Getting Ripped off!

[Aitch]

It could perhaps be said that the internet has made criminals out of people that would never have broken a law in their natural life if it wasn’t for the opportunity to become whoever they want, wherever they want, in a secretive world of virtual reality.

We’ve all head about the Scams and the Scammers out there from the blatant rip-offs to the subtlety misleading sale and promotion of products and services, but fortunately I’ve not been the victim of any of these cheats...........................yet!

Being a little sceptical by nature, I’m always intrigued by some of the offers that one stumbles on when browsing the web, and I may well have missed out on some great goods & services due to my doubtful nature.

I’d be interested to know how others approach this dilemma. Has anyone here had a bad experience? Do you have a method of verifying something on the web before you take the plunge?

Feedback on this issue greatly appreciated.

Aitch

[TimK]

Hi, Aitch. I've never been ripped off from a scam, either, though I know people who have. I've found that knowing about the basic scams is invaluable. Many scams you can smell a mile away. In particular, if anything seems out of the ordinary, I deploy my scam guard.

The single most imporant thing to me, if I have any doubts, is a recommendation from a source I trust. This isn't necessarily a personal recommendation, although if a trusted friend tells me he's had a long-term relationship with such-and-such a company, that's a big plus. I can then get more details.

At the least, I do a Google search and a Google Groups search. This allowed me, for example, to block ads from a less-than-reputable source, when I had AdSense up on my blog. (Now I'm experimenting with affiliate marketing.) I was testing the site, and I noticed an AdSense ad that seemed really cool and a little scary, a site that offers TV shows and movies for download. Old-school entertainment networks have been resisting licensing their material for this sort of distribution, which helps podcasters. Anyhow, I checked out the site (without clicking on the ad), but they wanted my email address before they'd even tell me how their service works. Scam alert! A quick Google Groups search proved that they were just collecting email addresses in return for information on file-sharing networks. A little reasearch does pay off.

-TimK

Originally posted by TimK@Jan 13 2006, 05:04 AM
Hi, Aitch. I've never been ripped off from a scam, either, though I know people who have.

At the least, I do a Google search and a Google Groups search.Â* A little reasearch does pay off.

-TimK

[snapback]170[/snapback]

Great tip TimK.

That's something i do too. There are also a couple of sites that function as SCAM buster. I may post the links if anyone is interested.

Aitch

I often get many complaints on my forum of having being scammed. Most common traits I noticed is not doing proper homework before jumping into the opportunity. Here's what I usually suggest to them:

1) Make sure to read disclamier/terms of use before going ahead. Most of the sites do honestly state the facts in their disclaimer

2) Make sure they have a valid contact address and telephone number.

3) Do a whois check to confirm details. Most scam sites list fake US addresses on their site and have their domain registered with some Nigerian address.

4) Like TimK suggested, search on Google using keywords like "Company name Scam". If it's likely a scam then you'll most likely run into discussions related to the company.