If you hear any of these lines, your fraud alarm should start buzzing.

If you hear any of these lines, your fraud alarm should start buzzing.

Many scam artists employ time tested techniques. Here are common pitches to watch out for.

"Just wire the money" Wire transfer is the most common way con artists get cash from their victims, according to the National Consumers League. Unlike with credit cards, you have no way to stop payment or recover funds. So the perp is sure to get his money.More from Money Magazine

"Cash this check" Cons often win trust by sending you what looks like a real check. They may ask you to cash it and return all or a portion of it to them to cover fees or an overpayment. The check will invariably bounce, and you'll be on the hook for the money.

"I'm contacting you from [insert foreign country name here]" Anytime a stranger offers you an easy money proposition, be suspicious - but be especially so if the stranger is overseas. Scammers like to operate outside the U.S., where it's harder for authorities to prosecute them.

"You're guaranteed a 10% return every month" To get high returns, you have to take high risk. As a benchmark: The stock market's long-term return is 10% a year. Any deal that "guarantees" that or more is a scam.

"Don't tell anyone else about this opportunity" Con artists often discourage you from talking about an opportunity with anyone who could talk you out of it or who could really check it out.

"Only a few lucky investors can get in, so you must act right away" Scammers like to give the impression that the deal has a deadline, in hopes you'll hand over your money before doing any due diligence.

Resist the pressure. Get all the information before making a decision.

Rental Scammers

Rental scammers. How to aviod them

Today I wanna tell you a little bit about Rental Scamers & how to unmask them. First of all, how do they work?

This scam works just how it sounds. A scam artist rents a property so they can show it to other prospective renters. They’ll collect first and last month’s rent, security deposits and any fees or charges they can squeeze out of their victims before skipping town with the loot. There have been reports of a single property being leased or rented to dozens of people before the crook vanished with their money.

Now watch this video, it will help to unmask Rental Scamers and to avoid the deception!

If Ebay Was Truthful

If Ebay Was Truthful
What would these listings look like if by some magic everyone was forced into full disclosure and absolute honesty?

I doubt of course that it can happen one day, but still - another Internet fraudsters in their unique way... They do not lie to us, they just do not tell the truth....

So see, remember, and beware!!!

How to Avoid Sports Handicapping Scams

When gamblers are trying to nail down a pick for a certain game or just want to change their betting fortunes, they all turn to a common source – sports handicapping services. Quite a few of these gamblers will look for free picks on the Internet, but others will pay money to get picks. The second group mentioned is putting a lot of trust in these handicapping services to deliver since they're willing to pay money to see the picks. Unfortunately, they don't always get good advice and, worse yet, they could get scammed in the process. Here are the things you need to look out for to avoid getting one pulled over on you by a phony handicapping service. 

Forum Tricks

Since the Internet is becoming a bigger part of people’s lives these days, forums have increased in popularity by leaps and bounds. Sports betting forums are no different in this regard, and so lots of handicappers like to hang out on these to try and attract new customers to their service. The majority of these people are legitimate, but there are plenty of so-called handicappers that aren’t. 

 

The way these con-artists operate is through the usage of delayed game picks and multiple forum accounts. The reason for the delayed game picks is because these people want others to believe that their fake service is picking winners all of the time. So they simply wait until the game is over, make an official-looking set of game picks, and do their best to convince forum members that their handicapping service did indeed make these picks. 

 

Multiple e-mail accounts serve to create the illusion that everyone likes their service and has won lots of money through them. By simply signing up for several forum names, the assumed handicapper can create multiple posts commending the handicapping service from what looks like a neutral source. 

Playing Both Sides

In the past, handicappers frequently scammed people by playing both sides of the fence in a game. This risky and immoral practice involves two methods:

 

- To pull off the first method, a person needs to own at least two different handicapping services. With one service, they will offer a pick on one team in the game. Then, using the other service, they’ll pick the other side to win the game which ensures at least half of the people are happy.   

 

- The second way to play both sides is to split your customer base into two halves. After this is done, you simply give one pick to one half of the people and the other pick to the other half.

 

Luckily, the advent of the aforementioned forums has cut down on this practice since people can talk about their picks with each other and expose this fraud. But this practice still must be watched out for since the threat does exist. 

E-mail Scams

E-mail fraud is becoming more and more common as criminals can make major money by fooling people with deceptive e-mails. Gambling is definitely one industry which has been severely affected by these e-mail scams since many criminals have posed as sports handicappers in order to get people's cash. 

