Broker Scam & Fraud Alert


Saturday, 30 June 2012

Data Entry Scams



Many people have grown weary after trying many Data Entry programs only to have lost their time and money. It is very easy to get scammed on the Internet now days. Whenever there is a lot of people that are making money, the old scammers will come to get their share.




It is good to see people at least trying to do some fundamental research. You can see the phrases being searched for by checking the online search engines. They are phrases such as data entry scams, data entry job scams, data entry online scams and data entry work at home scams.




I have written in many of my articles that research is the key in my opinion. No one has a crystal ball, but with the proper research you can put yourself in the best chance for success. You can't just join the first program you find that promises you the world, and expect to be successful. You will either have to find a website like mine, but not necessarily mine, that has done some research for you or spend the hours to do the research yourself. It's that simple, otherwise you can expect to have limited success.




In my research I wanted Data Entry companies that had good, customer support, product, track record of on time payments, step-by-step guidance on how to be successful with their program and a money back guarantee when possible. I also encourage feedback from my customers to ensure that if there is any change I am able to respond quickly.




There is another side to this whole scam thing. Many times people will see the ads, join a program, not do any work and expect to be paid a lot of dollars. It's simple if you are not prepared to do any work at home, then don't join, because chances are you are not going to be happy or make any money. The folks that join under these circumstances typically end up quitting and calling the program a scam and move on to lose some money somewhere else. Many times programs are called scams when actually its either someone wanting to get paid for doing nothing or it's simply not a good fit for that person. That's why I particularly like the money back guarantee programs, because this minimizes this problem. Sometimes when a company gives the person the refund, it does not help, because the person goes around on forums posting that they have been scammed anyway. Sad!




It's sad because viable programs get scammed and lumped in with the really bad programs that are out there. There is plenty of the bad ones out there already without anyone adding to the list. You need to either do the research or use a website that has done it already to have a chance for success.




If you are reading this article you more than likely have the skill sets and equipment necessary to work from home doing data entry.




Here is what you need to do:




1. Find a good program using the methods mentioned above




2. Join the program




3. Start working the program either full or part time




4. Have some patience, while you get your work at hope program up and running




With some research, discipline, patience and yes a little luck you will be on your way to making a nice income while sitting in the comfort of your home.




Please feel free to read more of this article by visiting my link in the resource box below. I always enjoy getting emails pertaining to my articles or my site. Your feedback is important to me.


Friday, 29 June 2012

Low Cost Advertising and Scams Online



"A business without a sign is a sign of no business". This is an advertising banner or quotation that can be seen in large billboards along the roads and on the side or top of buildings that is vacant. Television and radio would say, "This program would not be shown or be heard without advertisement". It is true since most of us are watching the free television channel and programs are produced by payments of advertisements.




Business owners understand how important an advertisement is. It is in this manner that they would tell to everybody that they are selling products and offering services. They would not have sales, which in turn give them profit, if people would not notice and buy their products and avail of their services.




However, it is not happy to note that there are people who would try to steal money from advertisers and business owners by offering cheap advertisement packages and not delivering the agreed service. Business owners and advertisers should be informed of this because they would become victims of a scam.




The scam here is when the advertiser paid for these different kinds of services but none or some of them are not really even performed. The main point to consider here is to whom is the advertiser transacting with. To avoid being ripped off doing a background check by knowing the following will help.




-past successful projects as evident on customers comments



-a good reputation that will be confirmed by his references, (people that he's had past transaction with and that are also reputable)




The pay-per-click ad campaign is when an advertiser would pay a certain agreed amount by the search engine developers every time a user clicks on that banner. This was a good idea before it was not touched by hackers who developed a certain program to automatically click on that banner which increases the amount to be paid by the advertiser. The next paying scheme was the "pay per action", which is harder to hack since the advertiser would only pay the search engine developers an agreed amount every time a sale would be done on that customer.




One thing is for sure, advertising in the Internet is not easy but it is fun, especially when one understands fully the power of the Internet. It is not a unidirectional means of advertising like the television or radio, but it is an interactive avenue for both the advertiser and the prospective clients.


Thursday, 28 June 2012

eBay Users: What You Need to Know About Phishing Scams



Are you an eBay user? Whether you use eBay to do your online shopping or if you use eBay to generate extra income for yourself, as an eBay seller, there is something that you need to be aware of. As an eBay user, whether you are a seller or a buyer, you need to be on the lookout for phishing scams. Phishing scams are rapidly increasing in popularity and many are using eBay as a front. To protect your identity, as well as you finances, you need to be on the lookout for them.




