The solicitations trumpet unbelievable earnings claims $1,000 a day or more without doing any work. Many business opportunity solicitations claim to offer a way to make money in an Internet-related business. Short on details but long on promises, these messages usually offer a telephone number to call for more information. In many cases, you’ll be told to leave your name and telephone number so that a salesperson can call you back with the sales pitch.

The scam: Many of these are illegal pyramid schemes masquerading as legitimate opportunities to earn money.

2. Bulk email

Bulk email solicitations offer to sell you lists of email addresses, by the millions, to which you can send your own bulk solicitations. Some offer software that automates the sending of email messages to thousands or millions of recipients. Others offer the service of sending bulk email solicitations on your behalf. Some of these offers say, or imply, that you can make a lot of money using this marketing method.

The problem: Sending bulk email violates the terms of service of most Internet service providers. If you use one of the automated email programs, your ISP may shut you down. In addition, inserting a false return address into your solicitations, as some of the automated programs allow you to do, may land you in legal hot water with the owner of the address’s domain name. There are also very strict rules, known as the CAN-SPAM Act, regulating bulk email marketing.

3. Chain letters

You’re asked to send a small amount of money ($5 to $20) to each of four or five names on a list, replace one of the names on the list with your own, and then forward the revised message via bulk email. The letter may claim that the scheme is legal, that it’s been reviewed or approved by the government; or it may refer to sections of U.S. law that legitimize the scheme.

The scam: Chain letters are almost always illegal and nearly all of the people who participate lose their money. The fact that a “product” such as a report on how to make money fast may be changing hands in the transaction does not change the legality of these schemes.

4. Work-at-home schemes

Envelope-stuffing solicitations promise steady income for minimal labor-for example, you’ll earn $2 each time you fold a brochure and seal it in an envelope. Craft assembly work schemes often require an investment of hundreds of dollars in equipment or supplies, and many hours of your time producing goods for a company that has promised to buy them.

The scam: You’ll pay a small fee to get started in the envelope-stuffing business. Then, you’ll learn that the email sender never had real employment to offer. Instead, you’ll get instructions on how to send the same envelope-stuffing ad on your own. If you earn any money, it will be from others who fall for the scheme you’re perpetuating.

5. Health and diet scams

Pills that let you lose weight without exercising or changing your diet, herbal formulas that liquefy your fat cells so that they are absorbed by your body, and cures for impotence and hair loss are among the scams flooding email boxes.

The scam: These gimmicks don’t work. The fact is that successful weight loss requires a reduction in calories and an increase in physical activity. Beware of case histories from “cured” consumers claiming amazing results and testimonials from “famous” medical experts you’ve never heard of.

6. Effortless income

The trendiest get-rich-quick schemes offer unlimited profits exchanging money on world currency markets; newsletters describing a variety of easy-money opportunities; the perfect sales letter; and the secret to making $4,000 in one day.

The scam: If these systems worked, wouldn’t everyone be using them? The thought of easy money may be appealing, but success generally requires hard work.

7. Free goods

Some email messages offer valuable goods-for example, computers, other electronic items, and long-distance phone cards-for free. You’re asked to pay a fee to join a club, then told that to earn the offered goods, you have to bring in a certain number of participants. You’re paying for the right to earn income by recruiting other participants, but your payoff is in goods, not money.

The scam: Most of these messages are covering up pyramid schemes, operations that inevitably collapse. The payoff goes to the promoters and little or none to you.

8. Investment opportunities

Investment schemes promise outrageously high rates of return with no risk. Many are Ponzi schemes, in which early investors are paid off with money contributed by later investors. This makes the early investors believe that the system actually works, and encourages them to invest even more.

The scam: Ponzi schemes eventually collapse because there isn’t enough money coming in to continue simulating earnings. Other schemes are a good investment for the promoters, but no for participants.

9. Cable descrambler kits

For a small sum of money, you can buy a kit to assemble a cable descrambler that supposedly allows you to receive cable television transmissions without paying any subscription fee.

The scam: The device that you build probably won’t work. Most of the cable TV systems in the U.S. use technology that these devices can’t crack. What’s more, even if it worked, stealing service from a cable television company is illegal.

10. Guaranteed loans or credit, on easy terms

Some email messages offer home-equity loans that don’t require equity in your home. Usually, these are said to be offered by offshore banks. Sometimes they are combined with pyramid schemes, which offer you an opportunity to make money by attracting new participants to the scheme.

The scams: The home equity loans turn out to be useless lists of lenders who will turn you down. The promised credit cards never come through, and the pyramid schemes always collapse.

11. Credit repair

Credit repair scams offer to erase accurate negative information from your credit file so you can qualify for a credit card, auto loan, home mortgage, or a job.

The scam: The scam artists who promote these services can’t deliver. Only time, a deliberate effort, and a personal debt repayment plan will improve your credit. The companies that advertise credit repair services appeal to consumers with poor credit histories. Not only can’t they provide you with a clean credit record, but they also may be encouraging you to violate federal law. If you follow their advice by lying on a loan or credit application, misrepresenting your Social Security number, or getting an Employer Identification Number under false pretenses, you will be committing fraud.

