The 2.5 Million Email Recipients Daily Scam - Ouch

It all started 4 days ago when I went to a site I was told might be able to help me by a friend who ran across the sight while surfing the web. It simply said and I quote!

“Our Email Blaster is The Best Bulk Email Advertising and Opt-In Mass Email Service Ever!”

Email advertising and email marketing allows you to send bulk emails to 2.5 million opt-in people who want to learn about your website and its products and services!

No software to download, no specific expertise required. All from our bulk email servers!
Put your website promotion on autopilot!

BLAST YOUR EMAIL AD TO 2.5 MILLION RECIPIENTS DAILY!!!

“Get massive exposure with instant results!

Explode your sales by 1200% over night! NO TROUBLE FROM YOUR ISP! 100% SPAM FREE!
NOTHING TO DOWNLOAD!

Our opt-in email safe list is 100% opt in and 100% legal to use.

Your ad will reach only those prospects who have requested to be included in our safe list for people interested in receiving emails regarding new business opportunities, products and services.
This is the MOST EFFECTIVE Targeted Opt-In Email Advertising using The Worlds Most Astonishing 'SET and FORGET' technology.

Type Your Ad on your BROWSER and click SEND!”

End Quote!

So I was like a fish on the line!

I tried to call for a few days and could not get a live person on the line to save my life! I did have a box called live support come up and I wrote in there asking why no one ever answered the phone? The person I had spoken with was very polite until I asked them something unexpected! At this point they immediately said I will get someone else for you. Then that person came on the line. Let’s call them “frEDDIE!

I asked them the same thing and they quickly said they were short handed and unable to handle the phones. They also said they were having some problems and was getting them fixed right away! They said this was their first concern. I thought this was cool to take care of the sight first. Until!!

You hear the music! “DUN! DUN! DUN!” They got me!

I had them call me when they could and they did. Not on time in fact they were 2 hours late. But to be fair they did call me back. I was in a meeting so they called back again. I asked question after question and even told them I was taping the conversation and this person we are calling “frEDDIE! was repeatedly asked to repeat what he was saying and he did.

I still find it hard to believe but this “frEDDIE! sat there and lied his but off to me. I mean blatantly lied to me!!!!!!!!!! He told me that the system they had for ads to be placed on free classifieds in over 1500 free listings was wrong for me when I asked them if it was the same as searching the web and coming up with the top ten websites for the same thing about the ads? I said because I am in the Top 10 on a lot of search engines. So I would be competing against myself! Right? And the person we are calling frEDDIE! Said I would be better off just going with the Email Blaster instead.

frEDDIE! Said if I went with this Email Blaster instead I would be able to send mails too 2.5 million people from lists they have for us to use by just clicking the button 1 time. He said it was super easy and anyone could do it. frEDDIE told me they were changed every couple days and that if I waited 4 days it would be changed completely and the new email addresses added to the list would make it this fresh new list.

GREAT SO FAR!

frEDDIE then said this was all to be included in the $24.99 price that would be paid each month. frEDDIE said I would be happy with it and it was simple. Nothing else to do and would be sending emails right away from their lists for this low price of just the monthly $24.99.

This is GREAT! So I thought!!!

So I signed up and found this not to be true. The lists of emails to send your ads to were not included in the price and in fact you had to purchase them by the thousands. VERY expensive by the time you would be sending even to .5 million let a lone 2.5 million people. I searched and searched to see if this was true? And it was. WOW! I was shocked. I then tried to get a hold of anyone and no one was available. I sent emails and left messages. I did this again. For a day and a ½ I did this and no response. Then finally got a response and they said this!

ACTUAL EMAIL RESPONSE!

“Sorry I can not provide a refund since you have prepaid for one month.
It does stat in our terms and conditions that you agreed too before purchasing that there are no refunds when you prepay for one month.

Best Regards,
We will change the name to frEDDIE!

I could not believe my eyes! Here was this sweet nice person whom just a day and ½ before had sweet talked me into trying this no risk wonderful Email advertising for email marketing that allows you to send bulk emails to 2.5 million opt-in people who want to learn about your website and its products and services and No software to download, no specific expertise required. All from our bulk email servers! And I could put your website promotion on autopilot! And submit my ads from my very own browser! Telling me I was just screwed in a very polite way I might ad!

