As use of the internet becomes more widespread and more and more affects our daily lives, so do the unfortunate proliferation of internet scams.
Internet scams work much the same way as more terrestrial cons do, except that internet access affords the con-artists a more direct way of reaching the consumer. In most cases, these scams use a hook, such as a promise of riches, or getting something for nothing. But then comes the catch, which is usually some sort of fee, or even worse, a pitch for access to private information.
The most common internet scams include e-mails from foreign dignitaries or pseudo-financial institutions asking for aid in administrating an estate claim in exchange for a percentage. There are also numerous work from home and pseudo-investment scams. Another common scam is phishing, where scammers send e-mails posing as a trusted website like PayPal, Monster, or ebay asking to update your information. There are also websites out there which contain hidden spyware, which can infect your computer much like a virus does.
There are hundreds of blogs which contain information on internet scams. Sadly, there are also blogs out there promoting them.
The best way to protect yourself is simply to remember that if you are promised something that seems too good to be true, that's because it probably is.
by Glen Boyd
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