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rip-offs & scams is dedicated to finding email hoaxes, thwarting Internet scammers, combating spam, and educating web users about email and Internet security issues. rip-offs allows Internet users to check the veracity of common email hoaxes and aims to counteract criminal activity by publishing information about common types of Internet scams.
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Ripoffs - Scams Unfortunately, as we hear every single day, being smart is NOT enough to protect yourself from dangerous Internet scams, frustrating spam, or devious identity theft
Top 10 Scams and Rip-Offs 1.Scams
and Rip-Offs} Acai Supplements and Other “Free” Trial
Offers – Ads offering trial offers for teeth whiteners, acai
anti-aging pills and other miracle supplements blanket the Internet,
including trusted Web sites of national news organizations. The
marketing campaigns often falsely claimed an endorsement by Oprah,
Rachel Ray and Doctor Oz. Thousands of consumers complained to BBB
that the free trial actually cost them as much as hundreds of
dollars, month after month.
2.Scams and Rip-Offs}
Stimulus/Government Grant Scams – Even before President Obama
announced the stimulus plan in February, scammers had already set up
schemes for misleading consumers and small business owners into
thinking they could get a piece of the pie. Offers for worthless
assistance and advice on how to get government grants bombarded
consumers online, over the phone and via mail and e-mail.
3.Scams and Rip-Offs} Robocalls
– Owning a cell phone or having their phone number on the
do-not-call list did not help thousands of people across the US put
a stop to harassing automated telemarketing calls in 2009. The
robocalls often claimed that their auto warranty was about to
expire—which wasn’t true—or offered help in reducing their interest
rate on their credit card. The prevalence of robocalls violating
federal telemarketing laws prompted the FTC to increase restrictions
on the practice in 2009.
4.Scams and Rip-Offs}
Lottery/Sweepstakes Scam – The victim receives a letter in the mail
pretending to be from Reader’s Digest, Publisher’s Clearing House or
a phony foreign lottery claiming that he or she has won millions.
The letter comes with a check that represents only a portion of the
total winnings. In order to get the rest, the victim has to deposit
the check and then wire hundreds of dollars back to the scammers
supposedly to cover taxes or some other bogus fee. The victim wires
the money, but the prize never arrives.
5.Scams and Rip-Offs} Job Hunter
Scams –Scams targeting job hunters vary and include attempts to gain
access to personal information such as bank account or social
security numbers and requirements to pay a fee in order to even be
considered for the job. Another common scam was reported to BBB by
job hunters who were told by a prospective employer that they had to
check their credit report before being considered for a job. The job
offer is actually a marketing ploy for online credit monitoring that
costs the victim every month until they cancel.
6.Scams and Rip-Offs} Google
Work from Home Scam – Countless Web sites cropped up in 2009 that
claimed you could learn how to make money from home using Google or
Twitter and offered a free trial of learning materials. The Web
sites often included the Google or Twitter moniker and logo. As a
result, many people who complained to BBB thought they were getting
a job with Google or Twitter when in, fact, they were being lured
into another misleading free-trial offer and were billed every month
for the materials and other mystery charges that added up to
hundreds of dollars.
7.Scams and Rip-Offs} Mortgage
Foreclosure Rescue/Debt Assistance – Many families are struggling in
the current economy and hucksters are offering to help them save
their house from foreclosure or help them get out of credit card
debt. Unfortunately, victims are paying hundreds of dollars up front
for the assistance they desperately need but ultimately never
receive.
8.Scams and Rip-Offs} Mystery
Shopping – Consumers across the country thought that they could make
some extra money by becoming a secret shopper and evaluating the
customer service of various stores. The victim is asked to evaluate
their shopping experience at a few stores as well as a money wiring
service such as Western Union or MoneyGram by wiring money back to
the scammers. A seemingly real looking check is supposed to cover
the costs, but ends up being a fake. The victim is out hundreds, if
not thousands, of dollars.
9.Scams and Rip-Offs}
Over-Payment Scams – Over-payment scams typically target small
business owners, landlords or individuals with rooms to rent and
sellers on classifieds or sites like Craigslist. Typically the
scammer pretends to be a customer, possible renter or interested
buyer, respectively. The victim receives a check for more than the
amount requested. The scammers then ask the victim to deposit the
check and wire the extra amount elsewhere, such as to a shipping
company. Ultimately though, the check is fake and the victim is
really wiring money back to the scammers.
10.Scams and Rip-Offs} Phishing
e-mails/H1N1 spam – A perennial problem, phishing e-mails pop up in
inboxes and can take various forms such as appearing to be from a
business, a government agency or official or even a friend. Whatever
the setup, the goal of any phishing e-mail is the same: to trick
victims into divulging sensitive financial information or to infect
the victim’s computer with viruses and malware. In addition to
phishing e-mails, spam e-mail selling wares to prevent the spread of
the H1N1 virus were particularly rampant in 2009.
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