"If its too good to be true, then it usually is "
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The internet is a great resource for almost everything, you can watch videos, read the latest news, find information on anything, book holidays and trips to venues, join interesting forums, read great fun web pages, listen to music, download games, send e-mails the list is almost endless. There is however a slight drawback to the internet and that is that criminals also find the internet to be a great resource, for all the wrong reasons. They will try to scam money from the unsuspecting using a variety of cunning plans. I have made a list of the top most common scams that are around today that are unfortunately still conning thousands of people every week.
All scams start with " The Hook" the scammer has to get you on the hook just like a fisherman hooks a sprat to catch a mackerel. Unfortunately for the legitimate and good company of 'Western Union' scammers generally prefer to use this company for their "transactions" and is often a tell tale sign of an impending scam. This page requires a fair bit of scrolling, I hope it does not hinder you too much. THE E-MAIL SCAM
This is the Hook... " Lagos, Nigeria.Attention: The President/CEO. Dear Sir, Confidential Business Proposal Having consulted with my colleagues and based on the information gathered from the Nigerian Chambers Of Commerce And Industry, I have the privilege to request your assistance to transfer the sum of $47,500,000.00 (forty seven million, five hundred thousand United States dollars) into your accounts. The above sum resulted from an over-invoiced contract, executed, commissioned and paid for about five years (5) ago by a foreign contractor. This action was however intentional and since then the fund has been in a suspense account at The Central Bank Of Nigeria Apex Bank. We are now ready to transfer the fund overseas and that is where you come in. It is important to inform you that as civil servants, we are forbidden to operate a foreign account; that is why we require your assistance. The total sum will be shared as follows: 70% for us, 25% for you and 5% for local and international expenses incidental to the transfer. The transfer is 100% risk free on both sides. I am an accountant with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). If you find this proposal acceptable, we shall require the following documents: (a) your banker's name, telephone, account and fax numbers. (b) your private telephone and fax numbers —for confidentiality and easy communication. (c) your letter-headed paper stamped and signed. Alternatively we will furnish you with the text of what to type into your letter-headed paper, along with a breakdown explaining, comprehensively what we require of you. The business will take us thirty (30) working days to accomplish. Please reply urgently. Best regards Abutu Abuboo Kimba" Have you received an e-mail from someone based in Africa more notably Nigeria asking you to help them to get a large amount of money out of their country? well its a scam, plain and simple. Maybe your e-mail will be from someone who says that they had a great tragedy in their family and that there are millions of dollars just waiting to be collected by a next of kin and could you pretend to be that person for them to get the money out...its a scam. They like to say " 100% risk free" when it's really just 100% scam
The scammer always promises large payments for your help, they will play upon your emotions and/or good Christian values. They will request that you just help cover legal expenses, monies to bribe officials and other fees that must be paid in order to secure the great wealth, its a scam. Its heavily based on your sincere desire to get your hands on this new found wealth where all your worldly troubles will be over...and they know this. If you are suckered in and send any money, they will attempt to bleed you dry of all your money, there is no great fortune waiting at the other end, its your fortune they are after. Sad to say, a true example of someone who got seriously hooked was a schoolteacher a few years ago, who re-mortgaged her house, despite warnings from her friends and her bank manager at her strange actions and then actually personally delivered $225,000 to the scammers.
She didn't stop to think " Wait a minute...what the hell am I doing? giving all this money away and to total strangers?" but as it was, she was blinded by the promise of all the supposed millions in return, she of course lost everything she had ever worked for and never saw or heard of the scammers again. Another case was a dear old lady who gave away all of her life savings to the scammers in the hope of millions in return, but of course she was left with nothing, being completely sponged dry. This scam is known as the 419 AFF Advanced Fee Fraud scam. Please be aware of it and think! if its too good to be true, it isn't true. CREDIT CARD SCAMS
This is the Hook... "You have been accepted for a premier consumer credit card $3,500 Immediate credit totally guaranteed. Get sponsorship for your own personal master card - regardless of your current credit situation You Are Approved -You cannot Be Refused!! " You get an attractive offer of many thousands of dollars for applying for a pre-approved loan or an instant credit card that will request an up front payment. Its a scam. These people making these fantastic offers do not know you or know your credit situation, yet they are willing to offer you massive credit limits. Its a scam. Reputable and bona fida credit card companies do charge you an annual fee but it is applied to the balance of the card, never when you initially sign-up. Furthermore, if you legitimately clear your credit balance each month, a legitimate bank will often waiver the annual fee. UK LOTTERY SCAMS
This is the Hook... "UK-Lotto Headquarters Customer Services Department London SW1 We are delighted to inform you that you have won £3,525,000 (THREE MILLION FIVE HUNDRED AND TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND POUNDS) in the UK-Lotto Sweepstake program held on 25th April 2009. Your e-mail address was attached to the winning ticket no 7891 with serial no 173856/bx/1024. You have been approved to claim this sum, well done, please contact us via email for instruction on how to claim" This scam will inform you via e-mail that you have won a huge amount of money, there will be loads of congratulations and "Well Done" "Lucky Winner" etc. You will be asked to send them some personal details, then they will reply telling you how to receive your " winnings " The way to receive your "winnings" will be via courier and this is where they scam the money out of you. The courier service with insurance, handling and shipping fees will be around $500 to $1000 or even more, once you have paid you will never hear off them again, you've been scammed!