12. Vacation prize promotions

Electronic certificates congratulating you on “winning” a fabulous vacation for a very attractive price are among the scams arriving in your email. Some say you have been “specially selected” for this opportunity.

The scam: Most unsolicited commercial email goes to thousands or millions of recipients at a time. Often, the cruise ship you’re booked on may look more like a tug boat. The hotel accommodations likely are shabby, and you may be required to pay more for an upgrade. Scheduling the vacation at the time you want it also may require an additional fee.

In Closing

Don’t check your common sense at the door simply because you are surfing the web. If it seems to good to be true, it is. Don’t fall victim to these scams.

Occasionally, you might yourself in the unenviable position of being short on cash. This doesn’t mean you don’t have enough money to go out on Friday night, it means that there was some kind of emergency that created extra expenses that negated your monthly budget planning. Perhaps you need emergency car repairs. You might have had to take a trip to the emergency room and are now paying unexpected medical expenses. Whatever the reason, if you are in need of cash to get you to your next paycheck, you should see if payday loan lenders can help to get you through.

Payday loans are short-term loans for people who need a few hundred dollars at a time. Most of these loans don’t last for more than two weeks and rarely are for amount over five hundred dollars. They are exactly what they say they are: loans of cash until your next payday. You might think that it would be easier to max out your credit card, but there are all kinds of hidden fees involved in that option. Also, most people are more likely to pay back a loan on time rather than their credit card bill.

Today, it is very quick and easy to secure a payday loan. There are many lenders who have an online presence. You can shop around online for the best rates and apply to the lender that most appeals to you. Your entire application can be filled out online and you never have to go into a physical store.

Today, securing a payday loan is easier than ever because of the privacy and speed of the internet. From the comfort of your own home you can browse the sites of several lenders, find the one that best suits your needs and fill out an application form online.

If you file during business hours you should find that your short-term loan will be approved in as little as one business day and the cash will be wired directly to your bank account. When you are ready to repay your loan you simply put money back into your bank account and transfer it to the lender.

You might even want to take out a payday loan even if you don’t need the cash right away. The reason to do is to raise your credit score. If you take out a small loan and repay it on time, you will establish a history of responsible borrowing. After a few such transactions, you should see your score rise.

While some people may vilify payday loan lenders, as long as their service is used responsibly, it is a great way to keep you and your family financially afloat in case something unexpected happens. Now that the service is available on the internet, you can avail yourself of it quickly and easily, a huge bonus if you need to money in response to an emergency.

Rose Martin has a passion for helping people save money and solve urgent financial needs. She recommends Payday Loan Today when you are looking for honest, reliable payday loan lenders or you just need a cash advance loan online.

There are a variety of credit report companies that operate in similar ways. They house a database that has information about any consumer in regards to credit and other important details about how an individual’s finances are handled. They collect information that many businesses buy to learn if a person is credit worthy. Here is what you can expect from credit report companies and how they work.

There are three top, major credit report companies that are heavily used by businesses. Some companies report your payment history and reports to all three and some companies only deal with one of the three. If you are ever looking at your credit report, it is a good idea to look at what all three companies have.

The majority of the businesses who grant credit to consumers subscribe to the major credit report companies. They actively pull reports to learn how much debt you have and how you have paid your previous financial obligations, they will also report how you do business with them once you make your first payment. Paying on time will help keep your report clean.

You may have heard the term credit score being used. This is a method that is calculated based on a variety of factors to put you in a credit worthiness category. If you have ever applied for a credit card or loan, you may have seen on the application a question asking if your credit is Excellent or poor and everything in between.

What many people don’t know is that even if you have paid your debts to your lenders on time having never missed a payment and have strong payment patterns, other things can effect or lower your score. If you have too much credit, it may look unfavorable as in the eyes of lenders, you may be over extending yourself.

By keeping your accounts paid off, displaying that you paid them off in accordance with the lenders terms, and keeping your debt to income ratio in acceptable alignment, you will be able to keep a positive credit report and favorable credit score. To stay on top of your report, you can subscribe to get frequent views of your credit status.

It’s recommended everyone check their credit report from time to time. Credit report companies make it easy to fix mistakes that you see. They work to assist the business community and you as the consumer.

For information and tips on credit reporting agencies and free TRW credit reports, visit Free Online Credit Reports.

Online money making scams are a revolutionary concern in this new century. They are all over the internet and can be very tricky. They have one thing in common – you are searching for ways to earn money yet you end up losing your hard earned cash.

It is actually very possible to make money online. But the problem lies in choosing the right ways to earn money instead of losing it. To do this, you need to avoid getting scammed by recognizing legitimate money making opportunities from the trash. Here are some simple yet effective ways to avoid getting scammed.