If you are relatively new to eBay or online shopping in general, you may not know exactly what phishing scams are. Do you? If not, you should know that phishing scams are actually complex online scams. A shady individual or a scammer makes a fake website that is similar to eBay or at least a fake eBay sign in page. You are then sent an email that appears as if it was from eBay. The only thing is that it wasn't. The goal of a phishing scam is to get you to visit the fake page and enter in your eBay sign in information, including your eBay screen name and your eBay password. Once a scammer has your information, they get access to you personal information stored on eBay, as well as free use of your eBay account.




One of the reasons why phishing scams are so easy to fall victim to is because they give you the impression that is something is wrong with you eBay account or that you did something wrong yourself. For instance, many phishing scams contain a message asking why you didn't pay for an item that you ordered or outline the fact that your eBay account has been suspended. The goal is to get you so worried that you will automatically click on the link to get the problem solved; however, as previously mentioned, the link takes you to a site that looks just like eBay, but it isn't. There is where the trouble comes in.




If you get an eBay phishing scam email, you will want to do a little bit of detective work, before actually clicking on the link. In fact, you shouldn't even click on the link. The first thing that you will want to do is look at your name, as most eBay phishing emails start with “Dear eBay Member,” or something along those lines. Real eBay messages will refer to you by your eBay screen name or even your real name. You can also roll your mouse over the link provided to you and see where it will actually take you. In most cases, you will find that you are being directed to another site, not eBay.com. All eBay messages should appear in your “My eBay,” message box. To see if eBay really sent you an email, you can log into your eBay account, from a brand new window that you open up, and check your messages, if you even have any at all.




If you do receive an eBay phishing scam email, you are advised to contact eBay or examine eBay's help center. There you will find instructions on how to report the email or send a copy of it to eBay. Although your first thought may be to delete the eBay phishing scam email, you will actually want to follow eBay's reporting instructions. You may know that you are being scammed, but other may not. Reporting an eBay phishing scam to eBay allows them to take care of the problem; thus likely reducing the number of eBay users who fall victim to similar scams.




Now that you know exactly what eBay phishing scams are, you are urged to be on the lookout for them. Keeping an open eye is your best line of defensive against eBay phishing scams or any phishing scams for that matter.


Wednesday, 27 June 2012

Low Cost Advertising and Scams on the Internet



"A business without a sign is a sign of no business". This is an advertising banner or quotation that can be seen in large billboards along the roads and on the side or top of buildings that is vacant. Television and radio would say, "This program would not be shown or be heard without advertisement". It is true since most of us are watching the free television channel and programs are produced by payments of advertisements.




Business owners understand how important an advertisement is. It is in this manner that they would tell to everybody that they are selling products and offering services. They would not have sales, which in turn give them profit, if people would not notice and buy their products and avail of their services.




However, it is not happy to note that there are people who would try to steal money from advertisers and business owners by offering cheap advertisement packages and not delivering the agreed service. Business owners and advertisers should be informed of this because they would become victims of a scam.




The scam here is when the advertiser paid for these different kinds of services but none or some of them are not really even performed. The main point to consider here is to whom is the advertiser transacting with. To avoid being ripped off doing a background check by knowing the following will help.




* past successful projects as evident on customers comments



* a good reputation that will be confirmed by his references, (people that he's had past transaction with and that are also reputable)




The pay-per-click ad campaign is when an advertiser would pay a certain agreed amount by the search engine developers every time a user clicks on that banner. This was a good idea before it was not touched by hackers who developed a certain program to automatically click on that banner which increases the amount to be paid by the advertiser. The next paying scheme was the “pay per action”, which is harder to hack since the advertiser would only pay the search engine developers an agreed amount every time a sale would be done on that customer.




One thing is for sure, advertising in the Internet is not easy but it is fun, especially when one understands fully the power of the Internet. It is not a unidirectional means of advertising like the television or radio, but it is an interactive avenue for both the advertiser and the prospective clients.


Tuesday, 26 June 2012

How to Avoid Scams With Make Money Writing Articles



If you want to make money writing articles online, there is a good chance that you will turn to the internet in search of paying clients. Unfortunately, you are likely to come across a number of scams along the way. Writing articles for money is a great work-at-home opportunity, but, work-at-home opportunities are often common fronts for scammers. So, how can you avoid these scams? You may be surprised just how easy it is.




