A vulture is often referred to as a bird of prey. Contrary to other birds of prey, vultures prey on carcasses. Scammers can be likened to vultures, with a difference. Scammers prey on live, innocent and unwitting people trying out their luck in online business. Between the two, I find the vultures more honorable. They do what they do for survival. Scammers do what they do out of greed.
Scammers and their tools:
A scammer is one who, through fraudulent or deceptive acts or practices maliciously deprive innocent and naïve victims of their resources and opportunities. They do it purely for personal gain. They do it with such finesse that their victims would be unaware that they are set up for the kill until it is too late. Among the most common subjects of scammers are:
o Big earnings within a specific time, i.e., US $500 a day 30 mins after signing up;
o Becoming a millionaire in one week;
o No selling, no website, no cold calling, just cash in your account 24/7;
o Turning your websites into cash registers;
o Sales pages full of testimonials, short of details;
o Free access to information but an "Add to Cart" at the end of their endless sales pages;
o Winning a lottery you never heard of nor bought a ticket for;
o Being the beneficiary of a deceased person's estate from places you never heard of like Burkina Fasso.
When I started my online business I fell for one who promised to have my blog blasted to hundreds of blog directories and as many search engines. But I couldn't even get in touch with him for support.
Scammers and the clothes they wear:
With very strict anti-spamming laws, scammers have devised other means of hiding their dark intents by making use of safe lists, list builders and traffic exchanges. Through these media, they can still reach you by:
o Phishing:
This is the criminally fraudulent act of trying to get sensitive information like usernames, passwords, email addresses, credit card numbers by masquerading as a trustworthy entity or site in an electronic communication medium. Layman's term for "identity theft."
o Acting as bank examiners, business partners, or something:
I received an email from a guy in China offering me a partnership in his business, mostly in the U.S. The scheme was that I am going to collect from his clients. Once they pay, I am to take out my commission and deposit the rest to my credit card. The catch is I am to give him my credit card number.
In others, you will be contacted by somebody about a fraudulent activity in your bank account, with the offer of investigating or correcting it. Once you give your bank account details, you have been had.
o Fund administrator:
Everyday I get email notices of having won a lottery or being designated the sole heir of a dead millionaire or an ATM card with millions of dollars in it. At the end is always the request for a fee to facilitate the release of such funds.
These scams are going on and alive as manifested by the emails I receive each day. Could someone out there be foolish enough to fall for these? Since it has never faded away, it is easy to surmise that some poor souls have been falling for these.
Joseph Dabon
http://homebizresources.net/, the site for those looking for work-at-home job opportunities.
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