Ask yourself if the site sounds believable

This should be the very first question that pops up in your mind every time you encounter an online money making opportunity. Decide whether it looks legitimate at first glance. But remember that some scam sites will do everything just to look and sound real. So be careful not to get deceived by these hoaxes.

Check if they require a payment before you can join

The most common online scams are those that require an upfront payment before you can start working for them. Common sense would tell us that we are looking for money and not the other way around. As a general rule, legitimate and reputable work opportunities won’t require any payment from you.

Don’t easily give out your trust

Some online money scams mask themselves by warning you against scams and claiming to be the legitimate sites. They promise you easy money that sometimes sounds to good to be true.

Know the common online money scams

If you have been keen enough in observing online scams, you will notice that the most common ones usually look promising and convincing. Examples of such scams are get rich quick schemes, make money easily, pyramid schemes, pay to join affiliate programs where they say you don’t even have to know marketing.

If you are still unsure, then investigate

To further help you decide, do some research about the legality of the company or website. Also, check if they offer contact information in their website. If there is a phone number listed, you can try to call the number to check if it is a working number and if there are really human representatives available. This is necessary because in the future you may need some support. If you can’t get someone to talk to, that would be something that will be troubling you in the future.

One great way of investigating the legitimacy of the website is by visiting the Better Business Bureau’s (BBB) website. In there, you can search for the website’s URL address. You will also know if it is a registered website and if there have been any past complaints filed against it.

Other sites that can help you sort out scams from the legitimate ones are Scam Free Zone and Net Scams. They provide listings for legitimate prospective employees that offer reasonable work opportunities. If you are really serious about earning online, then you need to follow these simple steps to avoid being a victim of scam. There are a lot of genuine opportunities online. It just depends on how good you are in hunting them down. Avoid online money making scams and you will save your hard earned cash as well as your time.

Coastal vacation scam artists take people’s money with promises of phony vacations. Many of these offers use words like “cheap Hawaiian vacation” to lure travelers.

Most people dream of taking a coastal vacation. They may hope for a cheap Hawaiian vacation package or dream of a coastal vacation resort weekend. But many coastal vacation scams disguise themselves as legitimate offers. Police report an increase in coastal vacation scams in recent years.

The Internet spawned a new breed of coastal vacation scam artist wanting to cheat honest consumers out of their money. Anyone who types in cheap Hawaiian vacation package into a “Google” search engine will find over one million hits.

The Federal Trade Commission reported 3,600 consumers scammed in 2002, amounting to $3.5 million. How can consumers tell the difference between a coastal vacation scam and an honest cheap vacation package?

1. Many people operating coastal vacation scams will ask for a credit card or other financial information early in the conversation. Many of these so-called vacation companies want consumers to give their financial information online for a “cheap Hawaiian vacation.”

The desire by the company to receive financial information before the consumer feel comfortable doing so should indicate a red flag and a possible coastal vacation scam.

Many cases of identity fraud started with coastal vacation scams. Consumers receive their bank or credit card statements and find that in addition to their “cheap Hawaiian vacation,” charges of cash advances and purchases of high-dollar merchandise. Consumers who fall prey to identity fraud should contact their local law enforcement immediately about the coastal vacation scam.

2. The company operating coastal vacation scams will offer the consumer very little details about the planned trip. The person on the other line, on the phone or on the Internet, will offer constant assurances the hotel in the cheap Hawaiian vacation package features Oceanside views, luxuries rooms and private balconies—very broad descriptions.

The “seller” of the coastal vacation scam may claim they stayed there many times but cannot give specifics. The company asks the consumer not to contact the hotel or resort directly about the vacation package, another sign of a coastal vacation scam.

If the consumer cannot confirm the reservations with the hotel directly, the consumer should look elsewhere for a cheap Hawaiian vacation. Consumers should get the details and take charge of their coastal vacation and not fall prey to coastal vacation scams.

3. Coastal vacation scam artists use word like “free” or “vacation offer.” Often these so-called “offers” include a daylong presentation before families can use their free tickets–a common coastal vacation scam technique. If consumers cannot see the islands on their cheap Hawaiian vacation and must sit through lengthy presentations, the vacation may not seem so “cheap.”

4. The Better Business Bureau and other government agencies maintain lists of coastal vacation scams. Smart consumers check these lists and report any contact by these coastal vacation scam artists.

One of the more popular ruses offers a cheap Hawaiian vacation or a cheap family vacation package. Fear of a coastal vacation scam should not keep consumers from seeking out great vacation deals, like a cheap Hawaiian vacation.

Many companies offer legitimate family vacation packages and an honest travel incentive program that saves families even more money on their vacation costs. Coastal vacation scams should not discourage travelers.

This little scam has been around for a while. It does not feature in the “Top Ten” work at home scams but it might find its way there in the near future because there has been a sudden surge of activity recently from people imitating this particular online scam.

The scam is quite simple and works as follows.

A self styled work at home scam “investigator” sets up a website with an anti-scam type of name: http://DontLetThemScamU.com or ScamNoMore.inf or something along those lines. Some even manage to work the word “authority” or “agency” into the site name to add credibility by implying they are part of a government department.

