How to Prevent Yourself From Becoming a Scam Victim

If you have spent even as little as a few hours surfing online, you have most likely come across a website scam. It is almost hard no to say that it is guaranteed that you have seen a scam. This is a serious issue that goes almost ignored by the government. The reason is because the fact that it is just impossible to track every scammer around the world. Hopefully, you have come across this article before being one of the millions of victims.

The key to a good scam is to feed off of vulnerability. Most of us stress about money and financial security. This leaves us open for hope that there is a way to make a lot of money and quickly. This hope can make us loose sight of an otherwise apparent scam. The more desperate you become, the more willing you are to believe that promises of thousands of dollars a day is really possible without having a doctorate or some very unique skill.

A scammer has three goals. He or she will get your attention, earn your trust, and then take your money. How do they do this? Well, it only takes a good subject line in an email or a header on a website that attracts your attention. If you are flat broke, a headline about making thousands of dollars a day will get your attention. In fact, even if you are well aware that it is most likely a scam, you will probably view it just to see where it is going. Yes, you may already know that if it is too good to be true, it probably is. However, this won't stop your curiosity, because what if this one is real? You wouldn't want to pass that up!

Unfortunately, getting your attention is a major part of the scam. There are millions of websites out there, and one thing that every Webmaster knows is the importance of getting those page views. Like all ads, it is about the law of averages. If enough people visit the site, someone is going to get caught in the hook. One major problem is the fact that search engines rate websites higher if they are getting more clicks. So, even when you visit a site and leave because you are not fooled, the site gets more attention and increases the chances that someone will be duped. It is hard to find a way around this, because it is our nature to be curious and to find that ultimate success and security from money.

You might be wondering how a scammer can earn your trust without even being face to face. Well, it happens. There are some common practices that can be tricky to acknowledge. One way they earn your trust is from adding success stories from "real" people. Of course, it is very easy to acquire a picture with a single mom and two kids, but it may seem so reassuring that it is hard to disbelieve. What makes these hard to identify is because legitimate companies use this technique as well. Be sure to ask yourself if the comment sounds just like the person that typed up the ad too. A scam artist will also say things that relate them to your situation or have a sob story about their life or an event. This causes the reader to give empathy to the person giving them a little more trust. They may also say things to make you feel like they are friendly and caring to you personally. This trust makes you think that maybe this isn't a scam after all.

When it gets this far, how do they close the deal? One word. Urgency. The whole idea may obviously be a scam when you sit down and think about it for a little bit. This is why they want you to make the purchase before you can really think it through. Sense of urgency is a common sales strategy that you see everywhere in advertising. This is why sales say "For Two Days Only" or "Call within the next 5 minutes". Shopping is mostly done on impulse, and presenting urgency helps that impulse. This is fine when you are buying a new sweater, but consider ways to make money as a business venture. Would you buy a franchise restaurant with only five minutes to think about it? For one, websites are programmed with counters and dates based on when you visit the site. You could revisit the site tomorrow and see the same amount of time left to make the purchase. Yes, you will still get the "Free" stuff that was promised before. Which is all just another way to hook you. Everybody loves free stuff, and every scam claims to give it to you.

A good scam will make it easy for you to make a payment. They want it quick and easy. Many times you will see a 100% Money-back guarantee. Of course, if you can't track them down, how you get that money. Usually, the terms for the money-back are carefully written in a way that makes it legally hard for you to get your money back. It may end up that you did not put enough effort into the procedure, therefore voiding the money-back. Another good practice is to always make sure that you visit bbb.org and search for the website and business of the site. If you see complaints, be cautious. Sometimes they comply with the Better Business Bureau and the problem is resolved, but do you really want to go through that hassle. The bureau states that you must consider the size of a company when viewing the complaints. Well, if this website is one or two pages with a button to order; it does not take much to operate. This means only a few complaints is not good.

Another important factor to consider is the vagueness of the ad. Did you just spend fifteen minutes reading about this business to make thousands of dollars a day, and never once did it mention what you would be doing? The scams will spend so much time telling about all the money you can make and how much better their lives have become from it, but the whole time they are distracting you from the most important question, "How will I be making this money".

This information can be related to all forms of scams. Whether it is by Internet, phone, or mail. It could be an email from an heir to millions of dollars that sends you a "personal" email asking for your help, the same rules apply. Do not fall for any of them. Never make an impulse buy for information on how to make money and never give banking information, no matter how desperate the person may sound. This is easier said than done because we all want to believe that it is possible to make millions without breaking a sweat. Good luck and be smart.