Watch Out For These 8 Scams!
And in today’s technology age, don’t forget to guard against computer viruses & spyware
Spyware Blockers are a great start at preventing data theft, but there are many more threats in the "real world" that can get you as well. The key to understanding and spotting them is to understand that nothing comes free. If something is too good to be true, it probably is. Common sense and staying informed are your best assests in never becoming a victim!
- You are a “Guaranteed Winner!”
This scam is intended to have you buy something first before you can collect your HUGE PRIZE. Many of the popular items offered are things like worthless or even dangerous vitamins, a cheap home security alarm system, or even just contribute to a fake charity before you can collect your prize. You can be rest assured that the amount of money you fork out will far exceed the value of the so-called prize. That’s if you actually even receive one at all.
- You have won the lottery of a foreign country.
First of all, if I had actually won the lottery every time I was sent this email, I would be a quadrillionaire by now, and I am not. Again these thieves are after your money. They come up with various reasons why you have to send them money first, before you can collect your lottery winnings. Don’t ever send money to collect money. There is also a Federal Statute that prohibits mailing payments to purchase any ticket, share, or chance in a foreign lottery.
- The famous “Get Rick Quick Scheme.”
Don’t hold your breath! Have you ever received one of those letters in the mail that says you will great wealth with one small investment. Then there will be a list of names that you should send money to everybody on the list. Then mail this letter to 10 other people. Apparently all you have to do then is just sit back and relax. The checks will start to show up in your mailbox in droves. So much money you won’t even know what to do with it all. The chances of this happening is like winning the foreign lottery. This type of scam is known as a pyramid scheme. It would actually take more people than there are in the world for this to work. Plus if you actually participate in one of these pyramid schemes, you could be committing a federal crime!
- This offer is so good, “You Can’t Lose!”
Typically these investment schemers will contact you through the mail or by phone. Many of these scam artists are extremely good at what they do. They may use highly advanced, pressure selling tactics, that they have perfected to a “T” You might want to ask yourself these questions before you take the bait. #1) Does this offer sound too good to be true? Remember what you were taught about things that sounded too good to be true. #2) Are you being promised an unusually high rate of return on your investment? Talk to the people that invested with Bernie Madoff about this one. #3) Is this investment a limited time offer and you have to act RIGHT NOW! If I can’t think about something like that before I do it, then I don’t do it.
- Stuff envelopes at home part time and earn huge amounts of money!
Often times what happens here is the person is actually trying to sell you a plan to sell to other people about stuffing envelopes.
- You Are About To Receive An Inheritance from a Foreign Source.
Again the hook is that you have to send them money before you can receive your inheritance. My philosophy is that I will ever send money to receive money from someone that I don’t even know.
- Taking a check that is more than the actual amount!
Either on Ebay, a miscellaneous email, or ecommerce site, NEVER accept a check, cashiers check or money order over the amount of your product. To be on the safe side don't even except cashier checks or money orders period! Why? Increasingly, especially in foreign countries, people are getting sob stories from potential customers about not being able to write out a check, because maybe they only have one, or they want you take what they owe you and send the rest to their son or daughter in another country, and they even add you can take 20% or more for yourself. NEVER DO THIS. In most cases they will send you a cashiers check from some unknown bank. And since cashiers checks are deposited and credited to your account without verification of funds or authenticity of the cashiers check you bank will allow you to use the money. You then keep your amount plus whatever percent they offer you, then you send the rest off to someone else in another country. Problem is once the bank tries to actually cash that cashiers check or money order they will find it's fraudulent, and you have already paid the thief, and now YOU owe the bank thousands of dollars. Because they WILL come after you! Best to accept Paypal, or credit cards. If you have to take a check, NEVER send the product without the check first clearing.
- Don't buy into the "I have my own carrier service" bit!
This one goes hand in hand with "send more money to you in a cashiers check" scheme. Never even talk to a person who says they will send their own messaging service or carrier service to pick up your product. Why, because the messenger service is NOT legit. Most likely it's one of scam artists team. They come, collect the merchandise, and leave. All the while you feel safe because you have their cashiers check or money order in the bank which, of course, is fraudulent. Plus you never know who these people are. You never know what a person's real intentions are. You think they are there for the product, but what will stop them from tying you up and taking everything else in your home, or even worse. We can't stress this enough. Never use someone's so called messenger services!! NEVER! Stay with USPS, FedEx, UPS, DHL..
Most of these scams have been around for a long time. Unfortunately there are always more people that fall for them everyday. Often times these people are the most desperate for money and will try anything. Don’t let yourself become a victim of these types of scams. We mentioned 6 well known scams, but there are literally hundreds (if not thousands) of slight twists and variations to these scams. What makes it potentially even worse is that in todays technology age, identity thieves and scammers are also able to utilize the computer. Unfortunately computers, high speed internet, viruses and spyware/malware are making their job even easier and more profitable than ever. Especially in the United States. We have the highest rate of identity theft of any industrialized country in the world. These identity theft criminal experts can easily install a spyware program such as a keylogger that will let them know what keys you pressed for your passwords to your bank accounts or credit cards. They can even actually take control of your computer and see anything that you have stored on it like your social security number, or even take control of your webcam without you even knowing it!
Perhaps the saddest part is that most of this is easily avoidable. With a little knowledge and vigilance on your part, you can easily avoid being the next victim of identity theft through computer malware/spyware programs. Install a good antivirus program and consider a good firewall. Perform updates regularly and always perform a scan for spyware with the best spyware blockers/removers software program you can find, such as the one at www.SpywareBlockersInc.com On this website you will also find many other common sense ways that you can significantly lower your chances of being a victim of computer spyware crime. All it takes is a little time, education and spyware prevention on your part.
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