ScamsOnline

eBay Scammer Should Get A+++ For Honesty

Digg.com has an interesting story. It states, "Politicians should take notes from this eBay scammer who not only was courteous enough to tell the victim she was being scammed, but even continued to answer emails from the press! In the end, will it lead to her downfall?"

In fact, the victim did several things wrong. Most of her mistakes were well-known to experienced users of eBay and other online auction services. In fact, all of her mistakes could have been easily avoided.

Money for nothing

Hundreds of new sites are trading on web users' ignorance by selling inadequate or unnecessary technical support for free software.

Austelle describes herself as "a frequent internet user" who checks her email daily, participates in forums, and has multiple online accounts. But that did not stop her falling for a new loophole by which sites provide software that's available free elsewhere - and charge for "support" that may be limited or even nonexistent.

New Internet Scam Targets Online Sellers

The warnings about Internet scams are almost as numerous as the scams themselves, but lately a new scheme has been duping even the most experienced computer users.

Crooks on the Internet have been posing as middlemen, targeting anyone selling a high-priced item online.

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Scam Web Site Charges for Free Software!

Try typing "Firefox" into the search box on Google, Yahoo! or MSN. Now check out the paid advertisement for "FreeDownloadHQ.com."

FreeDownloadHQ is anything but free. These guys take FREE software and SELL IT FOR $37.95 and then have the nerve to call themselves FreeDownloadHQ! (By the way, they'll also sell you Internet Explorer, Opera and Netscape and any number of other free software programs.)

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Fake Messages Claiming to be from eBay

An old scam has been polished and is now circulating again. You may receive an e-mail from eBay with a subject of "Question about Item -- Respond Now" or something similar. The message appears to be generated by an eBay seller and suggests you respond. To do so, you would expect to click on the link within the e-mail message to go to eBay, log in and then post your reply.

There's only one problem: when you click on the link and sign in, it's not eBay's site. Oh, it looks like eBay but it is not. You just entered your user name and password into a rip-off artist's "look alike" site. He is now free to take your user name and password and buy all sorts of things in your name!

Site rips off free software, then sells it

Have you found a site that claims to sell "Microsoft Office Compatible Products" for low prices? Watch out! This guy is actually charging money for programs that are available free of charge elsewhere!

For Love Or Money - Internet dating scam

A search for true love has led to a broken heart and a depleted bank account. It's the result of a scam that began with a profile on an Internet dating service. It wasn't the alluring picture but the affectionate words that drew the attention and trust of a scam victim we'll call Sebastian, a man with a college degree and a good job.

Why you shouldn't trust MySpace

If you have an account at MySpace.com, as millions of people do, you might want to read an article by Trent Lapinski. He gives the bios of the senior management, the jail terms they served, the shoddy businesses they have been involved with and more.

Trojan Emits Bogus, Risqué Google AdSense Ads

A Trojan horse program is churning out bogus Google ads promoting products Google eschews--gambling, cheap Viagra, girlie photos and adult dating.

This pop-up ad was really a scam

Repeat after me: "I will never, ever, ever give my bank account number, credit card number or other personal information to someone who calls me on the phone to solicit business. "Ditto for a company that I have called in response to an ad, if I know little or nothing about the company."

Patty Gyoles, of South Bend, learned a hard lesson about that over the past few weeks. She may have lost hundreds of dollars from her bank accounts as a result.

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