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Internet Scams
I hope you will take the time to read this document and be extremely careful not to get involved with any of these Scams. I make it my priority, my "Scam Crushing Mission", to inform everyone I know, about unscrupulous companies preying on people who are trying to start their own Home Based Business online or on a parent's deep desire to be at home with their children. I make it my business to educate you on how to avoid these nasty Scams. Please pass it on to your friends, family members and associates. You could prevent them from falling victim to cyber crime. Below is a list of some of the most common scams online today and a brief explanation on what they look like so you can avoid them.
The Chain Letter
This scam still involves sending money to strangers and hoping to get a windfall when your name reaches the bottom of the list and 10,000 people send you $5. You send them your money and never hear from them again. This is illegel and if you do this to someone, you can go to jail. Out right fraud! It usually comes in your email, so just hit delete and ignore it.
Envelope Stuffing
Basically, you also will see this one in your email, posted online as a website or see it in forums. The scammer proposes sending you materials (envelopes to stuff and mail out, toys to assemble, kits to put together, etc) which you stuff/assemble and send back. You do the work and never get paid. Sometimes, you are asked to send in a dollar amount ($20/$50) for a “starter kit.” You send them your money and never receive anything back. Stay away from this one since, I’ve never seen or heard of a genuine envelope stuffing opportunity and I doubt if you ever will either.
MLM (Multi-Level Marketing)
MLM by itself is not a scam, it is simply a method of marketing by which people can earn money on sales generated by people they recruit. You pay them a fee to join them and to buy their website. You get a website where you do the exact same thing they did to you. You sell membership to your business and create cookie cutter websites. This online business revolves around using networks of resellers. You charge your new recruits money to join you and it repeats itself again with the new recruits doing the exact same thing. The problem with these MLM plans is, the websites are duplicates of each other and the search engines will ignore them entirely. The fact about these programs is, you get paid based on sales and this makes them legitimate. Remember, if the search engines ignore your site because it is duplicated over and over again, how will people find you? The only one who makes any money is the guy at the top. I personally would not associate my good name with this type of business because the guy at the bottom will get nothing and loses their investment!
Internet Auctions
Online auctions account for nearly 70% of online fraud. Although doing business with the auctions, has tremendously improved in the last few years. You can investigate the validity of auction items and sellers by calling the business directly and not depending on user comments and feed back, since this is easy to fake by using multiple fake email addresses. You can also, talk to the local consumer protection agencies and ask for customer references. If the seller is an individual, not only are you more likely to be scammed, but you’re less likely to be protected by laws that govern the sale of items from businesses to consumers. Pay by credit card for added protection and be careful!
Credit Repair Cons
Companies offering to erase your bad credit or set up a new credit file for an upfront fee are simply fraudsters. The only information that can be removed from your credit report is false information and you can get it removed by yourself simply and for free. If you do use a company to correct your credit report, they have to bill you after making the changes. It’s illegal for them to charge you upfront.
Online Job Opportunities
Several websites offer access to a database of “job opportunities." in line with other opportunities. Be suspicious if asked to pay upfront. Legitimate websites will earn money from the businesses offering the jobs and will not need to charge you anything. Some websites cover themselves by telling you that you need to pay them for their training program or buy material kits to get the job. Watch out for this type of scam because it is their way of getting your money and sending you some useless garbage you can't do anything with.
The above mentioned Scams are only a few out there online. Here is advice that can help you to avoid all of them.
What to look out for and Tips for Avoiding Scams
Research the company and always check them out with the Better Business Bureau. Review the BBB's Work-at-Home Schemes information. Ask for at least three references of people they have worked with. Call each person and ask about their experiences with the company. Don't be fooled by ads claiming you can make large amounts of money in short periods of time. And be cautious of companies that require you to sign up immediately. Usually if it sounds too good to be true; it probably is. Before you invest in a business opportunity, get specific information, in writing, from the company such as, how long they have been in business, where they are located, how many customers they have, what their refund policy is, read it thoroughly, how long it takes to get paid and if there are any restrictions on payments, etc. Try to use your credit card instead of cash if you invest in a business opportunity. That way if you do want a refund, it may be easier to dispute the charges with your credit card company rather than trying to get your money back from a fraudulent company. Working at home is something that many people are interested in, but few actually attempt because of the fear that all of these opportunities online are scams. However, there are many legitimate ways to make money online. Protect yourself from being scammed. Working at home online is expanding rapidly as is the Internet. There are thousands of options for online entrepreneurs who make money through creating web sites, offering web services, or selling products online. The market has expanded rapidly over the past few years as the Internet has grown and there is something that everyone will be interested in and profit from. Even with all of these warnings, the reality is good. Honest opportunities do exist. Good luck in your quest to make money from home! Do your homework and you will be fine in your online endeavors.
Below is a list of orginazations you can contact to make an inquiry about a company or to report a business that has Scammed you online.
Important "Scam Crushing Sites"
U.S. Department of Justice http://www.cybercrime.gov DOJ's website for educating the public on Internet fraud.
Federal Bureau of Investigation http://www.fbi.gov/majcases/fraud/internetschemes.htm - The FBI's advice for avoiding Internet business fraud.
National Internet Fraud Watch Information Center
http://www.fraud.org/internet/intset.htm
U.S. State Department http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/brochures/brochures_1216.html Overview of typical business scams both inside and outside the U.S.
The Internet Crime Complaint Center http://www.ic3.gov Receives, develops and refers complaints of cyber crime.
On Guard Online http://www.onguardonline.gov/index.html - Practical tips to help you understand computer security and guard against Internet fraud.
