But with Internet, these scam artists are now using emails to trap unsuspecting people, especially those with email addresses and websites...

... People doing their businesses on Internet are more at danger of falling for these scams. These con artists do not target a single company or individual, but rather send out mass mailings, e-mails or faxes to as many people as possible.

Even Nigerians receive dozens of such emails on a daily basis... many still fall for tricks.

The goal of scammer is to delude target into thinking he or she is being included in a very lucrative, although questionable, arrangement.

************Some Characteristics of Scam************** . An urgent email from an alleged Nigerian government official offers to transfer millions of dollars in "over- invoiced contract funds" into victim's bank account. . The victim is asked to provide blank company letterhead, bank account information, and telephone and fax numbers. . The confidentiality of transactions is emphasized. . Numerous documents with official looking stamps, seals, and logos appear to suggest authenticity of proposal. . Up-front or advance fees are requested for various taxes, attorney fees, transaction fees, or bribes. . Travel to overseas locations is encouraged to complete transaction. . Imposters posing as real occupants or officials may use offices in legitimate government buildings in Nigeria to meet with potential victims. . A problem with transaction is staged, and victim is urged to provide a large sum of money to save venture.

It is easy to fall victim to this scam. Sometimes, it is impossible to tell a legitimate deal from an outright scam, especially if you do not seek outside help.

****************How to protect yourself***************** . Learn how to avoid bad deals by educating yourself and following some basic, common sense principles as outlined in ebooks like http://www.nigerianscambuster.com

. Always keep your private information private. Do not give your financial account numbers to strangers or companies with which you are not familiar. A scam artist can use this information to steal money from you just as easily as mugging you at gunpoint or in a darkened alley.

. Avoid being next victim - if you receive an offer in mail or via fax that sounds too good to be true - throw it away!

If you get an email offer - delete it ...

DO NOT RESPOND!

. Don't be of opinion that name 'Nigeria' must be mentioned before you are convinced it is a Nigerian Scam. These days, sophisticated ones no longer mention name- Nigeria. Also, other local criminals from other countries are now using same tactics to dupe their own people. . Learn all you can about scam so as to avoid falling for newer variations and twists of scams.

Better still, visit http://www.nigerianscambuster.com so that you will be entitled to bi-monthly newsletter which will keep you continually updated on latest moves and tricks of these Nigerian scammers in particular and other Internet related scams in general.

Remember, it is a wild wild west out there... scammers are having a field day at YOUR expense.

Don't let them!

Taking Ethnic Jewelry example from above, your link title would look like this:

Ethnic Jewelry Store: Here we sell evil eye jewelry and Turkish jewelry.

Myth 4 - Only link to sites with a high Google Page Rank

In my opinion, biggest “Catch-22” for webmasters is that many sites will not link to an Internet business unless it has a certain “Google Page Rank”. But at some point, every site has started out with a low page ranking. So how did they get a high ranking if no one would link to them in first place?

Instead of focusing on a page rank, many successful websites look instead at quality of Internet business. If it is evident that webmaster has taken time to create a quality site, then you can assured that a high ranking will eventually happen! By linking to a well designed website, you can be ensured that value of your link will increase as website gains a high ranking.

Myth 5: Put all links on one page in no particular order

When Internet first gained popularity, webmasters used links as a way to help their visitors. Initially, they placed links as way to complement content of website. As important of links increased, focus shifted from helping visitor to helping webmaster.

Instead of dumping your links onto a single page, you can help both your partners and visitors by creating a directory. Here, you place each link partner into a specific category. This will help visitors (and search engines) navigate your site with ease.

Myth 6: I should avoid all types of “automatic” link programs

Many Internet marketers recommend avoiding automatic link exchange software. They feel that using these programs will actually hurt your rankings rather then help. But, there are a lot of great link exchange websites that automate process of finding links hurting your search engine rankings.

For instance, http://www.linkmarket.net and http://www.gotop.com are two excellent sites that allow you to shop for link partners. When you find sites that are complementary, you add them to your “basket” and link exchange websites sends out an automatic email requesting link. These two sites allow you to save time, while avoiding “black hat” techniques that are prevalent among many automatic-linking services.

While exchanging links can be a time-consuming process, it is well worth effort. By taking time to properly link to complementary websites, you will find that your rankings in important keywords will improve.