BY:ABDALLAH KHAMIS ABDALLAH
The internet is a great resource and platform for making money, doing business and exchange of ideas, information, goods and services. Many people, companies and institutions have benefited immensely from making money and procuring goods and services online. However, there are also stories of misery and loss of money from purchasing goods and services online through scams.

In this article I intend to propose solutions to the internet fraternity which if well implemented will stop or minimize scams. You are free to discuss these proposals with others and offer any of your own proposals in forums, discussion boards, mailing lists and elsewhere on how to implement these and other measures. More, importantly you can on your own or with others start implementing these ideas as a service to the internet community and users.

MEASURES YOU CAN TAKE
First, at the individual person’s level you need to be cautious and counter-check all offers and information you read or find on the internet. This is so particularly if what you want to buy is sold by an individual or an unknown company. Browse the website and find all what you have to about the individual or company and what it sells or offers. Check the contact information, physical and mailing address and if you have any doubts or queries then send them a message or letter seeking more details about them or their products.

Go further and ask others in relevant internet forums and discussion boards for a second opinion about the site, company, individual, products or services you are in doubt of. Ask whether someone has used the products satisfactorily or if they are genuine. You could also search in the major search engines for reviews of the website or product by typing the product’s/site’s name plus the word “review” or “scam” and following up the search results.

Next you could visit the Better Business Bureau site and find out if there have been any complaints filed against the particular website, company or individual. If not, send them an email enquiring if they have any information or concerns about the site or products offered.

You should also avoid all get-rich-quick, ponzi and pyramid schemes so that you do not become a victim. While not all MLM schemes are scams most of them are, so be careful about joining any MLM programs. Avoid the temptation of paying for any program or joining any money-making scheme that promises riches at a short or even long period of time for doing little or no work or recruiting/referring a large number of people. While some referral programs are genuine there are many out there that are not. A good referral program or affiliate marketing program is free to join and you only get paid a commission if your referral purchases from the program owner. Before joining any referral/affiliate program find out if the program is not illegal and check their track record and if there have been any complaints against them.

Also avoid paying money to join contests and sweepstakes.Ideally, they should be free to join but even if you are to pay then it is to purchase a genuine product that has some utility. The rules should also be fair and there must be an independent mechanism of verifying the entries or selecting the winners. For online and work-at-home jobs, the best are those you do not have to pay anything to apply. Where any payment is necessary it should be to join a membership site with a database of genuine job postings. Where a site offers such a service it should have a free trial service so that you can test the genuineness and efficacy of their service. The site also needs to be well-established and being among the market leaders.

You as an individual should also avoid creating or propagating scam materials, emails or websites. Remember, scams and spam are made by someone like you and me and merely blaming others while you have several scam materials you have prepared or are distributing is not right. Make a strong vow not to scam others and pull down that scam website now!

Finally, you should use your sixth sense to figure out if a particular site, program or product is a scam. What does your inner conscience tell you? Do not fall easily to ads or sites that promise quick riches for reading a certain ebook, special report or for doing little or no work. If they are really genuine then do some due diligence before paying any money.

INTERNET POLICE ORGANIZATION
There is need for a common police organization with branches or chapters in various countries worldwide. The organization could be formed by governments or be formed by companies, internet users and interest groups. Its main role should be to monitor the internet for criminal activities and scams. It would be receiving reports and complaints from internet users and investigating them and tracking and arresting cyber-criminals. The organization should have its own paid cyber-cops that would be surfing the web and looking for websites that spew out scams. They could also set up free email accounts to trap spam and tracking the scammers and spammers.

Some people might claim that this would be contrary to what the internet stands for as a free non-regulated network. This proposed organization would not be introducing any new rules or regulations but enforcing any laws that exist against any cyber-crimes that exist in a particular country. Action would only be taken after thorough investigation according to laid down law. For sure, the critics are not saying that people should be free to defraud or scam others. They surely wouldn’t like to lose their money to scam artists just because a scammer somewhere considers the internet a free environment. Any freedom must have acceptable limits and the internet is not an exception.