First, it is important to know what types of scams are out there. You may find what appears to be a great client who wants you to write 15 articles on fashion jewelry. However, after submitting your articles, your client is nowhere to be found. They took your articles without paying for them. For a writer who takes great pride in their work, this is one of the worst types of scams to fall victim to. There are also scams where companies, claiming to provide you with article writing jobs charge you a fee and then just take your money and run. Some scammers will also create fake article writing jobs in hopes of getting your personal information.





As for acquiring your personal information and using it illegally, a legitimate business owner may need your social security number, as they need to report this information on their taxes. Unfortunately, this is how many scammers get personal information out of hopeful writers. To prevent this from happening from you, know the difference between a well-established website and company versus someone who is only asking you to write four articles. Work with a new client a few times before providing them with any personal information. If you are paid and without problems, the individual or company in question really may need your personal information.




As for someone taking your articles and running, without paying you, there are a number of ways to avoid this scam. Be cautious of new clients. For projects that are large in size, request a small amount of the payment upfront or at the halfway point. If you aren’t paid, don’t write more articles. For smaller projects, where you may feel uncomfortable asking for payment upfront, use you best judgment. If your articles are not paid for, you retain the rights to them, meaning you can resell them.




As for "companies", who request you pay a fee, you will also want to use your best judgment. There are legitimate companies online that will charge you $5 or $10 a month to participate in their article writing programs. A small fee doesn’t mean that the site is legitimate, but run away from fees that are high, like $20 or more. Also, never pay a company that claims you can make thousands of dollars a day. Article writing can be a well-paying gig, but since it is a legitimate job, so you should have reasonable expectations.




As previously stated, be sure to use your best judgment. Although some online scams can be easy to fall for, most are easy to spot and from a mile away. As long as you know that article writing scams do exist and what to look for, you can better protect yourself. By steering clear of the above mentioned scams, you can enjoy a long and profitable career as an article writer.


Monday, 25 June 2012

Protect Yourself From Fraud While Making Money On Craigslist



You can make money on craigslist.org, Just as easily as you can make money, you can also lose it. There are many unscrupulous individuals out there who are just waiting to take your money and run. So how do you protect yourself from fraud while making money on craigslist.org?




There are many things you can do so let's start with the very basics. Craigslist.org has a short piece on how to protect yourself from fraud. Before you start to buy and sell on craigslist.org you should familiarize yourself with this document. This however, is just the first step.




Now that you have read that article on craigslist.org, let's review it here and build on the concepts that it covers. First, remember that craigslist.org is a local list. Any communication from someone outside the general area, especially from outside the country, should be viewed with suspicion. There are plenty of check, certified check, and money order scams out there. This is also true for wire transfers. Here is a good way to protect yourself from fraud while making money craigslist.org. Never accept a check, or certified check from someone outside of the US. If you decide to sell to someone in another location, request that they send you an international money order. This can be cashed at the post office and it is traceable. Never ship goods until the payment has cleared. Do not fall for the partial payment. Never ship COD, never ship until you have cleared available funds that are payment in full. Overall it is safer not to deal with anyone who is not local. A face to face transaction is far better than one where you never meet your customer.




After covering payments, we need to cover other types of scams. Get cash whenever possible. This avoids most problems. Let buyers know that your sale is as is, no refunds not returns accepted. Craigslist.org will not get involved in any aspect of the sale. They do not offer "safe harbor" like eBay, they do not certify buyers and sellers, and they do not offer buyer or seller protection. If someone is touting themselves as craigslist.org certified, they are lying. Do not conduct business with them.




Here are some other things to be aware of. Always set up a meeting to see the merchandise that you are buying. Craigslist.org is a local community website. Anyone who does not want to meet you or if they do not want to let you see the merchandise first hand that you are buying then chose another seller.




Are you looking for a work at home opportunity? While there are legitimate offers out there, be very careful about assembling items at home, envelope stuffing, medical transcriptions, and just about anything else that seems too good to be true. If it seems too good to be true it usually is. Do your homework before deciding on a work at home opportunity. Unless you are looking for a business opportunity like Tupperware or Avon, you should not have to put up any money for a work at home job. Be wary of commission only positions as well. If in doubt, check with your state attorney general's office and the Better Business bureau. These entities are there to protect the consumer so you should make use of them. Neither agency will charge you for your request.




Now that you know a little bit about how to protect yourself from fraud while making money on craogslist.org, remember to always keep these items in mind when dealing with someone you do not know. The idea is to make money, not to lose it. A little common sense will go a long way. So be careful and make sure that you know who you are dealing with and what you are getting into. You can always walk away from a deal. It may be difficult but it is preferable to losing a lot of money.


Identity Theft Deterrent