Needless to say I was furious. I sent letters to the NEW YORK attorney Generals office about this email scam in Stanton Island New York! I then sent a letter to the Attorney Generals office in Minnesota so they too could investigate. I even intend on sending them to all who will listen and the FBI along with Google and MSN and yahoo and any other search engine that will listen. Right to each of there headquarters.

I will write articles all over the web to make sure this does not keep happening to all the unsuspecting people struggling to get a business off the ground and hopefully stop the lies and the cheating thief’s from getting any more unsuspecting peoples hard earned money like some common internet thug.

So in the future when you see any email sites that sound to good to be true with ads such as

“Our Email Blaster is The Best Bulk Email Advertising and Opt-In Mass Email Service Ever!”

Because I care about the small and large business man or woman out there.

I guess you live and learn. I am sure taking my lumps.

About the author: Event Bows, Car bows etc.
Respectfully yours:Todd C Wunderlich. Owner of CR Bows.
http://crbows.com/ GIANT BOWS FOR LARGE GIFTS

Protect Yourself From The IRS Email Scam and Other Email Fraudsters

Your email inbox can be a hazardous place. Most of us deal with the annoyance of spam emails trying to coax us into buying everything from viagra to stocks, but among those annoying yet relatively harmless emails there may be a message or two from a sender with much more diabolical intentions. You may have heard of the IRS email scam or the UK Lottery scam. These fraudsters attempt to obtain your personal and financial information for a number of purposes including credit fraud and even identity theft.

There are many types of email scams. Here are four common ploys.

IRS refund scam


This is an email that appears to come from the IRS which states that you are due a refund and gives a link to a site where you fill out a refund form. Of course, the site and the form are fake, serving only to deliver your info to the scammer.

Lottery scam

This scam plays on everyone's dream of winning big in the lottery. The email will claim that you have won a huge cash prize and your private data is needed to process your claim to your winnings...but do you remember ever buying a ticket?

Inheritance scam

This email claims to be from a lawyer of a deceased person, or a soon-to-be-deceased person themselves, stating that you are the chosen heir to a vast fortune. Of course, they will need your banking details to make the deposit, probably a small transfer fee also!

Employment scam

This email seems to be a legitimate offer of employment processing international payments. A check is paid to your bank account and you deduct a commission and send on 90%. The check either turns out to be fake, or you get arrested for money laundering.

How to protect yourself:

Never divulge personal information in an email. Officials from banks, the government and similar institutions will never ask you for private details in an email. If someone does, be suspicious.

Never download or open attachments on suspicious emails. They may contain viruses or trojans that could allow a hacker to access your computer.

Check the return email address. Banks don't use hotmail!! If the return address is a free webmail address, be suspicious.

If you are unsure about an email you receive, there are several sites that have lists of scam emails currently in circulation. Check and see if the email you got is on one of those lists.

Always remember the old chestnut...if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.

About the author: Steve Greene hates scammers and exposes email fraudsters on his blog at http://email-scams.info

Man Made Diamonds - Save Big Money And Avoid Mined Diamond Scams

High quality man made diamonds are a bargain at about $80 per carat, and they do not increase in price exponentially as carat weight increases. For example, a one-carat synthetic diamond costs about $80; a three-carat man made diamond would then sell for $240. A one-carat mined diamond that sells for $3000 would go for $45,000 in a three-carat size, all things being equal, which with mined diamonds is never the case. Perplexing comparative evaluations, exponential price growth, consumer confusion, and the reality of diamond industry antics is why the mined diamond business is awash in dirty tricks. Here are descriptions of the most sneaky and pervasive mined diamond scams:

THE BLUE-WHITE SCAM: A jeweler tells you, "This is a blue-white diamond." This is a very old term. The dealer will probably tell you that it is a better diamond, but actually it is just the opposite. Blue-white refers to the fluorescence that results in natural light, which contains ultraviolet wavelengths. This blue fluorescence actually makes a colorless diamond look a little oily or milky in sunlight and decreases its value.

