|
INTERNET |
Scammers want your money. To get it, they'll try to
scare you into divulging account information, trick you
into opening a harmful attachment, or dupe you into
sending personal information. They hope that you're
gullible enough to fall victim to their deceptions. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
-
Sells products at very low prices
-
Website address similar to real website
-
Company has no physical
address or Tel #
-
Pop-up security warnings not from your security
software
-
Free, but pay shipping, processing or handling
-
Receive check for more than expected, asked to send back
remainder
-
Links or attachments relating to catastrophic events
-
Work at home programs
-
Click a link or your account will be de-activated
|
-
Buy with
Western Union or Money-Gram payment
-
Seller outside your country
-
Represents
themselves as foreign government officials
-
Requests social security number or drivers license
number
-
Email addresses or phone numbers for companies
different than usual
-
Charging upfront or monthly fees to be your
drop-shipper
-
Place an order and ask you to "call and confirm your
order"
|
|
|
Precautions
You Should Take |
|
TOP |
|
|
|
-
Avoid selling to private
individuals unless they have a good history of paying, since
some may cheat you by claiming they never got product.
-
Never buy a product simply by
Googling the name of the product and then clicking on the
lowest price.
-
Email attachments, from people
you don't know, are common carriers of malware, spyware, or
viruses.
-
"Your computer is infected!
Get help now!" DO NOT click on this. It is either a
sales pitch or a way to get into your computer.
Immediately reboot your computer and run your own virus
software.
-
If the company web site has a
approval seals on their front page indicating they
are hacker safe, credit-card safe registered, verified
etc, they may be
over-compensating for something that wrong.
-
Some stores may take your order, tell you the product is
in stock when it's not. Get their carrier shipping number
i.e. UPS number to make sure they have really shipped it.
-
Manufacturers do not have vendors selling
their real high demand items at very low
price.
-
Providing personal information such as credit card or
banking details to a "look-a-like" website
-
Unsolicited email, i.e. you've won a major prize in an
international lottery.
-
Facebook friends can easily be tricked into sending money
in response to believable pleas for help that was supposed
to came from you.
-
Responding to special
investment offers
-
Fake
blogs/ads/products/work-at-home jobs, are all over
the Internet
-
Ads and pop-ups promise a free
trial of some sort of and then ask you to pay for shipping and
handling fees.
-
Discounts for an On-Line
purchase, Telemarketing or Direct Mail for "Free Trial" or
a small bonus check. You may miss the fine print that
signs you up for a monthly fee for some item.
-
If an email address has just
crazy letters or is very long with items you don't
recognize-DON'T OPEN IT!
TO FILE A
COMPLAINT GO TO THE COMPLAINTS SECTION BY CLICKING HERE
-
Determine quality of a
purchase: Consumer Reports, CNET Reviews, Amazon reviews,
Buzzillions reviews gives you the pros and cons of a product
and some will tell you about outright scams.
-
To find legit stores use
www.resellerratings.com . They are a good review site
for online stores
-
WHOIS
information can tell you when a domain was registered. You
can easily get WHOIS information for most domains from a
site like
www.domaintools.com .
Can't Be True And Is Probably a Scam |
|
TOP |
|
|
|
-
Name brand electronics prices are controlled by
industry manufacturers. There just aren't any "dirt
cheap" prices to be had on new, name brand electronics.
-
An
overseas/out-of-state/out-of-city buyer offers to purchase
your car or other expensive bulky item.
-
Cashier's checks are NOT the
same as cash. However, counterfeit ones can look very authentic.
-
Ignore e-mails containing a subpoena
for jury duty in federal court.
-
Never pay an advanced fee to
obtain a loans or credit card.
Gotchas Are Usually
Scams |
|
TOP |
|
|
|
-
Try to
convince you to send money to someone by money wiring,
escrow, or Internet payment service.
-
Bank checks for more than
the amount agreed upon and send back difference
-
Never "update your
account" via a link provided in a message
-
Online newsletters "tout" or recommend a stocks
-
"Pump and dump" schemes boost the price of a stock with
false or misleading statements and then sell their holdings.
-
Requests from IRS, FBI or other Federal agents (they don't
send emails).
-
Work from home are generally poor bets
-
You're a winner of a free desirable product
-
Auction fraud includes misleading product descriptions, or
simply not receiving anything after paying the winning bid.
-
Second chance auction, where the loser of an auction is
given the opportunity to buy the item at a reduced price
-
Disaster Relief send out emails with a link to a fake
donation website.
|
|
|
|
NOTICE: We provide this Encyclopedia
as a public service. Unfortunately we do not have the manpower to answer
all of your emails or questions on specific topics. We, therefore, do not
post our telephone number or address as all our communications are
through email.
|
copyright
2011 -
www.stopthescam.org |
|
|
|
|
|
|