The website home page will have large headlines warning that the Internet is full of work at home scam programs and promises to reveal the truth about them. The page tells us how the author has been scammed repeatedly by work at home scam programs and has lost boatloads of money online. It goes on to describe how the scammers’ prey turned into the hunter and is now able to unmask the frauds and unveil the legitimate work at home programs discovered during his crusade.

The details of the story vary a little and sometimes the “chief investigator” has a female sidekick helping with the undercover investigations. One current version of the investigator’s story is that this serial scam victim set out on a one man mission to investigate Internet work at home programs and unmask the scammers for the benefit of humanity. After spending five years contacting every home business program owner he could find on the Internet, he is going to share (at no charge) the benefit of his vast experience with us – like a kind of virtual Robin Hood. Let’s call our example investigator Robin from now on.

When you visit his website, Robin invites you to subscribe to his email series so that he can explain in detail what work at home scams are to be encountered on the Internet and how to avoid falling for them. Everyone wants to avoid scams, so it seems sensible to subscribe.

When the emails arrive, Robin explains at length how practically every money making online opportunity is a scam. He lumps together all sorts of different online businesses such as real estate investing, stock market investing, HYIP’s, affiliate marketing, paid online surveys and data entry programs, declaring them all to be scams. For good measure, he also throws in all books and courses about building an Internet business and declares the authors of all of them to be frauds. In most instances the accusations remain vague and Robin never offers any evidence to substantiate his allegations.

Fortunately, so Robin tells us, he has managed to find treasure in the midst of all the trash and can recommend just three programs as being honest. These three programs get his seal of approval as being legitimate home business opportunities and offering a real chance to make honest money from a home based business. To help you further, Robin tells you to sign up to his selected programs quickly because they are filling up fast and you might miss the chance to join and start earning the money you’ve always dreamed of.

The truth is that the real scammer is our virtual Robin Hood, our hero is actually a bad guy in disguise. Robin has not really spent five years selflessly researching Internet work at home programs and losing money to scammers for the benefit of his fellow man. He just painted all those other programs black to make his whitewashed offerings look legitimate by comparison.

All sorts of things about Robin’s claims raise questions such as: If he was getting scammed and losing money, what did he live on? Can it be true that out of all the thousands of work at home opportunities available, there are only three legitimate ones? Does this mean companies like Avon and Tupperware have turned into scams? Apart from the niggling questions, you should instinctively distrust anyone who attempts to make his choice of work at home program look better by making derogatory comments about all the other available programs. If a work at home program is legitimate, its members will promote it without needing to tarnish the reputation of its competitors.

Debt at the moment is a widespread thing. Carrying too much debt can be negative to both you and your family. Debt can hold you back from doing and having the things you want. “Keeping up with the Jones’s” isn’t a healthy way to be living.

When you finally decide to get out of debt, take a look at your finances and see where your money is being spent. Once you have taken a good look at where your money is going, you are able to sit down and make your plan of attack.

There are financial counselors and programs out there to help you with your journey to get out of debt.

There are financial counselors out there who are willing to help. One of these people is Dave Ramsey. He has created a tried and true program, he even did it himself, that, if stuck to, will get you out of debt. It is all laid out for you and even goes a step further. Once the debt is gone, he goes into how to save for retirement, for college funds and how to make your money work for you.

If you are truly deep into debt, there is bankruptcy or debt settlement. This is basically where you file a claim stating that you are incapable to pay what you owe. If your house or any other assets are involved, those are forfeited. Think long and hard before doing a bankruptcy. This takes a massive toll on your credit score and will linger on your for many, many years to come. It might look like the quick fix although it never ends up being that way.

The most drastic of the get out of debt options is bankruptcy. This is filing a claim saying that you are incapable to pay off your debts. This option will have the hardest effect on you. If your home or car is involved in the bankruptcy claim, they will be forfeited. This will take a huge hit on your credit score and will make it difficult if not impossible to buy a home or a car for many years. Do not go into a bankruptcy lightly. Deplete all other options ahead of going through with a bankruptcy.

The decision to get out of debt is a hard decision and once made, will be the best decision ever made. Being out of debt will have a positive affect on your life in loads of ways. The journey out of debt will be a long and tough one, nevertheless once you get there, it will be absolutely worth it.

At Debt Help Source you can learn about a number of different methods of getting out of debt.

Work at home business scams are becoming more prevalent these days because of the increased popularity of home based jobs. It is sad to see people falling into the trap of such cons. Usually these cons are pointed at work from home moms, the elderly and also disabled people. If you are looking for a work at home career, then you must know how to determine these scams to avoid becoming a victim.

