Don’t Fall Victim To These 3 Internet Scams

Contributed by Elaine Landau

There are Internet scams that are unfortunately very successful in luring victims, robbing them of thousands of dollars and leaving them with no way of recovering their losses. How do you prevent yourself from becoming a victim?

Educate yourself.
Education is convenient, cost-effective, and you can learn at home. If you have basic computer education, the next logical step is to explore basic Internet training. After one free Internet lesson or a free Internet tutorial, you’ll be ready to log on and open the door to all that the Internet has to offer. Please keep in mind that the door swings both ways. When you log onto sites, they are gaining information about you while you are exploring them. Soon, your name ends up on lists that are bought, sold, and rented for e-mail campaigns. Some are quite legitimate, and are some are dangerous. Before you open your next e-mail asking for help, make sure you know who is doing the asking.

Who or what is 4 1 9?
4-1-9 is actually the number of the Nigerian penal code that deals with fraud. This scam apparently originated in Nigeria, but it has taken on different mutations over time. The basic scam remains the same.

The scam begins with an email from a bank official or a relative of a recently-deceased African president or government official. Upon the official’s death, the person sending the e-mail gained access to millions of dollars but had no way of getting the money out of the country. That person now needs your help and promises a portion of the millions if you agree to forward money, perhaps a few thousand, to secure the funds. When the funds are secured, the millions will then be released, and the person who invested only a few thousand dollars is now a millionaire. The victims who have fallen prey to this scam have lost their savings and some have actually been murdered after becoming involved in this illegal scheme.

Don’t play phish
Phishing is a strange word that applies to a very elaborate scamming scheme that involves people who use the Internet and email. The potential victim opens an e-mail from an illegitimate financial institution that claims that it needs to verify personal information. The authentic-looking e-mail fools many sophisticated people and requires the person to click onto a link to continue. The victim is asked to “confirm” his/her name, address, PIN number, password, and credit card information. Since the originator of the e-mail is not a real bank, the victim is providing vital personal information to a predator who will cleans out bank accounts and easily steals a person’s identity, causing further damage.

Remember, banks and reputable financial institutions do not send e-mails to secure or verify personal information. Do not open any e-mails or click on any links from so-called banks.

Hey, dude, where’s my car?
In this scam, the innocent person actually starts the chain of events. If you place an online ad to sell a car, motorcycle, motor home, or boat, you are likely to receive an e-mail from an interested party located abroad. They want to buy your vehicle and need to arrange shipping. It all seems very legitimate because the buyer willingly sends the seller a check for the purchase amount plus a check for the shipping fee within a few days.
What should you do? Wait for the check to clear before passing on the shipping fee. The check will bounce 3-5 weeks later and the bank will take the funds from your account, leaving you short the shipping money. That could amount to a large sum of money.

You can avoid this scam by selling vehicles to buyers who will pay for the shipping directly, or don’t need the vehicle shipped at all.

Three, and counting.
This is only a warning about three scams that have proven far too successful. There are more scams being attempted everyday. With progress comes predators. Use the Internet wisely. Only open e-mails from persons or parties you know. Don’t be willing to share your personal information online or in e-mails. And if anyone promises millions if you give them thousands, run, and don’t look back.

This article is intended for general informational purposes and does not provide legal or other professional advice. All trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners. Please read our disclaimer for additional terms and conditions governing access to and use of this article.