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#130 Top Ten Signs You're about to get ripped off
The problem with email these days is it's becoming increasingly difficult to tell the difference between legitimate 'offers' and a scam rip-off. The old Madison Avenue adage 'If it doesn't sell, they don't keep advertising' is always true -- so it's obvious that unsolicited email (aka: UCE, Spam) must be working or they'd no longer be doing it. So, all you folks out there who actually respond to spam, please don't. Here are ten key rules to think about before you click the reply button:
1 -- If there are more than two slashes in the domain... trash it
Look at the domain. If you can count more than ONE slash after the dot-com, beware. All of the following said they would send me 25,000,000 email addresses on CD for just $299.00. Here's a flash: you can't get that many email addresses on a CD... SCAM. All four, and many others like them lead to dead ends, only wanting your money :
http://homex.coolconnect.com/member3/justhits/
http://www.megspace.com/internet/justhits/
http://www.stas.net/3/justhits/
http://www.freehost.nu/members/justhits/
(These are also freebie hosting sites, see #9 below.)
2 -- If the domain is numeric... it's out to lunch
Any self-respecting and on-the-level business, with an honest offer will NOT use an IP number instead of a URL address. Instead, they use these to avoid detection, and to rip you off... http://207.173.123.243:524 spells trouble.
3 -- If they say use this or that... use neither
Con artists these days know they'll be shut down -- it's only a matter of time. So in order to sucker in more people they'll list several domains, hoping you'll move to the second one if the first one already got shut down. Many even say 'If one doesn't work, use the other!' That's your que to use neither.
4 -- Who sent it is not who gets it ... don't let them get you
Look carefully at the address of the sender. Now go through the piece and look at any email addresses in the post, including headers. If they're not the same -- beware! They should at least be from the same domain. (That's the part after the '@".)
5 -- No real name means no real person
dhckj@msn.com? i27452@compuserve.com? eyzjygeynf@yahoo.com? ...who are they trying to kid? These addresses are generated by spam robots who open accounts at the freebie web sites, send mass mailings, change the name, send more, then cancel the account before they're detected. They should be outlawed.
6 -- If they tell you to talk to a robot... Tell 'em no!
Many get-rich schemers and rip-off artists today tell you to call their toll free number, leave your name, address and phone number so they can call you back. They prey on the very poor, and the elderly. Their yarn is convincing -- but don't expect them to call back... in reality all they want is to SELL your address to other marketers.
7 -- If there's no address... you don't want to go there!
Check the spammers web site for a physical address. If you don't find one, there's a reason why: they don't want to be tracked down by anyone who they've done wrong... most especially the FBI. If there's a phone number, call it. Ask for their address. A recent spam from 'Vortal Toner Supplies' absolutely refused to give an address -- another said they didn't give out the address to anyone no matter what. They turned out to be an illegal, off-shore gambling operation owned by a company in LA. Never reply or buy.
8 -- If it's off-shore money ... don't touch it!
If it has to do with money but they're from another country other than your own -- get away (Continued on page 3)
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