 

The most popular method fake handicappers use to fool gamblers through e-mail is by using a combination of free accounts and forums. The perpetrator will post a personal pick in a forum, then wait for the results. If the game is a success, they will send out e-mails to people bragging about the win, while at the same time advertising their phony service and picks. Even if the game loses, they can just go sign up for another e-mail account and repeat the process all over again.

The Most Dangerous Health Scams

Today i decided to share with you some well-known aids that are not the ones they claim to be

So look, remember and beware

Ephedra

While marginally effective, this popular diet aid didn't result in nearly as much weight loss as its ads claimed, and it had the nasty side effect of raising blood pressure enough to cause strokes, heart problems and dizziness. This wasn't entirely unexpected, given that the active ingredient in ephedra is almost identical to synthetic ephedrine, which the FDA has carefully regulated for years.

Q-Ray Magnetic Bracelet

A magnetic bracelet marketed for relief of musculoskeletal pain, sciatica, headaches, tendinitis and injuries, the Q-Ray was reportedly ionized by a secret process that conferred pain-relieving abilities. The marketers, Que Te Park and Jung Joo Park, also offered a 30-day money-back guarantee that was frequently unavailable when customers requested a refund.

A panel of experts, including Richard Cleland, assistant director for the division of advertising practices at the Federal Trade Commission; Dr. Robert Baratz, MD, DDS, PhD, president of the National Council Against Health Fraud; and Andrea Giancoli, spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, found these to be the most scientifically inaccurate, physically and fiscally damaging health scams over the past five years.

Other notable health scams have included false cures for AIDS, diabetes and cancer, offering treatments such as malariotherapy, ozone therapy, Cancell and the 7-Day Miracle Cleanse.

These sorts of nostrums, critics contend, are dangerous because they prey on people who are afraid and sick, convincing them to forgo traditional therapies like chemotherapy, sometimes for so long that their diseases progress and are no longer curable.

Such was the case in the mid-'90s with New Yorker Julianne Charell, a woman in her sixties who was so mired in controversial Dr. Nicholas Gonzalez's suspect cancer regimen--which included repeated coffee enemas and up to 150 vitamin pills a day--that she went blind before she realized her cancer had spread.

So... BEWARE, people!!! And tell me what do you think about this...

Charity Scams

The Set-Up

A charity presents you with a need.

The Hook

You respond generously, without checking the charity's or collector's credentials.

The Sting

There was no charity, your money is gone, and the people in need get nothing.

 You are presented with an opportunity to be generous, and you respond. Unfortunately the charity turns out to be fake or a scammer pretending to be a real charity. You lose your money.

Natural disasters are often the trigger for fake charity scams. Scammers were asking for money immediately after the 2004 tsunami.

Other charity scammers will play on your emotions by presenting you with images and stories about sick children or homeless animals.

Variations:

Charity Lottery Scams

Scammers can set up lotteries and sell tickets promoting the idea that the proceeds will be going to charity. If you check the terms and conditions of the lottery, though (which you should always do) you may discover that only a tiny fraction of the money raised goes to charity.

Stay Safe

If you are contacted by a charity you have never heard of before, do some research before saying 'yes' to any appeal.

If you are approached face-to-face by someone representing a charity, look for official identification. Even if they have ID, check for signs that the ID may be faked.

Do not be pressured or intimidated or made to feel guilty. Genuine charities would regard such tactics as bad for their reputations.

Ask for full details of the charity, such as name, address, phone number and charity registration details. If the collector is reluctant to give out this information, find another way to contribute.

Help Keep Others Safe

Pay attention to photos!!!

There are many beautiful ladies which are possible to meet at dating sites. Certainly, your first attention is attracted by a lady’s main photo. But be careful! Often it is better to look through ALL photos in her album!! Because you can be very surprised! Just take a look and compare:

I have noth to add here.... Maybe you do? Comments are welcome

Safety Tips For Internet Dating and Chatting

Internet dating may have some dangerous twists and turns

Looking for Mr. or Mrs. Right? Looking for a good time? Or maybe you want to find "a truly honest and good man or woman" to talk to. Do not fear, your dream date is only a click away! But beware- he or she may not be who you think. From dream date to criminal, you never know in the wide world of Internet dating.

