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14 Tactics To Avoid Getting Scammed Online
The internet is a wonderful thing. It allows you to get instant access to information, trade, promote your products, stay in touch with friends and so much more. Unfortunately, though there are those who use this feat of technology to scam you and get your money or identity. They don’t want to help you and it can actually cost a lot of money and time to undo what has been done. To avoid getting taken in by a scam the most important thing is to always use common sense. If you have a feeling that something isn't genuine, then it probably isn’t. Check the “Existence” Before giving any kind of financial information like a credit card or checking account number it is imperative to make sure the company has a phone number and physical address. You should actually call the company with the phone number listed. Using the phonebook or checking with Information to see if the phone number actually belongs to that company can prove a scam. Getting a bogus phone number is not difficult and just verifying that the number belongs to who it is supposed too is not hard either and can save you a lot of heart-ache. Ask For References: When you are on the phone with a company, ask for references and check them carefully. A reputable company will not have a problem sending you additional information and will give you as many references from satisfied customers as you want. A word of caution is that testimonials are often faked. Make sure that the company has them on file in company records and can be verified through other means. Get Incorporated: On-line promoters should know where their company is incorporated. If you're wary, call that state's secretary of state which is a public number and ask if the company is incorporated with them and if it has a current annual report on file. Checking this can at the very least prove if a company is paying taxes or not, and if they aren’t then don’t give them anything of yours. Attorney Generals Office: Doing online research can prove efficient because people will complain to the scam report sites about scams but don’t just do that. All state’s Attorney General Offices keep a list of complaints filed against companies’ .Check with that office to see if the company has received a series of complaints or any at all. SEC: The United States Government does not want you to be scammed either. The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) among other duties is there to protect you against online scams. It has helpful tips and other recourses you can take if you are scammed. Go to SEC.gov and search internet/online scams or fraud NFIC Not everyone is out to scam you. There is a helpline set up to help you protect yourself from fraud. Get in touch with the National Fraud Information Center at: www.fraud.org or 1-800-876-7060. The NFIC provides lots of important resources about online scams. Strong Guarantee: Getting your money back should not be an issue. You should not have to dispute a charge on your card because a company refused to offer a refund policy. (This is a hassle too, which you want to avoid) A strong guarantee is very important. Know before you buy it what will happen if you want to return the product or service. You can even ask for references of people who have returned the product and received refunds. Right Now: On a legit product or service you should have the right and the opportunity to make a decision and come back to it later if you so choose too. Scammers always want your money right now, right now. They don’t want to give you time to think about your decision. Say, “No” if you are pressured to buy it right this instant. Avoid falling for high pressure sales tactics. Recurring Charges: Read the terms and conditions very carefully. Many scams will sell you a cheap $10.00 or under product or service for “free” but you just pay the shipping and handling or for a free trial offer. After a certain amount of time, that low cost item will become a high-cost recurring charge on your credit card which is very hard to remove. Don’t buy anything unless you understand if there will be recurring charges or not. This should be clear in a legitimate company. Credit Card Pay Do not pay by check or money order or Pay Pal. Always pay by credit card. Credit card charges can be disputed and that is an important recourse if you have a problem. (Just make sure you are checking your statements carefully as well). Please, be careful giving out your credit card number anyway (especially by email). Hard Copy: Keeping good notes is just good business. No matter the transaction, it is important to have information. Online, printing a hard copy of any offer you are considering is a really good idea. In your note-keeping, make sure you keep the email address, Internet address (URL), and any other information, as well as the date and time that you saw the offer. Save this information in case you need it later. Illegal Pyramids Pyramid schemes are illegal and they were BIG scams in the 80’s, but there are still some lurking around. The bottom line is don't participate in a pyramid scheme. If you are asked to send money to twenty people, who then each send money to twenty other people, who then each send money to twenty more people, etc., this is an illegal pyramid scheme. Don't do it, just don’t. Use Your Head Really the best advice is to just use common sense, and do your best to verify information before you buy anything. Being scammed is emotionally and financially crippling. Do what you can to protect yourself. Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com Scam Free: Want a proven scam free opportunity? Find Out The Exact Steps Mack Michaels Used To Earn $2,633,095 In 9 Months Working From His Home Office. You Can Earn As Much As You Want If You Simply Follow This Proven System. www.MoneyMaverickCreators.com |
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