The web is packed full of idiotic money scams. Packed full. So it takes skeptical surfer to avoid all of the financial land mines. Recently, the Google Blog offered tips on how to avoid these scams. Here are three of the best:
- Before you fill out a form or give someone a credit card, do a web search to see what other people are saying about the company and its practices.
- Be wary of anything resembling a pyramid scheme, where you make commissions by recruiting more participants.
- Look for third party verification. Scammers can easily cut-and-paste images to plaster a site with “as seen on TV,” “five-star reviews” and the logos of well-known news channels. Products that have really been recommended by experts and fellow users typically contain links from legitimate news sites and multiple user review sites.
The post also includes additional tips for the users of Google products. Check them out in the provide link.
Additionally, if you encounter or fall victim to an internet scam, consider these methods of defense & retaliation.
- Forward Fraudulent E-Mails to the authorities at either spam@uce.gov or reportphishing@antiphishing.org.
- If your identity has been compromised, you can find a list of steps to take at www.ftc.gov/idtheft.
- If you have been screwed over by a credit-repair scam, call 877-438-4338.
- Tell the IRS if you encounter tax-prep or tax-refund scams at phishing@irs.gov.
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