I have played up one or two of these lotto scammers in the past for a laugh and they always get bitchy and aggressive when I ask them just to simply post my winnings as a check ( UK cheque) in an envelope. They say " You are not following our instructions, do as you are told " If your a total newbie to scams and that sort of reply still doesn't set alarm bells ringing then be glad you read this page ! Think ! If you did win the lotto, don't you think that you would have at least purchased a lotto ticket ? All that rubbish about the winning ticket that was magically attached to your E-mail, and by some totally anonymous, yet discerning person who was doing you a great favor. Think ! This lotto win doesn't ring true, because it isn't true. THE PHISHING SCAM
This is the Hook... "Urgent: Due to upgrades of our server we need to verify that your account is still active with us. Please sent us your user name and password so that we can confirm that you are still active on our database. You must comply within 7 days or your account will be suspended or terminated with us" Phishing is the scam of acquiring personal information about you by deceptive means, such as getting you to log in at your bank by providing a link for you to click on, which leads to a fake bank web site, fake E-mails asking for your information and fake websites getting you to input personal details. Phishing e-mails will often try to frighten you into divulging your information. Its a scam.
This phishing scam comes from fake sources that claim to be your Bank , Paypal, E-bay or other account sources. They just want your details so that they can log in under your name and steal your money. Remember that your real Bank, Building Society, Paypay, E-bay or other source where you have finances, will NEVER EVER ask for your password or other ID information in an E-mail or even over the telephone. If there was a problem with your account then your Bank etc would normally ask you to visit them in person, or if Paypal or E-bay were to contact you, then they will always address you by your name not just "dear customer" or "dear user " and furthermore they will tell you your account number ! THE BUYERS SCAM
You may for example have listed your car or other expensive item for sale on E-bay or in the newspaper. The scammer contacts you offering to pay more that you are asking for, this is because the scammer wants to have the item shipped to another country and wants you to arrange all the shipping fees and pay out of the promised amount, you are asked to send them back the difference via Western Union money transfer. The money order you initially receive for the item looks real, so you have it deposited into your bank account. This scam only works now if you don't wait for the money order to clear before shipping your item plus sending them the balance. The money order will NEVER clear, its a fake that was never authorized by the bank it was stolen from, you have now lost your item, lost some cash and may have to reconcile with the bank. THE CAREER OPPORTUNITY PHISHING SCAM
This is the Hook... "Subject: Excellent Career Opportunity from ICAG -International Careers Advisory Group. to employ a new Marketing and Financial Representative on behalf of GMS inc Due to extensive growth within industry trends there now lies a situation vacant for a dynamic, intelligent and resourceful marketing representative to be a part of our expanding company at Global Marketing Systems GMS. We are one of the world leaders in marketing strategies and are heavily focused on serving offshore customers. We realize how the "credit crunch" is effecting business and commerce and that's where you step in. We offer 100% successful and approved marketing strategies throughout the western world by employing people like you in key areas to help stimulate growth via our patented marketing system that has proven to be a great success. We have international banking transfer issues that hinder us from instant direct payment from the USA due to current credit crunch issues and you will be required to handle all monies from the USA for us as a middleman company representative on 15% commission" You have posted your resume (or CV in the UK) on a legitimate employment site and the above job offer arrives in your in-box. or you may just receive this through your regular E-mail address. It looks good, too good. Its a scam. The scammers are just after identity theft, and to steal money from your bank account and for you to deposit a fake money order for several thousand into your bank account of which you must send 85% immediately to your new "employer" Below is a recent scam that I received in my regular e-mail account. Notice the bad grammar and spelling. We are a company that conduct surveys and evaluate other
companies.