THE LIGHT MAKES WHITE SCAM: Bright lights make every mined diamond look better. Of course, every jeweler wants to show his or her diamonds in the best light, but there are some lighting tricks you should avoid. Some bulbs have a strong blue component, which makes yellow stones look whiter. Special bulbs are often used with strong ultraviolet wavelengths, which make most diamonds fluoresce blue. This also has a whitening effect for stones in the lower color ranges.

THE GRADE BUMPING SCAM: A jeweler exaggerates the grade. The FTC says that a jeweler must be accurate within one grade of color and one grade of clarity on a diamond. So many jewelers bump the color and clarity just one grade. Unfortunately, this can mean a great deal of money if you are talking about a fine-quality, 1-carat diamond. For instance, you might find a stone that the jeweler quotes as a 1.00 carat F color / VS1 clarity for $6,500. However, if you sent it to a reputable gem lab like GIA, it would come back as a G color / VS2 clarity, which is only worth about $5,500. This means you lose (and they profit) about $1,000.

THE FRACTION SCAM: The tag says 3/4 carat, and the FTC allows jewelers to round off diamond weights. So a diamond labeled as 3/4 carat in weight might actually weigh anywhere between .69 and .81 carat. This could mean a significant amount of money, since diamond prices leap at certain popular sizes. In this example, you might be buying a .69 carat round G/VS2 worth about $2,100... but paying for what you thought was a 0.75 carat worth $3,000. You lose $900.

THE LASER DRILLING SCAM: Dealers drill holes to burn out black carbon spots. About 1 in 3 diamonds in the United States is laser drilled. Dealers use lasers to drill a tiny hole into the depths of a diamond to burn and evaporate large black inclusions to make them disappear. The trouble with this little trick is that laser drilling can make the diamond a little more fragile to breaking with a good knock. Most dealers trade laser-drilled stones for much less.

THE HIDING THE FLAWS SCAM: Every jeweler hides flaws under the prongs if he can. In many cases, this can make an I1 clarity appear like a VS2 if you look at it in a ring setting. Structural flaws like feathers and cleavages can be damaged by the high pressure exerted by the prong on the diamond to hold it snug in the ring.

THE FRACTURE FILLING SCAM: New treatments to make flaws invisible. There is a new process patented a few years ago that melts a kind of crystal into surface-breaking fractures in a diamond. This technique will slide by consumers unnoticed. The treatment is considered slightly fragile because it can be damaging under the extreme heat of a torch when the diamond is set into a ring. Fracture-filled diamonds should trade for much less than diamonds without this treatment, but in reality they often sell for as much or more because they look like a higher, more expensive clarity grade.

THE CHEMICAL COLOR COATINGS SCAM: A little paint goes a long way. This very deceptive practice involves a little point of blue or purple paint on the lowest tip of the diamond, called the culet. This is small enough that you might not detect it, but the location spreads the color throughout the stone. This counters the yellow tint in lower color grades, making a diamond look like a more expensive, colorless grade.

Man made diamonds or synthetic diamonds are manufactured in a laboratory under controlled conditions. If anything about synthetic diamonds is called into question it is that they are too perfect. And since all mined diamonds have inclusions, flaws, and birthmarks, under magnification a trained jeweler can tell the difference. Considering that man made diamonds cannot be distinguished with the naked eye, lab-created diamonds have aesthetic beauty matching—often besting—mined diamonds, and huge savings are realized, jewelry lovers must regard synthetic diamonds as an intelligent option. Plus, there is no insurance to buy after purchasing man made diamond jewelry and the thousands of dollars in savings can be banked!

About the author: Robert Joseph is an expert jeweler and founding partner of Diamond Nexus Labs, a renowned online jewelry store that specializes in pristine affordable diamond simulants set in Solid 14K Gold.

Copyright © 2002-2005 Diamond Nexus Labs.

Yet Another Lottery Scam

 ATTN:WINNER,
Euromillion Loteria Espa=C3=B1ol
Paseo De La Castillano
17-19, 28008 Madrid Spain.

