The Scam Alert Blog

Most people will take this word of advice and apply it to the online world:

“Beware When You Buy Autographs”

But, sadly this also applies to offline as well. Autographs are a relatively easy thing to fake. Many are very hard to double check and if they slightly resemble an authenticated one, the person who bought it usually “wants” it to be real so bad that they talk themselves into believing it is. Some people put a lot of trust in so called “certificates of authentication”, but if a person is dishonest enough to sell a fake autograph, then they wouldn’t really stop at including a fake certificate of authentication. Be very careful when buying autographs. Only buy from reputable sources, and even then double check the authenticity as best you can.

See one person “brag” about selling fake autographs. This postcard was sent in and included in the recent secrets displayed on Post Secret.

PC World recently released it’s Top 5 Online Scam list. Much like the Federal Trade Commission list released earlier, their number one online scam is Auction Fraud. For the entire article, click here.

The FTC (Federal Trade Commission) recently released it’s list of top ten online scams. Right at the top of the list is a type of scam that has touched many people recently, internet auction fraud.

The entire list is as follows:

-Internet Auction Fraud
-Internet Service Provider Scams
-Internet Web Site Design/Promotions - Web Cramming
-Internet Information and Adult Services - Credit Card Cramming
-Multi-level Marketing/Pyramid Scams
-Business Opportunities and Work-At-Home Scams
-Investment Schemes and Get-Rich-Quick Scams
-Travel/Vacation Fraud
-Telephone/Pay-Per-Call Solicitation Frauds (including modem dialers and videotext)
-Health Care Frauds

Keep this list (at least mentally) handy and remember that the next time you are entering into an online transaction… it may be with a scammer.

The Louisiana State Police along with other law enforcement agencies both national and local, are warning against ticket scams pertaining to the BCS (Bowl Championship Series) football games.

Because of the large amount of people who want tickets to these games (college football fans, locals, and fans of the schools involved) compared to the relative scarcity of seats available, many scammers are going to be trying to take advantage of the situation.

Some steps you can take to avoid being victimized in ticket purchasing scam:

If purchasing the ticket online, verify the seller’s contact information by making a phone call. This doesn’t rule out that the seller is not a scammer, but makes it less likely as most scammers are reluctant to publicize their contact information.

If purchasing from a ticket reselling company, check the Better Business Bureau. Another easy to use research procedure is to just type the name of the company, the state they are located in, and the word “scam” into Google or any of the other search engines and see what comes up.

Avoid sending money through the mail to a post office box. Most reputable ticket sellers will have a physical address available. Someone providing a physical address doesn’t prove that they are not a scammer, however it does indicate that they may not be one as most scammers prefer to not publicize their contact information.

If purchasing a ticket online you can verify the authenticity of a web site by checking their certificate or through a company like Verisign.

Avoid any online transaction that comes with unusual payment methods (making the check out to someone other than the seller, sending the payment out of the country, etc.).

While following these steps will not guarantee that you will not be scammed, it will decrease the likelihood.

Finally, as in every financial dealing… not just online transactions, remember… if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.

Scammers come in all sizes, some are tried by individuals who can use their anonymity as a disguise, while others are performed by large recognizable entities who use their social acceptance as a stamp of approval for everything they do. The second type of scammer is who we’d like to talk about here.

Many of the largest online flower shops are scamming local florists out of legitimate sales. The victims here are, indirectly the customer through price compensation, but mainly the local florists who both establishes face-to-face relationships with the customers as well as fulfills most of the orders from these big online flower companies.

What flower companies are we talking about?

1-800-Flowers
TeleFlora
FTD
…and more!

What exactly are they doing?

You can read the full letter to the FTC about 1800Flowers here, but in a nutshell: These large online flower companies are deducting the service charge they normally charge for transferring an order from them to the local florist and calling it “free shipping”. This is not true in the slightest and gives an unfair advantage as many online retailers, marketers, and marketing experts will tell you that nothing increases sales online like an offering of “free shipping”.

You can find out more information on this and other issues affecting the florist trade by reading The Real Florists Blog regularly.

If you’d like to find out about more florist related scams, check out The Florist Detective.

Scams happen all the time and being ‘in the know’ can help you avoid costly financial losses. I found a new finance directory that actually has a whole category dedicated to finance related frauds. It is resources like this that help the web be a safer place for personal enjoyment and business. If you know of a finance related fraud site or know anyone that owns/runs one, please tell them about www.Portal4Finance.com.

Yeah, that’s just what I need… another bank account.

Seriously, you do… and here’s why.

First, with all the competition among major banks these days it is hard to find banks that charge for a checking or savings account anymore. They have to offer free accounts just to get people in the door to buy their other services. So, your first step is getting a new free checking or savings account.