email part censored with *zzzz* Scammers love to use yahoo or g-mail accounts as they are harder to trace. Also, for a business offer its not even a good e-mail address just some fake name with with lots of numbers behind it....this is also a dead give away of a scam email. Remember: A proper business will always have a proper e-mail account and not hotmail, g-mail, yahoo or other free internet account. The E-mail IP header address was actually email3.ebole.com.tw 210.5.154.162 which I traced back to China...quite a long way from Merseyside, Liverpool in the UK !! DISASTER RELIEF FUND SCAM
This is the Hook... Subject Tsunami Appeal Fund "Dear concerned, We are the effected and suffering people by the recent tragedy, we have no homes, no food and we are in a desperate situation with many now dying and losing their most loved and precious ones, with many children suffering so terribly. We pray to God that you will help the suffering and severely under privileged. Can you please help by sending a donation via Western Union Money Transfer or Money Gram Transfer to Mr Akim Abootoo. Kurus RT008-RT0081 Utara, Jakarta Indonesia 14131" All and any disasters that happen in this world are followed by a spate of begging E-mails for funds and donations to be sent to those most effected by the tragedy. These E-mails can be quite heart rendering and emotional, Scammers could not care less about the tragedy, they will just set up fake charities and fake web sites to take all the money they can. They always talk of their great plight but they still have access to a fully working computer with internet access? If you do receive E-mails like this, NEVER click on the provided link and give details of your bank or anything else. Its a scam pure and simple. If you do wish to donate monies to a charity, then simply contact a registered, well known and reputable charity yourself. FREE HOLIDAYS AND TRAVEL SCAM
This is the Hook... "Subject: Free Travel You have won free passage to the holiday destination of your choice, please click the link below to go the our web site to learn more..." You receive an E-mail with a great offer to travel free or at least at a very very low fares to some superb destination or a destination of your choice, but you must book it within a certain time constraint usually 24 or 72 hours of getting the E-mail or the offer expires. When you make contact with the company, the travel to the destination may indeed be free but the hotel rates will be very much over priced or there will be hidden charges and you won't find out until you sign on the dotted line. There will often be administration charges to pay too. Some places deliver no travel, no holiday or anything, they just want your personal details for ID theft or to scam the initial payments of you. If you want that affordable dream holiday, then visit your local travel agents and see what offers they have got. Don't reply to those off chance E-mails offering all and sundry. Its a scam. EARN MONEY FROM YOUR COMPUTER AT HOME SCAM
This is the Hook... "Turn you computer into a money making machine by working from home with our simple innovative system. Our System is unique and has made many thousands of our clients rich by going into this program. Sign up now at the one time reduced offer of $295 only while offer remains" These scams con you into buying some rubbish scheme that you then put into operation yourself at home. In reality they just want the $295 from you that's all, with the promise of a total refund if not satisfied, easily promised and of course, never carried out. They do like to use attention getting psychological terms like "one time offer" "special offer" "just sign up" "simply register" and other trash like "only while this offer remains" You will find that to set up whatever scam/scheme it is you are supposed to run, will initially cost you many hundreds of dollars to get started and unbeknown to you, it will not yield anything in return. You may be scammed into making items for promises of cash payments, in that you paint pictures, make some crochet work, assemble models from kits, proofread web sites etc but you will never do anything that finally meets the companies approval to pay you, your work will never meet their standard. Beware of get rich quick scams/schemes too, whereas a millionaire is prepared to majestically divulge how he made all of his millions. He actually made his millions by getting people to pay for his prattle in the first place ! THE FOREIGN GIRLFRIEND SCAM This... This is the Hook... "Hi my name is Ronda and I have seen your profile on facebook/myspace. You look like a fun guy to be with, I think you look sexy, such a handsome fun guy, please contact me as I would so much love to know more about you, I am a lonely, shy, sweet and attractive young lady who is looking for a mans true friendship" You may get an E-mail either through your facebook/myspace account or even just straight into your regular E-mail. If you reply, you will slowly be "groomed" first with a photo of a beautiful young blonde, there will be several E-mails between you both, as the scammer builds up a rapport with you, the scammer will eventually tell you that she needs to visit you, but has no money, could you send her $1000, $2000 or more so that she can get a passport, bribe officials etc to get out of the country to visit you. Its a scam. When you send the money, that will be the last you will hear off facebook/myspace multi personalities Ronda or whatever false name he or she under. You don't need to be a detective, just use common sense and think! is it too good to be true?
They get your money, you get nothing that's the way of the scam. If you recognize a scam E-mail for what it is, along with all its bad grammar, spelling other flaws and weird attributes then never tell them that their spelling, grammar, strategy etc is wrong, as you in effect help them to become better and more convincing for the next potential target. Scammers, particularly of the E-mail scam are derogatorily called "Mugus" or "Lads" by the scambaiting fraternity, who play along with them and waste their time. Remember that these Mugus are dangerous criminals, NEVER give them personal information about yourself. Below are three great recommended websites that offer more information about internet scams. Please do get wise to scams and visit these sites and tell everyone you know who has access to the internet to visit them too.
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