The Internet is definitely a double-edged sword. Not only does it flatten the world and allow people incredible access to an almost infinite number of consumers, it also allows criminals and thieves incredible access to an almost infinite number of victims. Don’t be one of them.

If it Sounds too Good to be True…

Then it is. Don’t do it. There is a great saying, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.” It’s time that we take responsibility for ourselves and our money and not fall for these online Internet scams. Here are some classic examples…

Letter from Nigeria

Some guy from Nigeria claims that there is some type of inheritance or huge amount of money or a windfall or some bureaucratic loophole where a bunch of money is found and they need your help to claim it. They’ll give you 10% of this $10 million dollar bounty if you can just assist them. All you need to do is give them your bank account information and…

Too good to be true? Stop reading. SCAM! Delete it. Don’t be an idiot. Don’t even consider it.

Craigslist Item for Sale Scam

You put something up for sale on Craigslist.com and somebody from out of state offers to buy it sight unseen. They ask the condition of the property and when you respond they claim that their secretary or assistant will be mailing you a check for the full amount and somebody will arrange for pickup. They just need your home address. Strangely, the name on the letter is different from the e-mail account. The address on the check is different from where it is supposed to ship. Nothing makes sense and nothing seems to match.

It gets better. They send a follow-up email saying that a mistake had been made and they over paid you for the item. Can you please send them a check for the difference. Yea right! SCAM! Stop reading, delete the e-mail, don’t respond, don’t be an idiot. Move on.

Careerbuilder Money Laundering SCAM

You have a resume on CareerBuilder.com and somebody offers you a job as a facilitator or money mover or some crap like that. All you have to do is accept money into your PayPal account and then wire or transfer money to some other off shore account. They’ll pay you 25% commission or something like that. They’ll even deposit $1,500 into your PayPal account right now, before you even agree or get all the details. But, strangely, nothing matches. SCAM!

Email from Bank of America

You get this e-mail claiming that it’s from Bank of America and the subject is, “Update Your Personal Account”. They’ve used the same logo, the same colors, the same everything. The letter starts out like this:

We at Bank of America are constantly working to increase security for all Online Banking users. To ensure our customers a heightened level of security and comfort we have initiated number of security programs and also upgraded our website for the new year, This message was sent to you with respect to our ongoing accounts update program for our Online Banking clients. This is meant to validate all existing records including your email address you have with us to help us inform you and recognize when it has been unduly changed.Update your site key and your credit card information.

Then, they have a call to action:

To initiate the process, please follow the link bellow and fill in the necessary fields:

But, when you mouseover the link, it doesn’t go to Bank of America. It goes to:

http://pushrecord.com/news/www.bankofamerica.com/sitekey/boa/index.php

And, to add to the credibility and authenticity of this e-mail, they include the following footer:

The information transmitted herein is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged material. Any review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon, this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited. If you received this in error delete the material from any computer

Don’t do it! It’s a SCAM!

Email from the IRS or Better Business Bureau

You get another e-mail from somebody scary. It’s the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) or the Sate Police or the Better Business Bureau (BBB). It comes from somewhere that seems like an authority. They say that you are in trouble or somebody has filed a claim against your or some crap like that. They ask you to respond to this claim by clicking on this link. Don’t do it! It’s got SCAM written all over it.

Urgent From Mr.Shafiqur Rahman Adhami

I received this e-mail this morning. If you fall for it, you’re an idiot. First of all, he tells me he has an “urgent and very confidential business proposition” for me. My me? I don’t know him, he doesn’t know me. How can he make me an urgent and very confidential business proposition?

Second, he tells me that some woman died in an airplane crash with an estate worth $6 million and NO WILL. He even gives me a link to an website reporting the plane crash where she died. The money is sitting in the bank and according to the Laws of United Arab Emerites, after 7 years the money reverts to the government by default. Well, we don’t want that do we?

He just needs me to claim that I’m next of kin, no questions asked. Wow! Sounds like a great opportunity. He’s waiting for my urgent reply. If you’re this stupid to fall for this scam well, I guess Darwin was right about survival of the fittest.