In the rush to purchase that gift or item I would suggest you bear in mind
not all retailers whether on or offline are constrained by high morals in the
the conduct their business activities. Some persons are just downright dishonest.
In the article Yahoo News [reposted from PC World. com] you can refresh
your memory, of be informed of the five leading scams pervading the WWW.
.Here is a synopsis of the article.
"1. Action Fraud: You never get the product promised, or the promises don't match the product. The descriptions may be vague, incomplete, or completely fake. One scammer accepted bids for Louis Vuitton bags that she didn't own, and then scoured the Internet looking for cheap knockoffs that cost less than the winning bid.
2. Phishing Scams: You receive an e-mail that looks like it came from your bank, warning you about identity theft and asking that you log in and verify your account information. The message says that if you don't take action immediately, your account will be terminated.
3. Nigerian 419 Letter: You receive an e-mail, usually written in screaming capital letters, that starts out like this: "DEAR SIR/MADAM: I REPRESENT THE RECENTLY DEPOSED MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE FOR NODAMBIZIA, WHO HAS EMBEZZLED 30 MILLION DOLLARS FROM HIS STARVING COUNTRYMEN AND NOW NEEDS TO GET IT OUT OF THE COUNTRY..." The letter says the scammers are seeking an accomplice who will transfer the funds into their account for a cut of the total--usually around 30 percent. You'll be asked to travel overseas to meet with the scammers and complete the necessary paperwork. But before the transaction can be finalized, you must pay thousands of dollars in "taxes," "attorney costs," "bribes," or other advance fees.
4. Postal Forwarding/Reshipping Scam: You answer an online ad looking for a "correspondence manager." An offshore corporation that lacks a U.S. address or bank account needs someone to take goods sent to their address and reship them overseas. You may also be asked to accept wire transfers into your bank account, then transfer the money to your new boss's account. In each case, you collect a percentage of the goods or amount transferred.
5. "Congratulations, You've Won an Xbox (news - web sites) (IPod, plasma TV, etc.)"
You get an e-mail telling you that you've won something cool--usually the hot gadget du jour, such as an Xbox or an IPod. All you need to do is visit a Web site and provide your debit card number and PIN to cover "shipping and handling" costs."
Continue reading "Handy-Gadgets Caution: Buyer Beware!" »