Now, here’s why you need that account. Internet scams are everywhere these days. You can find many examples right here at The Scam Alert Blog or just search Google for “Intenet Scam”. Everyone’s biggest fear is that some unknown person is going to come up with a way to separate you from your money. It happens every day, in fact it happens thousands of times everday.

For a wide variety of transactions online you will need to pay for purchases or services somehow. You can pay by credit card, checking account, or with an online bank account like Paypal. What if the worst happens to you? What if someone hacks into your computer, or just as likely they hack into someone’s computer who has your personal information because you purchased something from them? There goes your credit card. There goes your bank account. It’s all just gone.

But, if you take this advice you can at least limit the damage done to you. Get that second checking account, even get it at a different bank if you’d like. Keep a limited amount of funds in there, or better yet only transfer money into this account when you are going to purchase something. Now, your primary account remains active but private. Don’t share any information from that account. Still be protective of your secondary account, you don’t want to lose a penny to one of these worthless crooks, but use this account for your online purchases. Now, if the worst happens, they don’t drain your main account, they most likely get a minimal amount of money and you are saved from financial devastation.

The same advice goes for a credit card, get a second one with a low limit. Use this one for your online purchases, and if the worst happens then it can’t go very far.

Using common sense and the knowledge and awareness that these people are out there trying to victimize you everyday is one way to stay one step ahead of the crooks.

We’ve just had another Scam Prevention blog brought to our attention. The fine folks over at Scamtards have a decent amount of helpful information. We’re not selfish, the more people out there fighting against the scammers the better!

Internet Fraud Protection - Ensure Safety
By Sara K

No one can guarantee you 100% prevention against online fraud or provide you with the perfect solution for internet fraud protection, but by taking proper precautions you can reduce the risk to a great extent.
You can give yourself internet fraud protection by:

• Making sure that the pages of any website that ask for personal information start with “http” so as to indicate its security. Sites that begin without “http” are not secure and you should be careful with such.
• For secure pages there is usually a padlock being displayed at the bottom of the screen and you can view the security details of the page by clicking onto that. If the page is of some fraudulent website then no such details will be visible.
• Never give out your credit card numbers online unless you are sure about the security and authenticity of the website. Flashy websites do not necessarily mean authentic sites.
• Do not respond to unsolicited emails for special offers and do not believe in the promises of large sum of money being offered as prizes.
• In case of doubt of internet fraud, call up your bank or payment processors for more details or to report it.
• Before buying online make sure that he address of the company you are applying to is available on their website along with the fax and phone number.
• When transferring funds, always use reliable company sites and never transfer or receive money from any non-reliable source.
• Check the reliability of the site’s privacy policy and check your bank statement against anything that you buy online.

Don’t become the Victim – get Internet Fraud Protection!

You could be the victim of internet fraud if:

• You have paid for a product or service online and have not received it yet
• If you have sold or bought something online and have not received the payment for it
• If the product or good received does not entirely match the original description given
• Have given away your personal information like the credit card number on an insecure webpage

Suspecting Internet Fraud?

Here is what you can do to ensure internet fraud protection:

• In case of suspicion of internet fraud call the company and inform authorities
• If you bought or sold at an auction site then check to see with the company if they can solve the problem
• If you paid for the products or good with a credit card and they have not arrived yet then you need to immediately check with your credit card company and inform them
• The credit card company will take you step by step through the procedure and investigate into the case
• Check with your online payment service providers for more info and internet fraud protection services

Get Internet Fraud Protection – Watch out for:

Internet makes it easier for fraudsters to make people part with their money in fraudulent schemes, claiming their money for a few prizes that they offer online.

You can give yourself internet fraud protection and save yourself from becoming a victim of internet fraud by:

• Being Cautious – if some offer sounds too good to be true then that is probably the case
• Research – ask around about the company you are giving your money to before paying for anything
• Take Advice – don’t mind taking advice from those who have been in this industry for a longer period of time
• Trust – don’t judge a company by its website, no matter how flashy it is or how professional it looks
• Check for Authenticity – you can check for the authenticity of the website by looking them up on Federal Authority Services websites and check for their registration

Identity theft includes your personal information like credit card number, National insurance number and address etc. Fraudsters can apply for various benefits with such info without you even knowing about it. Most internet fraud is committed through emails. Criminals try to get the credit card numbers by sending emails that appear to be from reputable organizations and encourage you to send in your card details and password. That is why it is important that you get internet fraud protection for yourself and your e-commerce business so that you and your customers can process in a safe and reliable environment.