Thirty percent of date-site viewers are actually inmates in prison, according to www.policenotebook.com. Although these inmates do not necessarily have direct access to the Internet, they correspond weekly through another person outside of prison. Inmates looking for help, love, or fortune on the Internet usually make only a passing reference, or none at all, to their criminal records.

"Aren't you fed up with meeting all the wrong men," posted an inmate named Harold Gordon. "In search of a truly honest and good man who is also in search of a partner? Well, have you ever thought of corresponding and having a relationship with a prisoner?" This man seems more to be held captive by romance rather than a guarded facility. But, however "innocent" he seems, Gordon is serving a life sentence without parole for first-degree murder, second-degree murder, and sodomy with force and kidnapping.

While dangers from dating sites is not common, viewers should still consider that the person with whom they are talking with may not be anything like they describe. They may not be the gender they claim, and they may provide prospective partners with false names, occupations, ages, and addresses.

If you experience problems when chatting on the net, especially ones that involve threatening or offensive content, contact your service provider. But to avoid this drastic action, follow these safety tips before participating in an online chat:

1. Avoid giving out personal information.
2. Be cautious when agreeing to meet anyone in person whom you've met on the Internet. Find a way to identify your potential romantic partner before you allow a meeting. Bring a friend along just in case!
3. If you choose to arrange a meeting, make it on your terms. You should meet in a public place, arrange your own transportation to and from the meeting, consider a double date setting, and set your own conditions.
4. Also, stay in lighted areas throughout the entirety of the meeting.

The Internet is very much like a community; the majority of the population is composed of good people who do their best to obey the rules and behave responsibly; however, there are potential offenders mixed in with the general public. Take precautions on the Internet just as you would in everyday life, to ensure you have a safe and pleasant cyber-dating experience.

International Lottery Scam Information

Not so long ago i could find an article on the related topic, so now i just wanna share it with you if you do not mind.


Lottery scams are one of the most common types of fraudulent email currently hitting inboxes. Be wary of unsolicited email that informs you that you have won a large sum of money in an international lottery. This is a common Internet scam. There is no lottery and no prize. Those who initiate a dialogue with the scammers by replying to the lottery scam emails will eventually be asked for advanced fees to cover expenses associated with delivery of the supposed "winnings". They may also become the victims of identity theft.

How Lottery Scams Work

You receive an unsolicited email, which states that you have won a major prize in an international lottery. Supposedly, your email address was collected online and attached to a random number that was subsequently entered in a draw for the lottery. In order to claim your prize, you are instructed to contact the official "agent" in charge of your case. You are also advised to keep the win confidential for "security reasons". This part of the scam is basically a random phishing expedition. If you respond in any way to the email, the scammers will send further messages or even contact you by phone in an attempt to draw you deeper into the scam.

You may be asked to provide banking details, a large amount of personal information, and copies of your driver's licence and passport. Ostensibly, these requests are to prove your identity and facilitate the transfer of your winnings. However, if you comply with these requests, the scammers will have enough information to steal your identity.

Sooner or later, the scammers will request some sort of advance fee supposedly to cover administration, legal or delivery costs. At its core, this scam is just a reworking of the Nigerian loan fraud, in which scammers also eventually ask for upfront fees to facilitate the "deal". Like Nigerian scams, victims who do actually pay the requested fees will probably find that they receive continuing payment demands to cover "unexpected expenses". The requests for money will go on until the victim realizes what is happening or has no further money to send.

In some cases, the scammers give victims the option of opening an account at a particular bank as an alternative to paying upfront fees. However, this "bank" which is completely bogus, will insist on an initial deposit of $3000 as a requirement for opening the account. The fake bank will have a legitimate looking website to reinforce the scam. In other cases, the victim is given the option of travelling to an overseas destination and paying a cash fee to facilitate the release of the funds. However, any "winnings" released to the victim will be counterfeit and therefore worthless.

The details of the lottery scams vary regularly with regard to the name of the lottery itself, the country of origin, the sponsoring organization, the amount of the "prize" and other particulars. The scammers try to add a patina of legitimacy to their claims by mentioning real financial institutions, government departments or well-known companies. They may also provide links to slick looking, but fraudulent websites that are designed to back up information included in the scam emails. If the scammers are successful in establishing a dialogue with a potential victim, they may provide "proof" such as a scanned image of a supposed government official's ID and even photographs of the "winnings" in cash.

