Scams: How to identify and avoid - List of the most known ,including Ebay Scams

Telephone lottery scams: These include the Canadian lottery scam and the El Gordo Spanish lottery scam, which deceptively uses the name of a genuine lottery. People respond to an unsolicited mailing or telephone call telling them they are being entered into a prize draw. They then receive a telephone call congratulating them on winning a big prize in a national lottery - but before they can claim their winnings, they must send money to pay for taxes and processing fees. The prize doesn't exist.

Prize draw, sweepstakes and foreign lottery mailings: many typical scams take the form of prize draws, lotteries or government payouts. Most appear to be notification of a prize in an overseas draw or lottery in return for administration or registration fees.

Premium rate telephone number scams: Notification by post of a win in a sweepstake or a holiday offer includes instructions to ring a premium rate 090 number to claim your prize.

Investment related scams: An unsolicited telephone call offering the opportunity to invest in shares, fine wine, gemstones or other soon-to-be rare commodities. These investments often carry very high risk and may be worth a lot less than you pay. The shares are not quoted on any stock exchange and you will not be able to sell them easily afterwards. 'Solid' valuable investments, such as gem stones, are often said to be stored in secretive Swiss bank vaults, so you can never see your investment.

Nigerian advance fee frauds: THE MOST KNOWN SCAM. An offer via letter, e-mail or fax to share a huge sum of money in return for using the recipient's bank account to permit the transfer of the money out of the country. The perpetrators will either use the information given to empty their victim's bank account; or convince him or her that money is needed up front for bribing officials. Pyramid schemes: offer a return on a financial investment based upon the number of new recruits to the scheme. Investors are misled about the likely returns as there are not enough people to support the scheme indefinitely - only the people who set up the scheme are able to make any money.

Matrix schemes: are promoted via web sites offering expensive hi-tech gadgets as free gifts in return for spending £20 or similar on a low-value product such as a mobile telephone signal booster. Consumers who buy the product join a waiting list to receive their free gift. The person at the top of the list gets their free gift only after a prescribed number – sometimes as high as 100 – of new members join up. In reality, the majority of those on the list will never receive the expensive item they expect.

Credit scams: another advance fee fraud, originating in Canada. Advertisements have appeared in local newspapers offering fast loans regardless of credit history. Consumers who respond are told their loans have been agreed but before the money can be released they must pay a fee to cover insurance. Once the advance fee is paid, the consumer never hears from the company again and the loan never appears.

Property investment schemes: would-be investors attend a free presentation and are persuaded to hand over thousands of pounds to sign up to a course promising to teach them how to make money dealing in property. Schemes may involve the opportunity to buy properties which have yet to be built at a discount. A variation is a buy-to-let scheme where companies offer to source, renovate and manage properties, claiming good returns from rental income. In practice, the properties are near-derelict and the tenants non-existent.

Work-at-home and business opportunity scams: often work by advertising paid work from home but which require money up-front to pay for materials; or by requiring investment in a business with little or no chance of success.

Ebay Scams/PaypalBank scams

1. You can receive an email from "your" bank or paypal asking you to log in in order to..(say verify something) the page you are redirected is actually a phishing page and all the information,including your account passwords will be stolen. DO NOT EVER trust any emails like this. If in doubt,call your bank or go directly to the website(eg. www.ebay.com) and inter your account details there.

2. EBay scams may involve people trying to buy goods from you with money order,where they pay you with  fraudulent bill. You sent the goods,thinking your bank will clear this up,but it would not.... Always wait until the money are cleared by your bank,before sending stuff. Sometimes they use their own shipping company.

3. Ebay scam which is also popular involves stealing someone elsese account(by the means of #1,etc). Then they post an item for sale for a price you can't resist. When you purchase it, they will ask you to pay,using money order or similar service.  They can also set up a fake escrow service. Beware.

Use commone sense for every purchase. If it's too good to be true- IT IS. No free cheese in this world other than for your pets :)

Don’t Get Caught By Work At Home Scams

You've decided that you want to give up that 9 to 5 and be your own boss.  You've decided on your niche and done some research into it.  What do you need to do next? Source a product to bring in some money.

There are many websites out there that are legitimate, enabling you to build a substantial business and earn money working from home on the Internet.  You could be answering questionnaires for $20 each, reading transcripts of books prior to being published, writing articles. However, there are others, generically called “get rich quick schemes”. These schemes encourage you to spend money that you haven't got with false promises on the returns on your investment. The people who run these schemes (scammers) prey on the naïve or vulnerable and reel them in.  Once, you are under their spell there is no letting go.  Some, even ask you to pay money upfront stating that they'll double even quadruple it for you!