Here are some examples of some work at home business scams:

Scam #1: Envelope Stuffing

This is the classic con which many of us has come across at least once in the past. You see an advertisement or a junk mail announcing that you can gain $1-$2 for every envelope you stuff. Sounds like you can earn money easily, right?? Think again. Most of the time, you need to pay a start-up fee of somewhere $30 or more to join the envelope stuffing program. When you receive the start-up package, you realize that the instruction tells you to spread the word about this envelope stuffing business, then you will get paid. The trick is that they want you to help in earning the start-up fees by sending out the same junk mail you received in the first place. The trick is to get your start-up fee (your money!) first before you realize how this home based business scam really works.

Scam #2 : Processing Medical Bills

This home business scam requires you to pay anywhere from $300 to $900 for the tools you need to start your own medical billing service at home. They will promise you some advanced billing software as well as a list of would be clients in your neighborhood. Don’t you think that most medical institutions would process their own medical bills or outsource the processing to a legitimate company, instead of individuals with no experience or knowledge whatsoever? When the package arrives (if it ever does!), you will find that the software is not up-to-date or does not work at all and the list of customers is just plain wrong. Chances are you will never be able to get a refund.

Scam #3 : Craft Assembly

In this home based business scam, you are told you will be given an extremely huge amount of money for every toy, doll, jewelry or other craft item you assemble at home. In order to start, first you are required to pay a start up fee to receive a starter pack which includes instructions and parts. When you are done assembling the product, you are told by the company that they do not meet their specifications therefore you will not get paid for it. Actually you will never be able to reach their expectations because the scam gets money by selling the starter packs. At the end of the day, you are left with a bunch of unwanted products cluttering up your home.

Scam #4 : Data Entry

There are numerous advertisements and postings for data entry opportunities on the Internet and even on online employment sites. All you need to do is just pay $10 to purchase a training package and they would send you all the training materials. You should also see that the job scope is normally very blurry and no prior experience is required. The “job description” is usually that you will need to mail out advertisements and brochures similar to the one you received to other unsuspecting victims. Once they pay up the $10, then you will get half of the money and the person who recruited you will receive half as well.

Scam #5 : Email Processing

This scam is actually similar to the classic envelope stuffing scam stated above. Typically you will be required to pay an upfront fee of about let’s say $49.95 to receive an instruction manual and an email distribution list. The instructions will inform you how to process the emails and you will supposedly get about $25 for each email processed! Seems like the ideal work at home opportunity, doesn’t it?? Wrong! The instructions they send you are actually on how to spam other people’s emails with the same advertisement which motivated you to pay $49.95 in the first place. Then when another unsuspecting person (like yourself) takes the bait and pays $49.95, the spam company will (maybe) pay you your $25. Ask yourself, is that the kind of work at home job you want to invest your precious time doing? Is it ethical? Is it legal? You are actually associating yourself with a con if you join such work at home business scams, which disguise themselves as genuine opportunities. One thing working from home moms should know is that there is no shortcut to success. Yes, sometimes with luck you can get there speedier than others but most of the time, it takes lots of effort and then some.

Your credit score is the secret number behind everything in your life. How much you pay for insurance, your car, rent and mortgage payments, utilities, and even whether you get a job or not, are ALL based on your credit score.

This article is designed to help you understand each individual component of your credit score.

Your PAYMENT HISTORY is the main aspect of your credit score accounting for 35%. This part of your score calculation is based on your total payment history with your creditors. Monthly late payments, collections, and all other adverse information on your credit report have the most significant effect. The more positive accounts you have and the less adverse accounts, the higher your credit scores.

Your PERCENTAGE of HIGH CREDIT USED is the second largest factor included in the makeup of your credit score accounting for a total of 30% of your total score. This aspect of your score is based on the amount you owe on your individual accounts relative to your high credit limits on those accounts. You will be scored higher if you owe 30% or less of the high credit limit AND, if you are carrying HIGH credit card balances you can actually hurt your credit scores almost as much as paying the account late every month.

Your time in the credit bureau or LENGTH of CREDIT HISTORY accounts for 15% of your credit score. The longer you have had credit accounts for, the higher your credit score will be. As you have more accounts throughout your life time and your credit history grows, your credit scores will naturally increase due to this factor.

How fast you ACCUMULATE NEW DEBT accounts for 10% of your total credit score. This aspect of your credit score is composed of how much new debt you are applying for. It considers how many requests you have for new credit within a 12 month time period. If you have a lot of inquiries in a short period of time, your scores will be impacted.

A total of 10% of your credit score takes into account the “mix” of credit items you have on your report. This part of your credit score is affected by what kinds of accounts you have and how many of each. The bureaus will score you higher if you have an open mortgage, 3 credit cards, 1 auto loan, and a small amount of other open accounts. Any, “unhealthy” account mixes lower your scores such as having too many open mortgages or credit cards.

To obtain your highest credit score make sure you pay your accounts on time, do not keep high balances in relation to your limits on your open accounts, keep a very healthy mix of credit accounts open, and do not apply for too many new credit items in a short period of time.

If you follow the steps in this brief article you will be on your way to an excellent credit score in no time at all.

Ty Crandall is an international authority and expert on credit scoring and credit law. He has over 12 years experience in the financial and credit sectors and is currently the CEO of Elite Credit Incorporated.

