INTERNET SCAMS – CHECK & RECHECK BEFORE COMMITMENT

In our haste to make a few quick bucks we may easily fall prey to those internet predators that abound in cyber world. There are literally hundreds of thousands of webpages devoted to making money in the internet. Some are genuine and of course there are those scammers and schemers who are out there waiting to swallow us bones and all.

Make no mistakes about it, internet scams are nothing new and have been around since the dawn of the cyber age. They can be disguised as home based businesses, requests for donations, requests for information (personal), or seeking help to withdrawal money usually stuck in certain banks in Africa and a hosts of other methods to hoodwink any unsuspecting internet users.

In order for us to protect ourselves there are certain measures that can be adopted. Primarily they are :-

1) Control Greed

Most of the scams prey on our weaknesses by promising all the good things in life, free money, free holidays, luxurious goods and coupons. If we cannot control our greed, its only a click away to doomsday. We may stumble onto a very lucrative scheme ala Ponzi style. Want to be a millionaire? Yes, click here, click there. Do not be too gullible.

2) Information

No one should be compelled to volunteer any information especially relating to the bank accounts and credit cards. There are sites disguised or masquerading as the original sites of genuine businesses that trick us to part with our information. This is phishing. Do be careful as indentity theft is rampant.

Always be sure of the web site before parting with our information.

3) Read Terms and Conditions

If we are getting into any form of contracts be they online or offline, always read the terms and conditions especially the fine prints. As pertain to internet businesses, make sure that we do not authorize the use by third parties of our information other than the one we are dealing with.

4) Check If the Site/Page Are Secured

Normally secured sites have the “s” after “http”. Normally “https” webpages or sites have built in system to prevent hacking. It pays to be mindful.

5) Update Your Browser

Its important to update our browser consistently as most like Firefox and Internet Explorer update their softwares constantly. Updated features are important to prevent hacking. Frequently change our password too.

6) Use Anti Spy Softwares and Firewalls

We do not want our information to be spied upon and therefore it is vitally important to install anti spy softwares. Firewalls will prompt us in the event of suspicious links being downloaded and thus prevent any nefarious intrusions that can compromise our security. Another important line of defence is not to decommission the "pop-up blocker". Most spams with malevolent intention, will not get through to harm us if these blockers are intact in our computer system.

7) Minimise The Use of Credit Card On Sites That Are Suspicious

Once the culprits get hold of our information , our credit card is an open check for them. Another important point to note when using our credit card is to ascertain that we can cancel our transaction at any time if we were not satisfied with the goods or services provided without having to resort to the cancellation of the card.

8) Read Between The Lines

Always remember to trust our instincts. If we feel that the web site that we are dealing with does not feel right, probably it is. Drop it. There are websites that makes humongous promises which they contradict later on. MLM businesses especially are prone to promises like guaranteeing you to be on top of the chain, what about the rest that joined later than you, they also received the same promise? Be aware, not everyone can be on top.

Always check and recheck before any commitment and there are many forums on the internet to discuss any subjects; and topics on internet scams are aplenty, so make use of the facilities.