We wish to congratulate you over your email success in our Euromillion computer balloting sweepstake loteria held on 5th of January 2007. This is a
millennium scientific computer game in which email addresses were used. It is a promotional program aimed at encouraging internet users,therefore you do not need to buy ticket to enter for it. You have been approved for the
star prize of 150,000.00 Euro.(One Hundred and Fifty Thousand) CONGRATULATIONS!!

To claim your winning prize you are to contact the appointed agent as so
on as possible for the immediate release of your winnings prize,

LIQUIDLUNCH FINANCE AND SECURITIES, S.L
Contact Person: Mr. Elliot Anderson
Tel:+34 696 756 270
Contact Email: liquidlunchinfo@aim.com

Batch No:SUTO/980/TWM/EU
Ticket No: WRNM/SMI/5990
Lucky No: 10-23-44-72-80
Serial No: MUOTI/82536

You must contact the appointed agent with your Full Names, Contact Telephone Numbers (Home, Office and Mobile Number and also Fax Number) via email to process the immediate payment of your prize.

Note: You will be require to pay for the issuance of your winning certificate only. The certificate is your legal prove/guarantee which will be submitted to the bank for the remittance of your fund.

The Validity period of the winnings is for 30 working days hence you are expected to make your claims immediately, any claim not made before this date will be returned to the MINISTERIO DE ECONOMIA Y HACIENDA as unclaimed.

Once again congratulations !!!

Best Regards,

Mrs SEON FRANCO
(Lottery Sec.)

 

NIgerian Begging Scam Via Email

ATTN,

THIS MAY COME TO YOU AS A SURPRISE BUT I GOT YOUR CONTACT THROUGH THE INTERNET. I HAIL FROM DELTA STATE OF NIGERIA, AN UNDERGRADUATE WHOSE AMBITION WAS TO HAVE A SOUND EDUCATION AND GRADUATE AS AN ACCOUNTANT. I CAME FROM A VERY POOR FAMILY, WHICH MADE IT VERY IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO GO TO A HIGHER INSTITUTION. I MANAGED TO LEARN HOW TO MAINTAIN AND OPERATE THE COMPUTER IN A COMPUTER INSTITUTE.

FOR 6 YEARS NOW MY PARENTS CANNOT PROVIDE ANYTHING FOR ME TO ESTABLISH MYSELF. INSTEAD I'M TO PROVIDE FOR THEM AND MY JUNIOR ONES BOTH FINANCIALLY, MATERIALLY AND MEDICALLY SINCE THEY ARE VERY OLD NOW AND SICK. THEY WOULD DIE UNLESS SOMETHING URGENT IS DONE. I DO NOT HAVE A JOB. FOR YEARS NOW I'VE BEEN STARVING TO THE POINT OF DYING. I TOOK A DECISION TO COMMIT MURDER BY HANGING MYSELF. I PRAYED TO GOD THAT I WOULD DIE IF HE DOES NOT HELP ME. I THOUGHT OF STEALING AS AN ARMED ROBBER. BUT I REMEMBERED THAT THERE IS SOMEONE OUT THERE IN THIS WORLD THAT MAY BE SO KIND TO SAVE MY SOUL. THIS IS WHY I HAVE CHOSEN TO WRITE THIS MAIL.

I HAVE CHOSEN TO BEG FROM AROUND THE WORLD MAYBE SOMEONE LIKE YOU MAY BE SO WILLING TO SAVE ME AND HELP IN ANYWAY. I COULD DIE OF FRUSTRATION ONE DAY. SO BECAUSE I COULD MAINTAIN AND OPERATE THE COMPUTER, I HAVE DECIDED I COULD MANAGE A COMPUTER INSTITUTION.

I WANT AN ESTABLISHMENT OF MY OWN. I INTEND OPENING A CYBER COMPUTER CENTRE AND INSTITUTE. IF I COULD DO THIS WITH YOUR HELP AND ADVICE MY LIFE WILL CERTAINLY CHANGE FOR BETTER. IT COST ABOUT N2,000,000:00 (TWO MILLION NAIRA, NIGERIAN MONEY) THAT IS ABOUT $20,000 (TWO THOUSAND U.S. DOLLARS). I WOULD NEED ABOUT 10 COMPUTERS TO START THIS ESTABLISHMENT.