An opportunity can only be considered a scam when it is out to cheat you of your money. In my opinion, if no monetary terms are involved, I will not label it as a scam. Since there have been so many reports of people getting scammed, why is there still a rise in such cases? All boils down to 2 things. Greed and fear.

Scammers target people who are greedy and who are looking for an easy opportunity to make money online, without any hard work. They make us believe that there are really such opportunities, and all you have to do is to ‘do this and earn money’, ‘invest some money to get bigger returns’ , ‘pay me and I will tell you how’, etc. There are countless ways to get scammed online. Here is a quick guide to tell the bad eggs from the good ones.

Common words used in scam opportunities:

~ Earn while you sleep. Yawn!~ Work in your pajamas or underwear. ~ No work needed. Oh, really?~ 200% money returns. You can try robbing a bank! You get much more!~ Let your money roll & roll…..yea, then banks will have to close down.

Common scams:

1. High Yield Investment Programs (HYIPs). They require you to invest a large sum of money, with the promise of high returns in a very short time. This usually involves investing in some kind of ‘future projects’.

2. Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) opportunities. Don’t get me wrong. Not all of them are scams. They are genuine companies that market quality products and members get paid for sales of the products/services. Take note that if there are no real products/services, and you earn only by asking people to join, it’s most probably a pyramid scam. It’s illegal of course.

Other Online Scams to take note:

1. Lottery scams. Congratulations! You have won a new full HDTV (or PS3, iphone, fridge, etc.). All you need to do is visit the website and provide your credit card number and PIN to cover “shipping and handling” costs. You are right, the item never comes. You have just exposed yourself to identity theft.

2. Phishing scams. You receive an e-mail that looks like it came from your bank, warning you about identity theft and asking that you log in and verify your account information. Your login details are recorded and sold to other people.

3. Auction scams. You won the bid for an item and the item never arrived after you have made a payment for it. Auction sites like eBay have made strict regulations against such scammers.

Do you know that you can actually make money online with these legitimate ways? Discover how you can quickly build a successful home-based business for yourself and your loved ones!

Because of the popularity of the internet, scammers have been very clever in using it to easily lure money from an untold number of victims. Learn the different kinds of online scams in order to be aware of how they do it and avoid being a victim of any of these scams.

Today, millions of people around the world use the Internet on a daily basis. This is due to the wide variety of useful information available on millions of websites and the convenience it offers to web users. However, it has also resulted in many Internet users being victimized by different online scams. These internet scams get more and more devious as time goes on which has only further alarmed the authorities.

The objective of these scams is to steal money and property. Some have even caused the death of unsuspecting victims. Based on reports from authorities, there are billions of dollars of lost money due to these crimes, and because of this, many police agencies have organized special units to combat these kinds of crime.

Scammers use different schemes and strategies in order to do their criminal acts. Here are some of the many kinds of Internet scams spreading online.

Phishing Scams

E-mail is one of the most used features on the Internet as itprovides users a convenient means of communication. However, e-mails have become a great way for scammers to easily lure money or personal information from innocent individuals.

Phishing is one of the scams which use e-mails as a way to fool people. These e-mail scams usually consist of letters pretending that they are from a bank or an online financial group, providing a link and trying to convince you to visit that certain website. Once there they will request that you to fill up a form that is aimed to collect sensitive personal information such as bank accounts, credit card information, passwords and many other information.

These sites are “bogus”, in the sense that they look like a legitimate company since they resemble the looks of some of the known legitimate companies offering the same services posted by the scammers. In reality, e-mails from these sites are merely to tempt their prospective victims to provide their personal data. Once they succeed, they will use the submitted information to steal money from the victim’s bank accounts or purchase items through the credit card provided by the victim.

Phishing was first known during the 1990′s when an attacker attempted to steal AOL accounts by sending numerous messages to Internet users. The messages were intended to lure users to verify their accounts and asked the victims to input the password for the account. Afterward, the victim’s account will then be used to do different schemes and even distribute numerous spam mails.

Lottery Scams

Lottery scams are e-mails containing messages informing you that you have won millions of dollars from an international lottery. The message usually informs you that your e-mail address was included among the winners through a draw. In order to convince the prospective victims, they would attach links of real lottery sites or even attach fake documents or ads which claim that the lottery was endorsed by popular companies like Microsoft.

If the scammers are able to convince the victims, they would then ask important information and then request the victim to send some money to cover taxes, processing fees, and other similar charges in order to get the prize when in reality there is no such prize and everything is bogus.

419 or Nigerian Scams

The 419 scam or popularly known as the Nigerian scam is one of the most widespread and very popular among internet scam artists. This also uses e-mails in attempting to steal people’s money. The e-mail basically contains different versions of stories such as an alleged political leader having been ousted from power and having millions of dollars in funds which he needs to transfer to other countries. He will then offer you a share of the funds by helping him.

