The beauty of the internet is the ease at which information can be disseminated to the public, and valuable information is an asset that many covet as they search for ways to use the internet to establish a working income. But it’s “caveat emptor” as far as choosing the product or service to promote on your website. My experience and advice is simple: do your homework before you run headlong into promoting a specific service or program.

Why?

A disturbing number of website operators are less-than-scrupulous in their dealings with clients, which is a nice way to say…they are scammers, and the lengths to which some individuals will go to part you and your hard earned money is mind numbing. As a general rule, use a bit of common sense. Do you really think that you can invest $50 and sit on the couch and become a millionaire. No? There are many sites that would have you believe that this is possible. It isn’t. Any legitimate business on the internet is going to take some hard work, time and careful thought.

As I prepared to write this particular article, I was tempted to list all of the programs that I have investigated and found to be a fraud. I decided against that strategy because the list would be long and new programs pop up every day that fit in the category of fraudulent. To be sure, I would recommend that you look at the structure of the offers you will receive and ask yourself if the idea seems plausible. One quick red flag should be a lack of a real product in the offer. For example, you may be asked to invest a sum of money, say $50 and put into some “forced matrix” and untold riches will come your way. What’s the problem with these pitches? There is no real product, it’s simply a “Ponzi scheme” where a portion of the money that comes to the operator is doled out to members. Of course, most pyramid structure money plans meet the same fate, they fade away uneventfully and you are left holding the bag.

Avoid any emails from individuals who are looking for you to act as an intermediary in the transfer of large sums of money. These are called “419” scams or “Nigerian Letter Scams” and are always fraudulent. No one is going to pick your name out of a hat and ask you to transfer 28 million dollars, or any other absurd amount to an unknown third party. You can take my word for it on this one….

For a small sum you can earn money taking surveys, licking envelopes, processing orders of various types…the chances of making money on this type of program is very slim. The payouts are low and often slow to show up in your bank account, if they show up at all.

Again, common sense is the key to achieving success in marketing on the internet. If something sounds too good to be true…it is. Of course, we have all heard this admonition from our parents, especially when we were children, but the axiom is as true today as ever. You simply cannot get something for nothing. I am amazed at the overwhelming greed of the website operators and lengths to which they go to earn ill-gotten gains. My opinion is that it is getting worse as the economy has slipped into recession. People are desperate to save their cars, homes…etc and any promise of large money (no matter how ridiculous it may seem) attracts their dwindling stack of money…in a hope that their financial problems may be miraculously cured. Scammers know the recession has created a large pool of desperate targets and are exploiting that fact.

So what can you do?

There are resources available for you to investigate any program. I always start at:

The Better Business Bureau- this is an invaluable resource for money making offers on the internet. Some of the most heavily advertised money making schemes are debunked at this site.

WOT- a free plug-in for Firefox users that reports sites with extensive histories of complaints and fraudulent activities. A large number of complaints on WOT usually terminates my investigation of a program.

Fraud.org- The federal government maintains this site through the Office of Consumer Affairs. There is a large amount of information available here.

Google.com- I often Google a program name and see what sites are complaining about programs.

I would also caution you to beware of sites that claim to debunk scams, as they are often carefully built sites to promote the webmaster’s pet programs. Usually there is very little in the way of investigation on these sites, just a pitch for another program that will require your investigation.

There are actually programs on the internet that work, and I was tempted to list them. But that would entail self-promotion, and that is not my purpose in this article. Most good programs offer a legitimate product, a good product the consumers can use, and don’t promise you millions of dollars in a month. Most operators of honest web programs, but not all, have been around a while and there is solid information at the above referenced websites to substantiate their legitimacy. And finally, a good program will make good common sense as you read it’s description.

Be careful out there, as the sharks swim the internet waters. Do your homework and find a program that works for you, and work it with diligence.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, for the eighth year in a row identity theft tops the list as the number one consumer complaint. Identity theft is when someone steals your personal information in order to gain access to your finances or just use your information as jumping off point to open new lines of credit and go on spending sprees.  When all is said and done the bills that they accumulated land right on your front door.

There is a strong connection between identity theft and online dating scams. Not so much opening up financial accounts in your name (although if scammers can do that they will) but to use a key piece of your private information to con money from on line dating participants. It’s the stealing of someone’s photo.

There are tons of photos online. Not avatars that we choose as stand-ins but actual photos of people with friends, family, their pets or by themselves. No surprise there, particularly with the internet becoming a more social environment. Whether instant messaging or joining a shared network, people want to connect with the person behind the keyboard. It also helps when doing business on line to see the actual face of the person attempting to sell you the product.  This move towards a more interactive and personal cyberspace is becoming a windfall for the scam artists.

According to the non profit organization, the National Consumer League, scams of the heart rank as one of the top ten swindles on the internet. Victims on average usually get fleeced to the tune of three thousand dollars. 

These scammers have learned to not only steal photos but modify them. This can be done by photoshopping which if done effectively can alter the picture while still making it look original and untouched.  Once scammers have secured a picture that they are sure will get their victims heart to racing then it’s time for the sweet talk. 

Mary Leal a criminal justice expert told CBS’ The Early Show, “It is so easy to get sucked in; especially if you are vulnerable and you’re willingly to allow it to come into your life. And then once you’re hooked it’s like an addiction.”

We all should know better but playing on someone’s emotions is a powerful weapon. In the hands of a professional it can be overwhelming. Therefore it is vital to occasionally take a step back and examine what’s happening.  

While there may be a number of clues such as poor grammar or way too much sugar talk, the absolute obvious sign is that somewhere down the line the conversation will turn to money; whether in the form of a hard luck story or requiring your “assistance” in transferring currency. 

Identity theft and online dating scams in the give the appearance of  running on separate tracks but in reality it is all comes down to the same thing; get money from your pocket into theirs.

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