The net result: getting scammed online

Did you know that you probably have a relative in Nigeria who was recently killed on a road and you stand to inherit $20 million? Or that you have won the Spanish, Irish or Swedish lottery and can collect $142,869? Or maybe they owe you money from the IRS from 1996 in the amount of 9,807? Isn’t that great? Really? Not so fast…

Spam is the Internet’s version of junk mail, with a nasty twist. Nigerians expect all Americans to be stupid and greedy. Well, not all Americans. Only about one tenth of one percent. So if they send 100 million emails announcing that you owe money and only 10,000 respond; Well, you do the math. It is a true numbers game.

Same for all the other scams. As if your bank or PayPal asked you to update your personal information due to a possible “security breach”. It could also be the government, a utility company, a credit card service, or a place like Amazon or eBay reviewing your account. They simply want you to log back in. So they have what they need and that’s just using email.

eBay is another great place to get scammed as well. Most of the people there are honest, but beware of people who don’t accept credit cards or PayPal. If they require a personal check to settle or certified funds only, there’s a good reason. But sometimes it works the other way around. Suppose you are the seller who has an item listed. The buyer says he’ll offer to send a certified check to make sure he gets the money. Let’s say your item for sale is worth $150 and they buy it now. But by mistake, they send you a “certified check” for $450 and ask you to pay them back the difference. A few weeks later, your bank informs you that your check was fake and you no longer have the item AND $300. Smart, huh?

In that case or with a myriad of other untrue situations, it’s one reason why you need to educate yourself and take charge of your own part of the internet world.

There are some things you can do to protect yourself:

• Do not open or reply to suspicious spam. Don’t even take yourself off their list. Once the email is opened, they know that you are a potential victim.
• Be careful when sending or receiving products or funds from foreign countries, especially those in Africa or island nations.
• Never send funds to strangers through Moneygram or Western Union, it could be a scam.
• Beware of messages from the IRS or other so-called government agencies asking for your social security number.
• Avoid buying expensive items online, except from reputable merchants or retailers like Best Buy or Sears.
• Be suspicious of extremely low-priced items that are said to be new. Especially brands like Coach or Gucci are offered at a tenth of the price.
• Avoid the “make money at home” scam where you have to buy something first, like stuffing envelopes, etc.

There are many others, but you get the idea. Be vigilant and don’t let greed and emotions take you down that slippery slope. If it smells bad or sounds too good to be true, it’s probably run by a Nigerian citizen who heard he has some access fund that he begs to be sent to him. Let the buyer beware.