Another example is an alleged rich person is seriously ill and needs someone to help in managing the funds for charity purposes. The huge amount of money involved usually attracts unsuspecting victims to believe the scam.

Similar to other e-mail scams, the criminal would then request for money to be utilized for processing the transfer of funds to the victim’s account. Some scammers even request their prospect victim to travel abroad to speed up the transfer of funds but the victims will then be abducted and would only be released after paying a large amount of money.

Incidences of romance or dating scams have been on the rise since it came to public knowledge not too long ago.Yet,many people in the Western world are yet to grasp the reality of the fact that this scam seems to be on the increase.Perhaps, because most of the people who lose money to these scams do not talk about their losses.Many people prefer to bear the financial losses in silence, rather than disclose to any other party.

On the other hand, in Nigeria and other places where the scammers operate from, large amounts of dollars are being received on a daily basis from the scams.In the third week of March,for instance, a 20 year old young man,just seeking admission into the university, scammed 5000 British Pounds from a middle aged woman in the United Kingdom.He is not the only one collecting such amounts from dating or romance scams.Daily,in thousands of cafes all over Nigeria,especially the SouthWest, and other West African countries,tens of thousands of young people are actively working at the scams,looking for such victims.

But then, the question arises –whom do the scammers target for their activities? Do they just pick on anyone anywhere, or do they have a particular set of people that they focus on to defraud them of their money?
From what I could gather in my research, here are the main types of people that the scams are focused on:

1. Elderly people and other lonely groups: Elderly women and men looking for companionship are believed to be especially vulnerable to the scams.They are believed to be soft at heart,and willing to part with their money in return for romantic affection and attention.
Other lonely groups of people are also a prime target. Their loneliness makes them to be in need of some form of company,which may not be readily available around them in their immediate environment and which the scammers readily provide.

2. Separated women,recently divorced women and the like are easy targets of the scammers. The trauma of their divorce or separation makes them vulnerable to online scams. The scammers hunt on various dating sites for women like these.

3. Overweight people:these set of people are about the easiest to target and to scam,according to the scammers.

It appears some overweight people need someone to admire them and to love them the way they are.

And it also appears that a number of them are insecure emotionally.
And it appears that as a result of this, some overweight women seem to do anything to hold on to a man,even if they do not know if he is for real. It appears that it is their sense of insecurity and their need for acceptance that is often exploited to get money of them.

4. People Looking For Sex: Many adult websites are a special target of the scammers.The scammers show nude pictures of themselves and engage in sexual acts with the persons they meet on the site.
Usually,the people scammed through adult sites never disclose that they were scammed or keep their losses to themselves.

All those interviewed and who lost money to scams through this means declined to give figures of how much they were scammed of
People living with AIDS, and differently-abled people are also a target of the scams.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of those being targeted by the scams.These happen to be the most popular ones the scammers target.

The best way to deal with the dating or romance scams is to know how the scammers operate and be wise as to their ways.
Educating yourself about these scams helps you to know how to prevent it from happening to you.

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Scams. This is probably one of the first words that you think about when you think about home based business. This article isn’t designed to discourage you from starting your own home based business, but it is designed to help you to get an education on what business opportunities are scams and which are not scams. Hopefully this article will help you keep more cash in your wallet.

There are many great opportunities to build a successful home-based business, but there are also many internet scams. You do have to realize that all business strategies, whether on the internet or not, do take hard work and dedication and a thorough understanding of the market.

There are opportunities that are a quick and easy way for you to make money. However, before getting involved in any business opportunity on the Internet, you want to make sure that you are aware of the different types of scams that are on the Internet.

You can easily get carried away by websites and business opportunities that try and fool you by using fake testimonials, check print outs, and the promise of a huge income in a relatively short period of time.

Work at home scams are a reality. There are many different forms of these scams. You will find email scams, the Nigerian scam, ebay scams, credit card scams, lottery scams, and the popular poetry scam.

Don’t deny that people are trying to suck your wallet dry. Don’t be naïve and think there aren’t malicious people that don’t care at all about you.

There are definitely reliable work at home jobs on the Internet. They do not claim to make you an overnight millionaire. These jobs take hard work and open minded communication between employees and employeer.

Just like a regular job, you have to qualified for a work at home job. You must also develop trust with your employeer through diligent work.

These telecommuting jobs are often treated as part time opportunities. There are also ways to make money as a freelancer, independent contractor, article writer, consultant, editor, designer and many other ways. If you pursue these type of opportunities, the risk to get into a scam is less.

People that run Internet scams are looking for the naïve and wishful thinker. People that struggle to get work, such as homemakers and elderly people often get taken by these scams. It is advisable to be thoroughly knowledgeable about the different sort of scams that are prevalent on the Internet before getting involved in any business opportunity.

You can get information about companies from the Better Business Bureu and the Federal Trade Commission. These organizations are designed to keep you away from Internet based scams and help to verify the offers that are available on the net and will give you a report of the different complaints against companies.

If you are taken by a scam it is important to report the scam. The Internet is an extremely powerful communication medium. If a scam is not stopped, it has the potential to affect millions of people.

