambusters.orgwww.internetfraud.usdoj.gov www.fraud.org dmoz.org/Society/Issues/Fraud/Internet/ ALL ABOUT SCAMSEvery day I see more and more offers like "business in a box", or Turnkey Internet Business, and similar terms where you don't have to do anything yourself to set up your website.Do you THINK these are "too good to be true"? Any programmer could set up these really easily and market to catch all the desperate and hopeful people just looking to work for themselves. This group is called the "churn" and are the people who want to make money online and don't know where to start. Well, START HERE with FREE information about How to Research Internet Business Offers before you get scammed. I hope to STOP the MADNESS with this website, and teach those that want a real Internet Business what is involved. Basically, it is in the MARKETING! And it's not cheap, but you CAN sell just about anything online with the right marketing tactics. It's a whole NEW skill for many and there is a LOT of competition. There are also too many people online who just want to grab all the easy money by promising easy riches with little effort. Yeah, that is what they are doing. These are the SCAMS. Be sure to read about How to Research Internet Business Offers before you get scammed. Be careful out here..... Again - it is ALL about Marketing!Duh.... |
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