Web Threats Watch.............

Read about my experiences on the internet.It just might save you some dough and keep you from making the same mistakes I did.Do not put the possibility to earn some bucks, traffic or links above your real opinion and thoughts about things. If you think something is not really useful, do not promote it on your website just because it has an affiliate scheme and because you could gain something out of it.It is not easy to follow such a path, and I am not here to preach anyone. Online credibility is hard to gain and easy to lose....

A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.
Nelson Mandela

Remember knowledge is Power!!Spread the Word!!
In my experiences on the internet spreading the word is the best defense against scammers on the internet.   I do not have a lot of money for lawyers which is probably the case for most people.I doubt if I will ever see my hard earned money again but it makes me feel better to talk about it and just maybe prevent someone else from losing their money and offering some internet safety tips I picked up along the way.Many scammers play the numbers game betting the average person will not check them out before buying....they know customers are pressed for time. I encourage everyone to take the time to check out all businesses before doing business with them especially if money is exchanging hands..from yours to theirs.The problem, also, is that the increase in people going online around the world is giving scammers plenty of fresh targets.I found out things are not always what they seem.Some of the biggest scams I saw on the internet had well written websites. 

 A Reminder:Your Home PC/Web Threats

The old ways of maintaining security on your home pc do not provide enough protection from web threats, and no single method or technology will improve this situation. You must use a comprehensive set of techniques to fight cyber thieves.

Many hackers will break into your system by taking advantage of "security holes" in your Windows operating system.You can fix many of these "security holes" by keeping your 
Windows operating system up to date. You can update windows by visiting:http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com
Even though updating Windows regularly will help stop some security breaches, it won't stop everyone. To fully protect your computer you need to make sure the "firewall" is turned on for your windows operating system. A firewall, when combined with a good anti-virus program helps stop unauthorized access on your computer and prevents virus infections.Configure your anti-virus and firewall software to update automatically. (Anti-virus software will be useless if you don't update it regularly.)Viruses and nasty programs have a much easier time infecting unprotected computers, or those with expired antivirus software. Once your computer is infected by one bug, it becomes more vulnerable to repeated attacks.

The single most important factor in avoiding web threats is this.Learn to trust the feeling in the pit of your stomach.PROCEED WITH CAUTION!!!!!!!

Lottery Scams....Congratulations you are a winner!!!!!
Do not sucumb to pressure tactics to buy.Some try to make you feel special,some try the old limited quantities bit,some use lotteries to make you think you have won something..You’ve won’ may be totally misrepresented. If you haven’t sent in a contest entry form for this item, chances are you’ve only won a chance to participate in a pressured sales scam.Often, they’ll use a highly publicized news item,to lure potential victims and make their “opportunity” sound more legitimate. . A scam artist may discourage you from talking about the opportunity with someone you trust, like a loved one, attorney or financial professional.If this happens hang up or delete the email.Do not be surprised that your telephone number is being passed around the internet like a puck at a hockey game!!!!!

Lotteries in the United States, Canada, Australia and Great Britain, and most developed countries, are illegal, except when conducted by states and certain exempt licensed charitable organizations. If you believe you have received a solicitation in the guise of a sweepstakes which is an illegal lottery, you should contact your local Post Office™ or state Attorney General’s consumer protection office.
The vast majority of Lottery Scam letters are actually form letters.Only the Lottery numbers and contact information - not the contact name - has been changed.  Names are just made-up names and do not represent real people. The addresses are frequently mail drops, the phone numbers belong to cell phones registered with phony information.

There are several different types of lottery scams:

1. A lottery notifies you (email, mail or phone) that you won.
2. You go to a lottery website to play/ buy a ticket.
3. You buy a "program" of "secrets" on how to win lotteries.
4. Green card (immigration VISA) lottery.
5. Sweepstakes scams.

One of the most common fake lottery scams on the internet is the "Microsoft lottery", "Micro Lottery International" or "Microsoft E-Mail Lottery".

 REMEMBER:

You never have to pay to collect winnings from a legitimate lottery. You pay taxes AFTER you you receive the winnings. There are no other fees.If you hold a winning lottery ticket, you notify the lottery (they do not notify you; not by email, not by phone, not by mail).

Money Back Guarantees......Wishy Washy???????

Beware of these so called money back guarantees."Money back guarantee scams"take thousands of dollars from trusting people who need help. Learn that there is no guarantee in life and that you want to avoid scammers who promise you everything. Scammers are trying to take your money in large amounts by promising you a money back guarantee. Scammers rely on the psychology that if you have nothing to lose because they promise you a money back guaranteed then you are more likely to pay them more.Why would a scammer be able to offer you all your money back? Scammers would because they aren’t out the cost of materials or their time to begin with…

Some will charge you a high restocking fee.Stay away from exaggerated claims. Some companies often do not honor their guarantee simply by ignoring the customer's complaint. The Terms of Use policy or similar wording should show the limitations associated with the product you are interested in buying not mentioned on the web page..probably a marketing ploy..The money back guarantee I have found in most cases was completely worthless when I tried to get my money back.The FTC frequently has sued companies that offered “a money back guarantee” to customers but didn't.