Do your due diligence before you get involved in any Internet business opportunity. Seek the counsel of others. Don’t get discouraged. There is a tremendous income potential from the net, but you have to be careful. God bless you.

Every year many people become a victim of online dating scams. Unfortunately these people do not even realize they are victims to dating scams until it is too late. The intention of all dating scams is to obtain money from innocent members of dating websites, therefore the importance of being familiar with the types of scams used and recognizing the signs of a scammer cannot be underestimated.

A scammer can work alone, or as part of a larger group of individuals who spend their time chatting to legitimate members of dating websites. They do this by creating a false profile, often similar to your perfect match and they befriend you and gain your trust and affection. Once you have let your guard down and you believe they are your ideal partner, it is at that point that you could fall victim to one of the many scams widely used. The four main scams used on dating websites are the travel scam, the prostitute scam, the phone scam and the postal scam. Each scam is fairly straightforward and all result in you departing with your money if you fall victim to one. 

One of the main purposes of using an online dating website is to eventually meet up with the individuals you chat to. Once you agree to meet up with someone, who unknowingly to you is a scammer, they will explain to you that they are currently living overseas and cannot afford the travel expenses to visit you. Having gained your trust and affection it is at this point they ask you to send them money for travel expenses and many innocent people send money to a scammer hoping that they will finally get to meet the man or woman of their dreams, but in reality you will never hear from them again. This is known as the travel scam and is sadly very commonly used.

The prostitute scam is fairly simple. Prostitutes take advantage of the online dating market and use dating websites to solicit business. A false profile is created, usually with a sleazy username and a raunchy detailed description, therefore making it relatively easy to recognize. Some people believe these prostitutes are genuinely looking for a relationship, but don’t be fooled into thinking this. They are on dating websites for one reason only; to make money at your expense.

The phone scam has been around for many years now but has now sadly become one of the online dating scams. As a member of a dating website you may receive a message from someone you have become friendly with asking you to phone them on the phone number given to you. You will be led to believe they want to talk to you in person away from the dating website. Unfortunately the phone number will not belong to the person you believe you are in contact with and you will find yourself receiving a large phone bill as a result of phoning the number given to you.

Scammers use several variations of the postal scam, although the principle is the same for all of them; you will be asked to send money. The most common postal scam is the Nigerian 419 scam which is also known as AFF or Advanced Free Fraud. This scam is usually used by people living in Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Ghana and possibly other countries in western Africa. Once a scammer has befriended you, they will tell you that they live in the UK and are currently working abroad, generally one of the countries previously mentioned. They will then give a plausible reason for needing money urgently and ask you to send them the money leading you to believe that you are the only person that can help them. Many people fall for the scams at this point and send the requested money, believing that they are genuinely helping a new friend in need. Scammers give many reasons for needing money, some examples are; They will tell you that they have a critically ill relative back in the UK and they need money for travel expenses to urgently visit them; They will claim to have been mugged and all their money and credit cards have been stolen, therefore requiring money to help them; They will tell you they are a student and need money while they complete their university degree; They may claim to be a relative of a deceased government official and require your assistance in transferring large sums of money, promising to give you a large amount of money in return for allowing them to use your bank account.

The importance of knowing when you could be in contact with a scammer cannot be underestimated. There are several signs to look out for which may include; a vague personal description that does not match the photo; they will avoid answering questions, usually because they are sending the same message to numerous people; conversations will be repeated; the tone and style of message may change; the use of very poor grammar and spelling, although this sign alone does not mean they are a scammer as many people have spelling and grammar issues; immediate responses to your messages; they will ask you to switch to using your personal email to avoid detection by the dating website; they will claim to be in love or falling in love with you, possibly sending you a romantic poem. One of the most obvious signs to look out for is a profile photo that looks like a model, which probably is of a model, but not a picture of the person sending you messages. Scammers use photos of beautiful people because profiles with beautiful people usually receive more mail, therefore the scammers have numerous people to choose between when deciding who they are going to pursue. More often than not if a profile photo looks too good to be true, it usually is.    

If you have been a victim of a scam and have sent money, unfortunately there is little chance of you recovering it. Once money has been sent, the scammer usually ends all communication with you, although there is a slight chance you may be asked to send more money. If you are concerned you are in contact with a scammer, report them immediately to the online dating website you are using and stop all correspondence with them. 

In general online dating sites are completely safe, as long as you follow the safety rules and look out for the signs of a scammer. Many sites both large and small screen members and look out for scammers, but unfortunately some online dating sites allow anyone to join and are only concerned in members actively sending messages. Don’t be fooled into thinking larger paying dating sites screen members, as not all of them do.

When using any online dating website, under no circumstances should you send money to anyone or reveal your bank account details. No matter how plausible a reason may sound, never send money. Having gained your trust a scammer will take advantage of your feelings and kind nature. No matter how well you feel you know someone, be skeptical and avoid becoming a victim to an online dating scam.