The auction sites are the worst sites for these people to hide in and wait for their prey. You've probably all visited one at some time, searching for that special gift for a family member, friend or even yourself.  The scammers advertise their merchandise, usually something that is a much sought after product. You see it and snap it up, pay, they get your money and you don't get the goods.  This happens time and time again. 

Help is available though.  The Better Business Bureau (bbb.org) and Federal Trade Commission (ftc.gov) are two organizations that are there to help you keep away from these fraudulent scams and check out the legitimate ones on the Internet to prevent you from losing you're hard earned cash.  They are encouraging people to complain to them about these scams.  If you get caught up in one, no matter how much money is involved, you MUST report it and stop it from happening to some other unsuspecting person trying to look for an honest way to make a living online.

You owe it to yourself to check out the Companies or people that are advertising a scheme or goods.  Do they have testimonials and are they real?  Follow them up by contacting the people who have made the testimonials.  Visit their sites and check them out through the Better Business Bureau and Federal Trade Commission.

Forums are a good place to get some help.  They are full of valuable advice.  You can read up on the benefits and pitfalls of schemes or ventures you are intending to embark on or perhaps you'd like to ask some specific questions.  All of the members have had to start from somewhere and they will give you good, honest advice.

Ensure that you are aware of what is happening and beware of that email dropping into your inbox stating that you can “get rich quick”.  There is no easy way to make money on the Internet, it takes a lot of time, effort, determination and hard work. 

Remember:- If it looks to good to be true, it probably is.

Avoiding the Scams: How to Find a Business Opportunity That is Right for You

It is heartbreaking to me that so many women with big dreams get knocked down by ruthless business opportunists who take advantage of a woman's passion and trusting nature by offering bogus business opportunities. Don't get me wrong, it happens to men too; it just really frustrates me that women who want nothing more than to operate a home-based business can be taken advantage of so easily and that those pushing the business scams don't care about their ethics, about busting your budget, or diminishing your
self-confidence.

If you want to find a business opportunity that is legitimate, you must be cautious in reviewing opportunities and make sure that you find a business that's right for you. There is a general rule of thumb when trying to find a business possibility that will enable you to work-from-home while generating a significant income. That is, if an offer sounds too good to be true, most likely it is. Most times you will find a business offer that is presented in an inflated manner to be either a scam, or an incredibly exaggerated representation of the opportunity the business venture actually affords you.

There are some legitimate business opportunity packages out there, but honestly, they are few and far between. In most cases, you are better off crafting your very own business opportunity rather than trying to find a business opportunity that is prepackaged, turnkey and ready to go. A turnkey business opportunity is one that provides you everything you need to get started in business in a start-up package for a flat start-up fee, or at least claims to. Some of them have ongoing membership fees as well.

Of course, there are some companies that offer true turn-key opportunities like distributorships or pyramid plans where you sell their products for them, usually through party plans, and recruit other representatives for a percentage of fees. You may find a business like this appealing because it is a package deal that is easy to start-up and generally has good support through the company and an up-line.

The legitimate businesses of this nature are well-known - Avon®, Home Interiors®, Herbalife®, Tupperware®, and Mary Kay®, for instance. You really can make money in these types of businesses while maintaining control over your own work schedule if you are willing to give it your all. However, some people just aren't outgoing enough to make a distributorship business work because they don't have the personality for direct sales and recruiting.

Sometimes, rather than trying to find a business that is turnkey, it is best just to craft your very own business idea, business concept and business plan, and to strike out on your own to transform your entrepreneurial dreams into reality. Here are some simple questions that will help to aim you in the right direction for developing your very own business ideas:

1. What are you passionate about?

If you are going to spend a large amount of your time operating your business, doesn't it make sense to find a business idea that incorporates something you enjoy? Brainstorming for ideas based on your personal interests is a great start to launching, owning and operating a satisfying business.

2. What are your talents or gifts?

If you can find a business idea that uses talents, gifts, knowledge or skill that you already have, it will be much easier for you to get your business started quickly, and to operate it efficiently.

3. What are you interested in that is new and exciting to you?

Everyone has unexplored interests. If there is something that you are interested in learning more about or activities you would like to engage in, these interests can be great to pursue as business ideas. Search your heart and you are sure to find a business idea that will be just perfect for you.

4. Of all the potential business ideas you have generated, which one is most likely to be the best business opportunity?

To answer this question, you need to do your market research. Evaluate the competition, find a marketing niche, and determine whether or not you can make money with the ideas that you have. By following these simple steps in generating your very own, unique business ideas, you will definitely find a business opportunity that will be both fulfilling and profitable.