subject: How To Avoid Being Scammed? [print this page] In this article I will share with you some tips on how to avoid being scammed. Especially, if your data has been posted on the internet because maybe you run a business or placed another ad, you are more likely to become a victim of crooks who will intend to deceive you. If you are an owner of a small business you will have to deal with phone calls offering you phony advertising deals on a daily basis. Some of them may be genuine, therefore the knowledge which will allow you to decide is priceless.
I will demonstrate on the following example how you can detect if someone is trying to con you.
Let's assume that one day someone calls you and offers placing your website on the first position of the Google Search Engine in your product category for a fee. Obviously this person claims to be an employee of a company associated with Google and convinces you that you he can get you what you want.
This pitch is quite tempting. What you should do about it?
There are two main ways of avoiding scams:
The first method is based to your specific knowledge of particular areas.
The second - should be applied when you don't have any specific knowledge.
Method 1
Your response to the above offer could sound like this:
'Your offer proves that you have no idea how Google algorithm works. The fact that you claim to be a company associated with Google makes me doubt that you're a search engine optimisation company. You're a scammer and please don't call me again'
Never take things for granted. Try to use your specific knowledge to quiz people. If a new guard comes to collect your cash ask him a question about procedures he should know. If his boss never had a beard ask him when he will finally shave it. Imposters are like actors: they can learn their role well but none of them have knowledge of a real person.
Method 2
When you don't have any detailed knowledge on the subject it will be to respond in that way:
'I'm sorry, at the moment I'm busy. Please send me a letter or an email with your offer because I have to think it through and speak to my business partner'
The most important to remember:
Never make deals over-the-phone with a company or individual who you don't know!!!
Never give your account or any other sensitive details over-the-phone!!!
In this example above you ask the caller to send you a letter or an email with their offer. We do that for several reasons:
1)to check overall presentation - the most of people know how a proper company email should look like and you should see if it is written with no grammar and spelling errors or if it has the right heading and full contact details. In addition you should be suspicious if the company is using a common gmail or hotmail email addresses. Fraudsters don't put too much effort in getting trust if they can get just a few hundred bucks. If they know that you're wealthy this can look different.
2)to cross reference a company which sent you the email. The best way to do it is to check the company online using their contact details. I usually go to google.co.uk and type: (name of the company) + scam . Usually if the company is dishonest then some victims will be trying to warn others. If they left you a telephone number you can do it in the same way using Google search engine or a brilliant website whocallsme.com . If you've got an activated Google Analytic account, and the caller said that visited your website, you would be able to check from which town or city that entry was. If he or she said that is calling you from e.g. Yell.com check what is their address of that company and compare it with the geographic report of your website visits from that time.
You can try to cross reference the company using your own contacts. It is better to ask and ask again than to be a victim.
The most important to remember:
If the email sent to you has no contact details or the company can't be verified online, don"t deal with them!
If the sender turns out to be a scammer to deter them from contacting you just let them know that you know what they do. You can send them links to forums of people who they've conned.
Why this scam works?
-because of human lack of knowledge in particular areas,
-because of human laziness - 'Finally I won't have to build links to my website. I'll pay someone and the job is done'
-because of human greed - when scammers target someone they usually know what that person may want e.g. new company is desperate for good advertising,
-it is difficult to get in touch with Google over the phone and verify facts.
This article is a part of much bigger project that I'm working on.