What To Do If You Receive a Lottery Scam Email

If you receive one of these scam emails, it is important that you do not respond to it in any way. The scammers are likely to act upon any response from those they see as potential victims. Although it can be educational and even entertaining to "bait" these scammers, such endeavours should only be attempted under controlled conditions. The people who run these scams are criminals and could even resort to violence and intimidation to meet their aims. You should delete the email without replying. Before you delete the message, you might like to report the scam by forwarding the email to the address supplied on the FraudWatch International website.

What To Do If You Have Submitted Information to Lottery Scammers

If you have supplied banking details, a large amount of personal information, and copies of your driver's licence and passport to the scammers, then you may become a victim of identity theft. For details on what to do, read the information about identity theft published by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

What To Do If You Have Already Given Money To Lottery Scammers


Unfortunately, there is probably very little you can do to recover any money you have already supplied. However, you should inform your local law enforcement agency as soon as possible. Also, take steps to protect your identity by accessing information about identity theft published by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC).


People, pls, beware, such a scum runs everywhere

Dining out scam. Beware!

This is very old dining out scam that's been operating for many years but still some eateries are falling for it.

Perfectly normal couple (it works best with couples but families have been known to be involved with this scam) take a table and order their meals and drinks. They appear very amiable and affable with their host and other customers. It works best if other customers are present.

When their meal is almost finished and drinks nearly gone, he calls the waitress over and indicates towards the meal. He points out that there is something moving in the meal. It's a tiny insect or two or maybe a spider.

He complains to the point where his partner ALSO finds something similar as she pokes about in the remains of her meal. The waitress may call over the chef or the proprietor but the man is insistent, the food is totally inedible, that the restaurant is lax with their hygiene and that he and his wife may have been poisoned. Other diners poke nervously in their food too.

The crux is that the couple are let off the bill and receive effusive apologies. They leave in black humour and with threatening disgust.

They go on to do this again and again in other eateries in other locations.


If you are involved in the restaurant or pub trade. Beware!

Be careful - scum is everywhere...

Every day in the Internet appears some news trumpeting all over the world that some company has invented a new way to protect from fraudsters, raised security level of payment systems and etc. But swindlers are also not going to make no headway. Their keenness of wit may and even should cause envy. Some of them look for loopholes in laws, software and hardware; others directly contact their victims, then work over them and collect cash award for an artificially done work. Fraud is one of the most profitable businesses and one can hardly object this.

Scales and number of financial machinations carried out on the Internet have reached that mark that prejudices absolutely all positive sides of “virtual economy” as a new segment of financial sphere. And it’s true – what convenience and especially security of electronic transactions can be mentioned if stealing in Internet occur more often than in Central Park of New York. And the work with payment systems began to resemble a medieval merchant who was carrying his goods cross-country and was constantly attacked by the robbers.

Surely, safety depends also on the users themselves as sometimes ignorance level deprives them of their hard-earned money. So, 17 years old American boy has earned one million of dollars during several months by posting in the Internet an announcement where he suggested investing of some sum and paying back 25 times more, and it curiously enough, but people trusted him…

World Wide Web remembers a lot of interesting stories in its.

During the last years the word HYIP became almost the most popular word in the Internet. People offer you earn unreal money by investing sites and covering by beautiful advertisement. It’s strange, but most people believe them.

As you have already understood HYIPs are not safe and we decided to divide them into 2 categories. SCAM it is a real fraud aimed to some earning. Founders offer you great interest: more that 30% a day that cases suspicions. This interest money is usually paid from new intake or not paid at all. PONZI is analogue of pyramids. Founders create some nice site and then begin to attract investors by offering income approximately 50% a month. Terms of their work depend on amounts and speed of investing. Usually almost all participants remain deceived excluding those who top these pyramids. So, we can say with confidence that in 99% of cases HYIP is based on deception of investors.

Thus, one can draw a conclusion that fraud became not a defect of modern Internet but more likely its norm, or sub-segment of virtual economy, which develops independently and is feed by forces and finances and constantly expands. Winning victory over fraud is hardly possible, and the only reasonable and even banal piece of advice is to stay vigilant.

Use all your 5 senses and sharpness of wit and your money will not change its location, i.e. will remain in your wallet.

Besides, tell me pls, have you fallen a victim to scum?

Hello Buddies!

I decided to join u here at last.
well, I think it would be great to share some thoughts, to know your oppinion and to become penfriends.
What do u think?