HOW YOU CAN AVOID TO GET SCAMMED
Be aware: Not all internet scammers are stupid monkeys. Each one of them is experienced in giving you the feeling that he is exactly the person you are searching for, regardless of what you are talking about with him. By the way: scamming is a male-dominated business. Even, if he pretends to be a sexy girl, you are always dealing with a group of 6 to 12 male scammers. That is the reason why your chat partner is almost at any time and any day online, or why he often seems to have forgotten details of what you had spoken about before. Unless, he is a total beginner in his “job”, he knows exactly how to make you feel safe and comfortable. Scammers commonly also know to push the “right buttons” to make you agree to what they want.
It is well known and important to know: All scammers definitly depend on the email addresses they use. Either for sending out their mass spam mails, writing mails to their (future) victims, or to use it as the technical base of their messenger ID. Since a scammer can not scam you without email address, he opens a new mail account if his old one gets closed by his mail-provider. So, closing a scammer’s email accounts appears useless. The best way seems to be making their email addresses useless by publishing them.
When it comes to chatting or emailing with anybody on the internet just keep in mind that everybody you do not know may be a criminal scammer, and no internet user will offer you true love, a great occasion, or an amazing business in another way than he would do in the real world. Never, UNLESS IT IS A SCAM. So better think twice. What ever you do on the net – NEVER forget one word: “NO!“, and do not hesitate to use it. If someone wants you to meet him on webcam: “NO!” (they will record the session with you and use it for scamming the next victim). If somebody wants you to tell him any of your private details: “NO!” (they will keep it in their records about you, and believe it: they will use it one day). If someone who you do not know wants you to tell him your private email address: “NO!” (after their ride with you, they will sell your email address to any other scammer group, and you do not know who will approach you next). If somebody asks you to send him money: “NO!” (this is always a scam, what ever story he may tell you). If somebody wants you to cash any cheque or money transfer for him: “NO!” (that is also always a scam. Your bank will maybe cash the cheque, but after some weeks or even days they find out the truth. You will be the one to pay back the debts, your debts). Do not let anybody who you do not know personally send you any gift: “NO!” (you would have to disclose your physical address, probably you will have to pay customs, and the gift will most likely be paid with stolen credit card details).
The very first interest of a scammer is to steal your identity (he can make more money by creating a virtual identity or cloning you). It is simple with the details he gets to know about you (your photos, your email address, your physical address, your social security number, your bank details, your name, a copy of your driving license, a recorded webcam session with you, and so on). They will use this CLONE OF YOU later for any other scam, eventually a huge BUSINESS SCAM. You will be in trouble to prove your innocence. Even if you will get out of this trap again, you will have to solve your problem, which will cost your money. So better avoid this sad story because NO lady, NO man, and NO occasion can ever be worth to risk your own or your familie’s health or even your life.
Nowadays, it’s becoming harder to recognize fraudulent emails. Scammers often use text phrases which they have found and copied somewhere on the net. Here you find some examples of scam emails. Moreover, day by day learn criminal scammers more and more how to write emails that look genuine. So, even if you are not in doubt and fully trust the person you are chatting with: it is always worth to go for sure! Try to avoid to get scammed.
IF ANYTHING SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE – YOU BETTER CHECK IT!
The most internet scams begin with an email and an email address.
So what can you do to protect yourself against online scams?
It is estimated that more than 80 % of all emails are scam attempts and spam. Be cautious and do not believe everything. It is simple for criminals to hide behind the anonymity of the net. In general: be aware that on the internet every person who you don’t know may try with you any online scam.
Nobody in this world pretends to fall online in love as quickly as a romance scammer.
Most important: If anybody who you don’t know personally, asks you in chat or by email for money – or maybe offers you money or any unexpected advantage – THEN HE TRIES A SCAM WITH YOU! When ever you receive an email from any unknown person who asks you for your personal assistance / help, or offers you any great business or occasion, asks for your friendship, or even pretends his undying love for you: be aware that this is very likely to be the first step of an online scam. Many smart people before you have fallen for these tricks, so always be cautious and think twice!
Nowadays, the most scammers start their approaches on social network sites. So, be aware to meet on these websites mainly fraudsters who try to exploit you.
On online datingsites and social network sites read profiles exactly – including ALL comments, you don’t waste your time! If you see warning comments of any scambusters – read them, trust them, NO CONTACT! Scambusters are not paid for the good work they do, they just try to warn unaware users, and they do not have any reason at all not to tell you the truth. If there is no picture – be careful – scammers never show their real faces! If there were extremely many visitors on his / her profile but you don’t see many comments, the scammer will have deleted the scam warnings. Also: you can usually see since how many days, weeks or months the profile exists and how many visitors have viewed the profile during that time. If there were more than 1,500 visitors per month, and far less comments of these visitors – NO CONTACT! Scam artists are best equipped and normally, they send out some hundred or even more than 1,000 messages per day to lure potential victims into their trap. Check the friends lists of persons you are interested in. If many friend’s profiles are set ‘private’ it is a strong sign for a scammer because a scammer usually will convince his (future) victims to set their profiles private. So, better be very careful. Look at his picture(s). In general: a normal internet user does not look like a model and private photos do not look professional! Think twice: If a private photo really looks professional then it will be stolen from the internet. Do you really think that person could have any kind intentions if already his first impression is based on fraud? A very good free tool (not yet perfect but becoming better every day) for detecting photos that were stolen on the web is TinEye. Just download and install the plugin for your browser or simply visit their website and upload the photo for a search.