the net

Internet Scams

| Identity Theft | How ID Theft Occurs | 419 | Advance Fee Fraud | Example 419 |

Scams on the Internet

The internet is a huge, relatively anonymous, data archive.

It is also becoming a source of revenue for legitimate businesses that have grasped the opportunities afforded them by the internet and the worldwide marketplace it opens.

Unfortunately, there are also the unscrupulous individuals and groups who are keen to use the internet for nefarious purposes. The internet, to these people, represents a different kind of opportunity. One which can be used to steal.

Quick Introduction to an Internet Scam

Here's a real-life example of how internet scams are everywhere and why you should be on your guard always.

I recently joined a message board forum on a subject I find interesting. I was pleased to have found it and was looking forward to reading and learning.

Remembering my manners, I posted a "Hi, I am new here," introduction as a starting point.

When I returned to the forum the next day, I was surprised to see I had a Private Message waiting for me.

"Hey! Who knows me here?" I wondered. Until I read the PM!

Bait for Advance Fee Fraud

It was bait for an Advance Fee Fraud scam! They had been reading the newbie posts and were hoping to take advantage of anyone who responded, presumably the theory was that newbies to the forum would be more gullible.

Admin ...!

I immediately reported the incident to the excellent Admin team of the site who wrote back to let me know the 'user' had already been terminated and IP blocked earlier in the day and also to thank me for reporting the incident.

It was suggested I might like to post a thread on the subject, which I did. It is now 'stickied' to the top of one of the forums just in case anyone else gets contacted for 419 or Advance Fee Fraud schemes via a Private Message on the forum.

| Identity Theft | How ID Theft Occurs | 419 | Advance Fee Fraud | Example 419 |