DEAR SIR/MADAM, I AM NOT ASKING YOU TO SEND ME $20,000 BUT WHATEVER YOU CAN ASSIST ME WITH TO MAKEUP THIS ESTABLISHMENT. SO I CAN FEED WITH MY FAMILY AND EVEN CLOTH MYSELF. ANYTHING YOU COULD SEND TO ME BOTH MATERIALLY AND FINANCIALLY WILL GO A LONG WAY IN SAVING MY FAMILY AND ME AND GOD WILL HELP YOU IN RETURN.
GOD BLESSES YOU AS YOU READ THIS LETTER AND MEDITATE ON IT.

PLEASE DO NOT IGNORE ME. EVEN AN ADVICE TO ME MIGHT GIVE HOPE. I COULD SEND ALL MY PARTICULARS IF REQUIRED.

I WISH TO GET YOUR REPLY SOON.

PLEASE MY URGENT AND PRIVATE EMAIL ADRESS IS XXXXXXXX, PLEASE THESE IS THE RESPOND MAIL. THANKS

SINCERELY,
TOBI ADEFARATI

Email Scam...[From: Mrs Ruth Smith ]

From: Mrs Ruth Smith

Beloved,

Compliments of the day to you ! By this e-mail, I do sincerely apologise for
my intrusion of your privacy. However, I have a serious concern with which I
believe you might be of help and for this reason, I can not but reach out to
someone . My name as given above is Mrs Ruth Smith a nationality of
Australian. I am married to Mr Samuel Smith who worked with Australian
embassy in ABIDJAN IVORY COAST for nine years before he died in the plane
crash On 31st of July 2000 with other passengers aboard as you can confirm
it yourself through this web site.
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm)

We were a dedicated Christians and decided to serve mankind to the best of
our ability. Since his death, I have lived with the memories, fighting
effortelessly to lead a normal life but all to no avail. I suffered mentally
and psychologically and shortly was diagnosed of Cancer. I lived with the
scourge praying earnestly for divine intervention. Just a month ago, the
doctor informed me that I have just about three months more to live. I was
not shocked. I accepted the news in good fate. Brethren, it is in this
regard that I write to you, having sourced your address from a database in
my late husband's internet dozier after fervent prayers. Before my husband
died, he deposited a sum of $5.6Million (Five Million six Hundred Thousand
United States Dollars) with a bank in cote d'ivoire. I have wholeheartedly
decided to donate the entirety of this fund to any devoted believer or
organisation and to achieve this, I need an individual that will utilize
this funds adherently for these purposes:

1: For the sick, less-privilledged and destitute
2: For the Widows and the motherless babies e.t.c.
3: orphanages, Research centres and widows propagating.

These are the wishes of a dying woman. They are the desires of my heart,
hence my decision as I do not have a child to take over my inheritance.
Please, understand that I am not doing this because of fear of death as I am
certain where my place already is. At this point, friends, well wishers, and
my husbands relatives are all clampered around me as I sojourn in my
hospital bed and are unaware of my plight, hence I will not be able to make
an open conversation. When I receive your response, I will direct you at
once to the bank. I will also empower you with a letter of authority as the
new beneficiary to this fund with all neccessary documentation.

All I need from you is Truthfulness, Honesty and Sincerity assuring me that
you can in all honesty and obedience utilize the funds for the purpose with
which it is meant. In any a case, a quick response from you will be highly
appreciated as I am already on a count-down and may not have ample time to
finalize the procedures. Any delay in response may compel me to source for
other measures or perhaps choose the alternative which I will not be happy
to. Please, do not see this as a strange possibility or an unbeliveable
opportunity to make wealth, rather see this as a rare chance to assist the
less priviledged in truth and in spirit with a substance.