Merchant Accounts at Instabill offer Internet Fraud Protection along with Scam Control.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sara_K
http://EzineArticles.com/?Internet-Fraud-Protection—Ensure-Safety&id=671124

Internet Dating Fraud
By Fabiola Castillo

If you fall for one of these internet dating scams, you could end up with a broken heart and pocketbook.

Searching for a soul mate on the internet has become very popular these last few years. Services such as eHarmony.com, Yahoo! Personals, and many others like them have millions of users who post personals advertisements in the hopes of meeting their spouse to be. There are dozens of success stories, and we all know of somebody who has married their significant other whom they met online. Such success stories like these have encouraged many others to turn to online dating which used to be something people scoffed at during the early days of the internet. It is unfortunate that online dating also has its dark side. Somebody placing their personals advertisement on the web can be an easy victim for both professional con artists and internet predators. Both use similar techniques if not the same to entice unsuspecting hearts into a web of deception.

A good scam artist will take his or her time to sway you to complacency. In reality, they are talking with numerous other people at the same time, and they are very skilled at what they do since they improve their methods regularly. At first glance, it may be very hard to discern a scam artist from somebody showing genuine affection but eventually the perpetrators play the scam card. That is when you should start thinking with your brain and not with your heart.

I would love to meet but I can’t right now

It is logical meeting face to face somebody with whom you fell in love on the internet if they have not raised any of your suspicions. A relationship can not be taken to the next level without some human interaction. This is also a perfect opportunity to play his scam card. A scam artist will tell you that they would love to meet face to face but does not have enough money for the trip. This is when they request that you send them the money to buy their plane ticket if you have not suggested it yourself. This happens all the time. A better plan might be for you to visit them instead to gauge their reaction. Sending money especially to somebody overseas is a very bad idea. Not doing so may force your significant other to turn elsewhere but it is more likely to cost you every dime you sent to this person.

I’ve been hospitalized and can’t afford a day’s stay

Another trick used to part internet lovers from their money is the old “I’ve been hospitalized” scam. Your significant other may suddenly give you some bad news by telling you they have been hospitalized. Hearing that your soul mate needs medical care but can not afford it can be very emotionally draining. An expert scammer is well aware of this. Be cautious of anybody you have met on the internet telling you that they need money from you to pay their medical bills. It may be difficult to deny this request but doing so may quickly disclose your lover’s ulterior motives.

Mail Order Bride Scams

Mail order bride scams usually begin with an unsolicited e-mail saying that somebody has read your online profile and has shown interest. At first glance, these e-mails seem genuine. Everybody and their grandmother have online profiles and guess what? They are all interesting. What is surprising is that we get very few of these responses to our profiles. In reality, the e-mail is generic and can be used toward just about anybody. There are crooked people out there sending these e-mails to thousands of recipients. Spam is what this is called. Reply to one, and you will get them same old story. The young lady will sound very nice and sincere. She may be a cashier or teacher, and she will always be leading a difficult life. If you continue to correspond, there will be some sudden outpouring declaration of love and affection. Shortly thereafter, there will be requests for money to either help support her since jobs opportunities are very small in her country, or she will want funds for a travel VISA so that she can visit you. If that does not work, she will need money for continuing use of the internet, food, or even a small operation you can help finance. The moment you send her money, she will have won her con game against you. She will continue to ask for more money until you are tapped out. Think of her as a trash can into where you keep dumping your hard earned money, and you may never even meet her. In fact, she may already be married to somebody else and is only using you to help support her spouse and family. It is your money and NOT your heart that she is after.

Prisoner Personals Scam

It is a fact that convicted felons can now post their profiles on websites. Some of these perps are sex offenders or rapists. How are they allowed to do this? There are agencies with their own websites that allow convicts to send their profiles to them via U.S. Postal Service, and they post their profiles online for them. Agencies that post these profiles on behalf of the prisoners do not have to disclose what the nature of their crime is. Such agencies will only tell you that these prisoners are in for some non-violent crime. If you answer an online prisoner personal, you should seriously consider delving into the perpetrator’s criminal past rather than just believing what is posted on the agencies’ websites.

There are many forms of internet fraud going on nowadays. It is up to you to educate yourself on what is or is not legitimate. Hopefully, our advice will minimize your chances of becoming a victim of the crime of internet fraud.

Fabiola Castillo is an online marketer for the website NinjaCOPS.com This webstore specializes in selling pepper spray, Taser guns, nunchaku, kubatons, stun guns, and many other personal defense products.

If you are looking for wedding favors such as photo glass coasters, heart-shaped compact mirrors, wine bottle stoppers, and more, visit Yolandas Wedding Favors. They’ll take care of you guaranteed.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Fabiola_Castillo
http://EzineArticles.com/?Internet-Dating-Fraud&id=613055