When goods and services are promoted to you on the Internet, often using SPAM or unsolicited email, beware of:
- Hidden addresses - beware of traders who try to sell goods or services using an anonymous email address or a post office box number and make it hard for you to find their actual location.
- Capital letters shouting at you - even the look and wording of adverts can make you suspicious. Be wary of adverts that shout at you, like 'THE SECRETS OF GUARANTEED SUCCESS!!!' or 'How to make a ££££million!!!'.
- Vague references - 'Thousands of satisfied customers!' might sound impressive, but you're rarely given enough information to check them out.
- 'This is not a scam' - Don't fall for this trick. A legitimate business doesn't need to convince you of its legality.
- Promises of instant wealth - if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
- Pay for a secret - some scams will offer a 'secret' money-making method available 'only to a select number of people'. But a typical scam reaches thousands of users. Details of the scheme are kept hidden until after you pay a fee.
- Hidden expenses - be wary of advertisements promising 'no start up costs' and then asking for a one-off fee.
- 'Phishing' online banking scam
What also to look out for
- Bogus online auctions, where the items purchased are never delivered.
- Deliberate misrepresentation or non-delivery of general merchandise purchased online.
- Deliberate misrepresentation or non-delivery of computer equipment or software purchased online.
- Internet access scams, where bogus internet service providers fraudulently charge for services that were never ordered or received.
- Credit card or telephone charges for services that were never ordered or misrepresented as free.
- Work-at-home schemes promising wildly exaggerated sales and profits.
- Advance fee loans, where consumers are duped into paying upfront charges for loans that never materialise.
- Phoney offers of cheap-rate credit card deals, once again on payment of upfront fees.
- Business opportunities or franchises sold on the basis of exaggerated profit estimates.
What to do if you receive an scam email or access a scam site
If you have received a scam email, do not reply, they have not normally targeted you personally. If you access a website you believe to be in some way bogus, again, do not follow the guidance it provides.
For further information and guidance visit Get Safe Online. This is a Government and industry backed website that has advice on everything from protecting your PC and dealing with spam email to shopping online and helping your children to surf safely.
|