I await your immediate response.
Thank You and Bless You richly!
Yours Sincerely
Mrs Ruth Smith

Yet another Lottery Scam!---[EUROPEAN EMAIL PROMOTION PROGRAM E-games PRIZE WINNING NOTICE ! !! !!! ]

EUROPEAN EMAIL PROMOTION PROGRAM E-games PRIZE WINNING NOTICE ! !! !!!
DAYZER EUROPEAN EMAIL PROMOTION PROGRAMME.
67 KENTHSTRAAT,9379 HF HAARLEM
THE NETHERLANDS.
(¡) Batch No: WNTO/581/WE/PS
(¡¡) Ticket No: TWMT/7741/16
(¡¡¡) Lucky No: 8-17-41-70-20
(¡v) Ref No: EMLES/2006/M
(v) Serial No: DEPM/77907/MMC


CONSOLATION PRIZE WINNING NOTICE!!!

Europe/America private international e-games organizers and Co-sponsors, DAYZER EMAIL PROMOTION PROGRAMME, officially bring to your notice of the final draw result of OCTOBER 20th 2006 DAYZER EMAIL PROMOTION PROGRAMME wheel E-game which was conducted at our international corporate office complex in NETHERLANDS. Most recently this foundation set up the NEW LOTTERY SCHEME to give outprizes based on COMPUTER BALLOT SYSTEM.

By doing this the foundation seek to encourage the use of Internet for academic and business pursuits. It major aim is to promote music, theater, art and literature projects in the social and political arena with a focus on health, as well as science, research, and higher education.

We wish to congratulate and inform you on the selection of your email coupon number which was selected among the 10 lucky consolation prize winners. Your email ID identified with Coupon No. DEP/74184601 and was selected by our E-games Random Selection System (ERSS) with entries from the 5,000,000 different email addresses enrolled for the E-game. Your email ID was included among the 5,000,000 different email addresses submitted by our partner international email provider companies.

You have won a consolation cash prize of US$1,000,000:00 (One MILLION United States Dollars). The EUROPEAN EMAIL PROMOTION PROGRAMME GROUP have approved a payout of your consolation cash prize which will be remunerated directly to you by the official Payment Agency Board.

To claim your winning prize you are to contact the appointed agent as soon as possible for the immediate release of your winnings:

NAME:MR,RAYMOND RHODES,(Director for processement of claims)
TELEPHONE:0031-619-028-745
FAX :0031-847-538-401
EMAIL TO:allianceagency@aim.com

The appointed agent will be required to Notarize all your award winning documents in the NETHERLANDS and also obtain Approval Legal Clearance Certificate from the Court here in NETHERLANDS which is in accordance with the European Union Lottery Act 2004 on payment of International Lottery Winners. Be inform that the PAYING BANK will Effect Payment Swiftly upon satisfactory Report, Verifications and validation provided by this fiduciary agent.

Once again congratulations from all our staffs on your consolation prize winning, we hope you will partake in our next coming Email-games.

ELSE HOWARDS(Mrs),
(Group Coordinator)

NB: In accordance with the EUROPEAN EMAIL PROMOTION PROGRAMME E-games policy and regulations, this notification is dispatched directly to only the 7 lucky consolation prize Winners.

Credit Repair Scams

“Erase Bad Debt !”

“Remove Negative Items From Your Credit Report”



You’ve probably seen these headlines and others just like it promising to clean up or “fix” bad credit. For someone who suffers from a bad or poor credit rating, these headlines are certainly an appealing offer.



Imagine finally being able to buy that new car, get debt collectors off your back, and enjoy a new found freedom from your past debts.



Sound to good to be true ? It probably is. Once you fall prey to the credit repair offer and pay the hefty fees involved to clean up your record, here’s what happens:



1) The credit repair scam artist contacts the credit bureaus and reports that the negative information in your file is false.



2) The credit bureau removes this negative information from your report while they investigate the claim.



3) The scam artist will then show you the cleaned up version of your credit report and “ta-da” your credit history has been fixed !



But here’s what the scammer doesn’t tell or show you. After the credit bureau completes their investigation the negative information is placed back on your credit report.



Negative but accurate information cannot be removed from your credit profile. Only incorrect information can be removed.



Accurate information remains on your credit file for a period of 7 years from the time it is reported to the credit agencies; a bankruptcy appears for a 10 year period.



Many legitimate companies exist that can help you with your debt problems. But how do you spot a scam offer ? Easy, they’ll ask you for their fees up front. By law, credit repair agencies cannot ask for payment until they’ve provided the service they promised.