Points of Interest:

The seller is relying on the fact that many will just keep the product even if they are not happy with it, wanting to avoid the hassle of mailing it back.
You have been lied to and tranferred around the world but never to the right individuals who can help.
The receipt, money back guarantee and certificate of authenticity are barely worth the paper they're printed on......Just So You Know...........
 

Phony Product Reviews.It Will Cost you.Believe me I know.

Research the company name and owner you are interested in buying from..chances are someone on the internet has tried it and written a review or comment.Beware of Fake Online Reviews...Also called Astroturfing, it is the practice of creating the illusion of spontaneous support for a product or cause.They also create their own sites for product reviews that appear as independent sources(this is the one that got me)I thought I was reading an independent review site and the company that owned the product also owned the review site but the name was different. ..pretty slick.....

Here is the latest twist on websites created to give reviews of products.They'll title their review Is This A Scam? and then optimize around this keyword so that they will be at the top of the search results whenever someone searches for product scam.

But, the webpage is not a real review of any kind. In fact, the page isn't about the product being a scam at all. Instead,it recommends the product and includes an affiliate link.Whenever I read a review of a product and the reviewer also recommends the product I hit the back button on my browser..this smells like a scam to me.
There are now web specialists called “online reputation managers,” who claim to manipulate Internet search results so the negative links will appear further down the list of results, and hopefully be missed. 

These fake "negative" reviews serve two purposes, one is to block the actual negative reviews (if you see a whole page of these kind of fake reviews, click the next button a few times to find the real ones), and the other is to make some money by tricking suckers into thinking, well if this guy was skeptical but he found it is great, then it must be good.....You would think that people who invest so much time and energy into these scams could just as easily build a legitimate business.

Most fake testimonials often heaps tons of praise on the company, and use fake names even though the website was only registered a few months ago.If a feature or function is outstanding or disappointing, it likely will be mentioned in multiple reviews.I found out the hard way....I lost $200.00..and I later found out others had too...Apparently this is a thriving business in itself on the internet..Any company's attempt to generate business by duping consumers is cynical, manipulative, and illegal,".Weight loss claims are the most popular on the internet.Did you know you can pay someone to write fake testimonials on the web for you?....What will they think of next????? 

The FTC updated 29-year-old guidelines on endorsements, making it clear they ban phony online reviews. The FTC revised its Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (“Guides”) to include reviews posted on the Internet, such as endorsements by websites. For example, the Guides require website owners to disclose if they have received any freebies or other benefits for their posts. The Guides also require that someone endorsing a product needs to disclose any material connections between the endorser and the advertiser. The same guideline would apply to someone who works for a competing business and posts a negative review.

If a business is finding itself the target of negative reviews that sound the same, or reviews that point consumers from the business to its competitor, then there is a good chance that the business is the victim of unfair and deceptive advertising practices in violation of the FTC's statutory prohibitions. 15 U.S.C. § 45. Other indicators of a fake review include: (1) clumps of like-minded negative reviews written within days of each other; and (2) a number of reviews with only one star in an attempt to bring down the business’ legitimate positive ratings.A company may want to lodge a complaint with the FTC.The FTC has a process for entering complaints into a centralized online database that is used by civil and criminal law enforcement authorities worldwide.

 An advertiser that poses as an ordinary consumer reviewer risks paying the price through FTC enforcement.So online scammers  writing phony reviews BEWARE...You could be prosecuted!!!!!!!! 
 


Phony-baloney Credentials.. 
Trust seals or trust marks, also known as verification seals are small graphic images that are placed on a website to help a visitor see at a glance that some part of the website has been verified by a third party. They're called trust seals, because they can instill trust or confidence in a visitor, especially if a visitor has never been to the website before.
A recent study found that 7 out of every 10 shopping carts are abandoned! 63% of shoppers will not complete a purchase online because of security and trust concerns.
 
Trust seals are needed to show the visitors that ; their privacy is safe, thE website IS secure, and that this business been verified. 
Privacy. Privacy seals help address the concern that many visitors have when visiting a website.Will this website protect my privacy.Will they sell it to a third party.Will I get a bunch of spam from this company or some other company.
Security. Security seals help address the concern visitors have about their credit card information or any other private information that they may provide. For example, does this website have an SSL certificate, does it actually work or hasn't expired, and is my credit card information really safe?
Business verification. Business verification seals help address another concern visitors have and that is.Is this a real business, do they have a real address that a third party has actually verified, do they have a real phone number, a real e-mail address.
 
Some websites have false or phony credentials,trust seals ,such as the Better Business Bureau logo or other trustworthy seals on their website.It is worth your time to actually click on these certifications to see where they lead.You will be surprised how many lead nowhere or are invalid.Don't be fooled by websites that tell you how and where to check out their credentials. Do your own independent investigation.All of the major web privacy seals, regardless of type, offer a link to a page on the seal provider’s site.The BBB says know the red flags of a scam site.If the retailer claims to have earned a seal, but that seal is not connected back to the appropriate seal provider’s site, move on -- even if you can’t beat the price.

Consumers Always check out the trust seals ,contact page,about me...etc for every website you intend to do business with.If there is no address or phone,trust seals..etc..keep on trucking....Any website that does not have this information you are probably better off by passing.There is a reason they do not have the proper credentials...BEWARE!!!!

Feel free to post your internet experiences here.Please no foul language,adult content,racist remarks....and no names....

A Penny for your Thoughts.......