Commerce Net http://www.commerce.net - Organization dedicated to enabling safe business practices on the Internet.
Federal Citizen Information Center http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/scamsresources.htm - Database of scam, fraud and recall resources.
Office of the Inspector General http://oig.hhs.gov - Fraud prevention and detection resources and reporting.
The Chain Letter
This scam still involves sending money to strangers and hoping to get a windfall when your name reaches the bottom of the list and 10,000 people send you $5. You send them your money and never hear from them again. This is illegel and if you do this to someone, you can go to jail. Out right fraud! It usually comes in your email, so just hit delete and ignore it.
Envelope Stuffing
Basically, you also will see this one in your email, posted online as a website or see it in forums. The scammer proposes sending you materials (envelopes to stuff and mail out, toys to assemble, kits to put together, etc) which you stuff/assemble and send back. You do the work and never get paid. Sometimes, you are asked to send in a dollar amount ($20/$50) for a “starter kit.” You send them your money and never receive anything back. Stay away from this one since, I’ve never seen or heard of a genuine envelope stuffing opportunity and I doubt if you ever will either.
MLM (Multi-Level Marketing)
MLM by itself is not a scam, it is simply a method of marketing by which people can earn money on sales generated by people they recruit. You pay them a fee to join them and to buy their website. You get a website where you do the exact same thing they did to you. You sell membership to your business and create cookie cutter websites. This online business revolves around using networks of resellers. You charge your new recruits money to join you and it repeats itself again with the new recruits doing the exact same thing. The problem with these MLM plans is, the websites are duplicates of each other and the search engines will ignore them entirely. The fact about these programs is, you get paid based on sales and this makes them legitimate. Remember, if the search engines ignore your site because it is duplicated over and over again, how will people find you? The only one who makes any money is the guy at the top. I personally would not associate my good name with this type of business because the guy at the bottom will get nothing and loses their investment!
Internet Auctions
Online auctions account for nearly 70% of online fraud. Although doing business with the auctions, has tremendously improved in the last few years. You can investigate the validity of auction items and sellers by calling the business directly and not depending on user comments and feed back, since this is easy to fake by using multiple fake email addresses. You can also, talk to the local consumer protection agencies and ask for customer references. If the seller is an individual, not only are you more likely to be scammed, but you’re less likely to be protected by laws that govern the sale of items from businesses to consumers. Pay by credit card for added protection and be careful!
Credit Repair Cons
Companies offering to erase your bad credit or set up a new credit file for an upfront fee are simply fraudsters. The only information that can be removed from your credit report is false information and you can get it removed by yourself simply and for free. If you do use a company to correct your credit report, they have to bill you after making the changes. It’s illegal for them to charge you upfront.
Online Job Opportunities
Several websites offer access to a database of “job opportunities." in line with other opportunities. Be suspicious if asked to pay upfront. Legitimate websites will earn money from the businesses offering the jobs and will not need to charge you anything. Some websites cover themselves by telling you that you need to pay them for their training program or buy material kits to get the job. Watch out for this type of scam because it is their way of getting your money and sending you some useless garbage you can't do anything with.
The above mentioned Scams are only a few out there online. Here is advice that can help you to avoid all of them.
What to look out for and Tips for Avoiding Scams
Research the company and always check them out with the Better Business Bureau. Review the BBB's Work-at-Home Schemes information. Ask for at least three references of people they have worked with. Call each person and ask about their experiences with the company. Don't be fooled by ads claiming you can make large amounts of money in short periods of time. And be cautious of companies that require you to sign up immediately. Usually if it sounds too good to be true; it probably is. Before you invest in a business opportunity, get specific information, in writing, from the company such as, how long they have been in business, where they are located, how many customers they have, what their refund policy is, read it thoroughly, how long it takes to get paid and if there are any restrictions on payments, etc. Try to use your credit card instead of cash if you invest in a business opportunity. That way if you do want a refund, it may be easier to dispute the charges with your credit card company rather than trying to get your money back from a fraudulent company. Working at home is something that many people are interested in, but few actually attempt because of the fear that all of these opportunities online are scams. However, there are many legitimate ways to make money online. Protect yourself from being scammed. Working at home online is expanding rapidly as is the Internet. There are thousands of options for online entrepreneurs who make money through creating web sites, offering web services, or selling products online. The market has expanded rapidly over the past few years as the Internet has grown and there is something that everyone will be interested in and profit from. Even with all of these warnings, the reality is good. Honest opportunities do exist. Good luck in your quest to make money from home! Do your homework and you will be fine in your online endeavors.
Below is a list of orginazations you can contact to make an inquiry about a company or to report a business that has Scammed you online.
Important "Scam Crushing Sites"
U.S. Department of Justice http://www.cybercrime.gov DOJ's website for educating the public on Internet fraud.
Federal Bureau of Investigation http://www.fbi.gov/majcases/fraud/internetschemes.htm - The FBI's advice for avoiding Internet business fraud.
National Internet Fraud Watch Information Center
http://www.fraud.org/internet/intset.htm
U.S. State Department http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/brochures/brochures_1216.html Overview of typical business scams both inside and outside the U.S.
The Internet Crime Complaint Center http://www.ic3.gov Receives, develops and refers complaints of cyber crime.
On Guard Online http://www.onguardonline.gov/index.html - Practical tips to help you understand computer security and guard against Internet fraud.
Commerce Net http://www.commerce.net - Organization dedicated to enabling safe business practices on the Internet.
Federal Citizen Information Center http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/scamsresources.htm - Database of scam, fraud and recall resources.
Office of the Inspector General http://oig.hhs.gov - Fraud prevention and detection resources and reporting.
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