How To Avoid Getting Scammed

Written by Dean Phillips


Listed below are some ofrepparttar most popular and common scams:

1. Nigerian Letter Scam: This one's been around for many years but continues to flourish. Many of these e-mails claim to be from a person in Africa, usually Nigeria. The writer claims to have access to millions of dollars, either from a relative or from knowledge of an idle account. A percentage of this money is promised torepparttar 127534 victim if they will allowrepparttar 127535 money to be processed through their personal bank account. The victim is instructed to keep their share and sendrepparttar 127536 remaining money torepparttar 127537 scammer.

The check given torepparttar 127538 victims is fraudulent. The victim is then liable torepparttar 127539 bank forrepparttar 127540 check they wrote torepparttar 127541 scammer.

Here's what will happen when you give strangers your bank account information: They will take your money. Period.

2. Phishing Scams: "Phishing" is a high-tech scam that uses spam or pop- up messages to deceive you into disclosing your credit card numbers, bank account information, Social Security number, passwords, or other sensitive information.

Phishers send an e-mail or pop-up message that claims to be from a business or organization that you deal with--for example, your Internet service provider (ISP), bank, online payment service, or even a government agency. The message usually says that you need to "update" or "validate" your account information.

Recent phishing victims include Yahoo, Citibank, eBay, Best Buy and Bank of America among others.

If you get spam that is phishing for information, forward it to spam@uce.gov.

3. Chain Letters: In this classic scam, you're asked to send a small amount of money (usually $5.00) to each of several names on a list, and then forwardrepparttar 127542 letter including your name atrepparttar 127543 top ofrepparttar 127544 list, via bulk e-mail. Many of these letters claim to be legal. They even include a section ofrepparttar 127545 U.S. Postal Code on illegal schemes. Don't be fooled. They are not legal. And if you participate, not only will you be breakingrepparttar 127546 law, you'll lose your money as well.

4. Work-At-Home And Business Opportunity Scams: These scams tempt victims with ads stating "no experience necessary," promise high earnings and claim to have inside information. The scammers usually require victims to pay anywhere from $35 to several hundred dollars or more for information, kits or materials that do not providerepparttar 127547 promised results.

Frequently, these schemes involve making handicrafts, stuffing envelopes, medical billing, or state, "Use your home PC to make money fast in your spare time!"

Inrepparttar 127548 craft making or envelope stuffing scam, after paying fees and completingrepparttar 127549 assembly ofrepparttar 127550 products, victims are told their work is low quality and unworthy of compensation.

Medical billing scams require victims to purchase supplies and lists of doctors who, inevitably don't exist or are not interested inrepparttar 127551 service.

5. Bulk E-mail Scams: These solicitations offer to sell you bulk e-mail addresses (spam software) or services to send spam on your behalf. Example: "Reach 100 million websites, $39.95"! The software is usually of poor quality. It's spam and a scam. Don't do it.

6. Auction and retail scams: These schemes typically offer high-value items, such as Cartier watches, Beanie Babies and computers, in hopes of attracting many consumers. What happens isrepparttar 127552 victim winsrepparttar 127553 bid, sendsrepparttar 127554 money and receives nothing or receives products of much lower quality than advertised.

7. Guaranteed Loans or Credit Scams: This scam comes in a variety of flavors: home equity loans that don't require equity in your home, personal loans regardless of credit history, etc. After you payrepparttar 127555 application fees, you receive a letter saying that your loan request was denied. Usually, you never here from these companies again.

Spammers, Scammers, and the Filters That Protect Us

Written by Robert Thompson


It never ceases to amaze me,repparttar things that show up in my mail box. As an AOL member, I have use of some ofrepparttar 127533 finest spam filtering technology inrepparttar 127534 world, but I still get at least three ofrepparttar 127535 following, each week: The Nigerian Scam, Unsolicited Hot Stock Tips, New Mexico Oil Strike Announcement, and Sexually Explicit Come ON's.

Do you think they could let me send and receive important business letters? Nooooo! Mention SFI, or have a link to an Affiliate Gateway in your signature block, and suddenly, you are considered a garbage eating dog spammer! Some things just aren't meant to be easy, but there are a few things we can do to work around these problems.

Spam Filters

I'm not going to get into this subject too much, except to say, they are some ofrepparttar 127536 finest and most frustrating tools onrepparttar 127537 Internet. Any time someone sends an unsolicited commercial message, it should be blocked byrepparttar 127538 filter. Spam filters assign points to different aspects of a message. Too many points, and a message is filtered out. Where problems arise is whenrepparttar 127539 filter fails to distinguish between legitimate commercial messages and those that are unsolicited.

There a couple of things that can be done to help insure that important messages are delivered.

1. Don't use affiliate gateway links in your signature block. Your message will be delivered. However,repparttar 127540 in bound filter will assign points if a reply has that link in it. The reply stands a good chance of being blocked byrepparttar 127541 filter.

2. Avoid using all capital letters inrepparttar 127542 Subject Line of your message. The spam filters will assign several points to your message for this. If too many points are accumulated, it goes inrepparttar 127543 trash.

Recognize a Scam

I'm sure most of you are familiar withrepparttar 127544 Nigerian Scam, or one ofrepparttar 127545 many variants. Some rich oil executive or a bastard prince has just died a tragic death. If you would be so kind as to sign a legal document stating He is your long lost cousin, and that You are his only surviving relative, You will be paid 20% ofrepparttar 127546 money safely stashed away in a foreign vault. Blah! Blah! Blah!

This scam has been around for years. However, many may not know thatrepparttar 127547 Nigerian scam is actually an effort to collect your personal information forrepparttar 127548 purpose of stealing your identity!

Once these cyber crooks have a person's personal information, i.e., Name, SSAN, DOB, Bank account info, they will systematically clean your clock! Not only will they empty any money from your bank account, they will also apply for and obtain bank loans, credit cards, and checking accounts in your name.

Cont'd on page 2 ==>
 
ImproveHomeLife.com © 2005
Terms of Use