Additionally many states require that a credit repair service, whether they are for-profit or not-for-profit, must provide you with a detailed written contract, an explanation of your legal rights, and the opportunity to cancel any signed contract within 3 days.



Also, be aware that a “credit repair offer” could be an attempt to steal your identity by getting you to provide personal information such as a Social Security number, bank account and credit card account numbers.



Always make sure you know who you are dealing with before accepting any offer to help you repair your credit. Those who don’t can have their credit ruined further and create more debt problems.



About the Author: © 2005, http://www.yourfreecreditreportnow.com
Author: James H. Dimmitt
James is editor of “To Your Credit” a FREE weekly newsletter focusing on managing your personal finances and credit. Subscribe and get a FREE copy of your credit report when you visit: http://www.yourfreecreditreportnow.com

Warning: Ebay Scams To Watch Out For

There are many eBay scams out there to keep an eye out for when you are buying or selling on eBay. This article will cover some of the known and not so well known scams to be aware of. Whether you’re a causal buyer or seller, or a professional on eBay, you need to know about these scams so that you can take measures to prevent or recognize if it’s happening to you.



Bid Shielding

This scam is something you need to watch out for as a seller on eBay. Basically the scam is run using two separate eBay accounts. The scam works like this. You put your item up for auction. Let’s say your item is worth $100 and you have no reserve. The first bidder (scammer) comes along and bids $5 on your item. Right after that, another bidder working with the first bidder comes along and bids $200 on your item. Since your item is only worth $100, you receive no more bids for the duration of your auction. Right before your auction ends, the first bidder backs out and cancels their bid, leaving the $5 bidder the winner, effectively shielding all other potential bidders because of the $200 bid.



Because of the potential for this scam it is always good to have a reserve on your auction. Also, I would put some sort of disclaimer on your auction stating that if you suspect bid shielding on your auction, you reserve the right to back out of the sale. It’s always a good idea to keep an eye on your auctions and watch for this type of behavior. If you suspect this is happening to you, be sure to report the parties involved to eBay right away.



Wholesale List Scam

This scam takes advantage of the fact that many people don’t pay close attention or read the fine print on an auction. This scam is targeted at buyers who are looking for deals on electronics and technological items on eBay. The wholesale list scam is basically an auction that looks like the seller is offering a great deal on a product like an iPod for example. They may have a buy now price of $40 for an iPod that is worth $150. However, if you actually read the fine print on the auction, you will find that you are not really buying the iPod. In fact you are purchasing a wholesale list.



To avoid this scam, just be sure that you read the entire details of the auction before making a bid or a purchase. Basically, just use common sense. If it looks too good to be true, it probably is, so read the auction carefully.



Bad Check Scam

This eBay scam is exactly what it sounds like. The bad check scam is simple. Someone purchases your item and sends you a check as payment. You receive the check, and send out the item. However, 2 weeks later you find out the check bounces and now you are out your item and the money.



To avoid this, simply do not send out any products until the check has cleared.



Spoof eBay Emails

This eBay scam is an attempt to get your personal information and/or eBay account information. Basically the scammer sends you an email that looks like it’s from eBay. The email may direct you to a website (that also looks like eBay) where it asks to you verify your information. In reality, the website is created by the scammer to collect your personal information and use it for identity theft. The scammers can be very tricky and make everything look very official.



To avoid this scam, you need to be wary of any emails that you get. The first thing you need to check is the email header. Emails from eBay, will have “@ebay.com” as the last part of the senders email. Also any links that are in the email may be directing you somewhere other than where they say they are. Also copy and paste the links into your browser, and only visit official links that start with “www.ebay.com”. If anything seems suspicious to you, forward the email to eBay and wait for their response. They will let you know if it’s legitimate or not.



In conclusion, most people you run into on eBay are good honest people and not out to scam you. You may do business on eBay for years and never run into any of this. However, occasionally these things do happen so it’s important to use common sense and use your best judgment when it comes to this stuff. Just be aware that it can happen, and take the necessary precautions and you will be fine. There’s a lot of money to be made on eBay, so don’t let anything scare you off. Keep yourself armed with knowledge and information and you will be successful out there in the auction world!