The internet police organization should be well-staffed with people who have thorough knowledge of the internet and the organization should be well-funded. It could funded by governments if set up by them or funded through grants, subscriptions or donations if set up by internet stakeholders. Specific legislation should be enacted in each country so that it has the legal mandate and teeth to fight cyber-crime.

INDUSTRY/TRADE ASSOCIATIONS
While awaiting the formation of the internet police organization, internet entrepreneurs and companies could form industry and professional associations that could assist in enforcing codes of ethics for members. People doing business online and webmasters should be required to join these associations and follow their codes of ethics to enhance their credibility. While joining will be voluntary, those who will not have joined will be treated as pariahs to be avoided.

To make it important and necessary to join such associations, various incentives and benefits could be offered. Members who violate the code of ethics could be punished or blacklisted. There should be fees charged to join and certain amounts deposited to be used as fines in case of any violations. A special page on each association’s site should be devoted to the black list and the number and type of violations. Another page should be devoted to displaying a grey list of websites and companies that conform to the codes of ethics and any awards given.

These industry associations should provide relevant information about their particular industries, various types of scams in their industries and outside their industries and anti-scam measures and advice to their members.

REFERENCE SITES
Numerous reference sites that could be run commercially should be set-up to counter-check facts and data about individuals, companies, websites and institutions.

The way this might work is that people put up profiles, resumes, etc for display on such sites for a fee. They also send documentary evidence by email or snail mail for the company to verify. They will also provide the sites operators with names of several referees who will be asked to verify the profiles or resumes.

Alternatively, people could post their profiles for free while companies and people seeking to view profiles and resumes could pay a fee for every view or search. The payment could be for every profile or view one seeks or a monthly or annual membership access fee may be charged.

Such reference sites could be used to confirm people’s identities, websites and company profiles for genuineness and legitimacy. Employers, prospective customers and others could visit such sites to check on the résumés/profiles of their targeted candidates, webmasters or companies. The reference sites could also be licensed to hold databases of data and information including information about any complaints against subscribers online or any violations of cyber-business ethics.

VOLUNTARY ACTIONS BY VARIOUS PLAYERS
A host of other actions could be taken by individuals, companies, webmasters and major internet players. For example, major search engine companies could decide to remove from their listings any websites that violate certain pre-defined business and website standards or regulations. Online credit card processors could freeze and close accounts of companies and website owners if a substantial number of complaints are made against their clients.

Major internet players need to get together and enact specific and effective regulations to stem and weed out scams and their perpetrators. They also need to enforce those regulations. Companies that host websites that perpetrate scams should pull down such sites and refund their owners the balance of unused funds.

It is also important that sufficient and detailed information should be disseminated online and offline about various types of scams to make people aware and cautious of online scams. You and others can help by writing many articles and posting in as many free articles directories as possible, reviewing some of the various online scams in sites and forums, setting up blogs and sites specifically containing as much content on scams and anti-scams measures.

If you have the time and skills, you could set yourself up as a paid private internet investigator who assists internet users counter-check facts about websites, programs, and people. You could also assist internet scams victims with investigations, tracking and local or cross-border follow-ups. This type of work is well-suited to people who have knowledge of detective, business and criminal law and sufficient knowledge of the internet and the way it works. You should be licensed in your area of operation and work with legal and government agencies in order to be effective and successful.

These and other actions will reduce most scams by more than 95% and make the internet safe for everyone to do business.

When taking all the afore-mentioned measures we need to exercise utmost caution and objectivity and ensure that we do not victimize innocent webmasters and people. You may be sued for defaming people or declaring legitimate businesses as scams. You need to gather detailed and authentic information from proven sources before declaring any business as a scam. The due process of investigations and applying the codes of business ethics and the law should be followed. Experts versed in internet business, business ethics and business law need to be consulted for advice in drafting and enforcing the regulations and codes of business ethics.

To sum up, scams are fraudulent dispossessions of lawful property of their victims and they and their perpetrators need to be stemmed and weeded out completely from the internet. Thorough and professionally conducted investigations should be conducted and those found to be guilty of fraudulent activities online after the due process of the law has been followed should be punished accordingly.