About the Author: This article was written on behalf of eBayBusiness.net by Webmaster and Internet Marketing Specialist Jason Cooper. Visit http://www.ebaybusiness.net and download 3 eBayBusiness.net Success Reports for free today! (c) 2005, eBayBusiness.net. This article may be reproduced in all venues so long as the content and by-line are reprinted intact and all links are set live.

How To Recognize Ebay Scams

Shopping and selling on eBay can be one of the most rewarding experiences on the Internet. However you need to be careful of scam artists who will try to take advantage of you through various types of fraud. If you do get scammed on eBay there are ways you can get your money back. However, it is very difficult to ever catch the fraud artist and it is a lot simpler if you can recognize and avoid frauds from the beginning.



One of the scams that are very common today is fake e-mails that appear to originate from eBay or PayPal or even your bank. Keep in mind that anybody can spoof any e-mail address and send an e-mail that appears to be from somebody else. It is even possible to spoof an e-mail coming from the president of the United States. So when you see any e-mail in your inbox that comes from eBay or PayPal and asks you to log in to confirm your password the chances are that this is a scam. E-mails that you receive of this type will have eBay letterheads or PayPal letterheads and will direct you to a link that appears to be eBay or PayPal. However, if you look closely at the bottom of your browser you’ll generally see that the domain these links point to is not actually an eBay or PayPal domain. It just looks like eBay’s web site, but it is actually a scam site asking you to confirm your password. Once you put in your username and password the fraud artist has it. One of the more popular tactics being used right now is to send a fake payment notification from PayPal suggesting that you have paid for something which you did not buy. The e-mail and includes a link right in the center that says “dispute this charge”, and once you click on that link you are taken to a page that looks like PayPal but is actually a fraudulent web site designed to get you to enter your username and password.



One of the easiest ways to protect yourself on eBay is to use PayPal for all transactions. PayPal is a wholly-owned subsidiary of eBay, and so transactions that are paid for via PayPal can be easily disputed. Since it is in eBay’s interest to maintain a secure shopping environment they are generally very quick to resolve disputes that originate by PayPal. If you buy an item and are not satisfied with it and feel like the seller did not deliver what he promised, it is far easier to dispute that transaction fee with PayPal because eBay can reverse the funds themselves. If you purchased by money order or credit card or some other payment method, eBay does not have the opportunity to reverse charges without going through a third-party.



Whether you are buying or selling items is a good idea to stick with PayPal. If you are selling items it is a good idea to only except PayPal as a payment option. The last thing you need is to get a bad check, or have your buyer dispute his credit card charge. If you have fulfilled your end of the seller’s bargain, then all you’ll need to do is prove that to PayPal and eBay without involving a third-party. Generally speaking, if a buyer is unhappy with a product that you sold and does not consider the product to be in the condition advertised, then you should demand that the product be returned before you issue a refund.



In order to sell on eBay effectively you need to learn how to use reserve pricing. One of the most common schemes on eBay is for someone using multiple accounts to place a low bid and a high bid simultaneously under different aliases. This ties up your auction at the high bid price and allows of the fraud to be carried out when the high bid buyer declines to pay and you are confronted with a low second bid. This scam is effective because the seller feels obligated to sell the item to the second-highest bidder once the auction has fallen through with the top bidder. Placing a reserve is essential to avoid this kind of scam so be sure to set a reserve price at the point where you would not sell the product for any less.



It is worthwhile to note right on your auction page that you reserve the right to back out of selling an item if you suspect fraud. While it is easy to get scammed as a buyer it is even easier to get scammed as a seller. Sellers generally have more experience and can recognize these scams, but you should be aware of the pitfalls of selling upfront before you start selling items on eBay.



EBay is a very safe and secure way to shop if you use it wisely and remain aware of how fraud occurs. It is important to always report suspicious activity directly to the eBay or PayPal. Since they have a vested interest in assuring that reliable transactions occur without fraud you can be sure that they will do their best to prevent illegal fraudulent activity.



About the Author: Dexter Stoakley maintains a website designed to help eBay buyers and sellers. The site strives to be a community for people interested in eBay businesses, and looking for the best auction bargains online.