Most of us think of hype as exaggerated or extravagant claims,made especially in advertising or promotional material. Sometimesit is deceptive and deliberately misleading. While we havebecome a bit immune to this through constant exposure, it alwaysseems that someone comes up with a fresh approach that is notimmediately recognized.

Con artists have been around since the beginning of time, and arealways willing to take advantage of another “hot prospect”. Butevery scam has “red flags” and a little common sense shouldprevail so you do not fall prey to them. Let’s examine a few weget by email everyday.

“Complimentary Vacation Package” - this one has been around along time, but has now found its way to the web. It starts offwith “Congratulations! You will be our guest in Orlando,Florida, home of Walt Disney World, for 4 days and 3 nights. Allcompliments of major Vacation Resort Developers.” Reading it, youmight feel you have won a contest. In actuality, this is not thecase. It is a high pressure sales campaign designed to sell youa “timeshare” vacation package.

Another variation promises deeply discounted vacation packages.You pay for a package that seems great on the surface, but inreality is either third rate accommodations or doesn’t exist atall.

“Guaranteed Winner” - they state - “You’re going to get one ofthese top five prizes, guaranteed!” In this scam you normallysend some information, and either return it by email or fill outa form on a web site. They require that you supply yourtelephone number to be eligible. You will then be contacted by atelemarketer who confirms that you have been chosen for one ofthe five “valuable” prizes; however, you must pay a processingfee for handling, customs duties or taxes, and you must send acheck or money order to them by overnight mail. The prize usuallywinds up being small trinkets of minimal value, discount couponsor vouchers, worth far less than what you paid.

Or, you might receive an e-mail informing you that your order hasbeen received and processed, and your credit card will be billedfor the charges. The trouble is, you haven’t ordered anything.They contacted you using bulk email, using inactive returnaddresses which prevent you from refuting the orders by email.They do provide a telephone number in the area code 767, which isactually in the West Indies. They try to keep callers on the lineas long as possible, and you are reportedly billed as much as$25 per minute. Be aware that your local telephone company maybill for services provided by other companies, and not be able toprovide you relief.

Another current scam floating about the web offers you a cut ofstolen money from Nigeria that was stolen and they need your helpgetting the money out of the country. They of course want a cutof the money that they claim will be wired to your personal bankaccount. You of course are expected to pay them their shareup front. The money however never arrives in your bank.

One group sends hundreds of thousands of unsolicited emails topeople directing them to web sites promoting the Mega$Nets andMegaResource programs. When you visit one of their web sites youcan download copies of the software program which contains a listof five names and addresses. The software program and web sitesdirect you to send twenty dollars to each of five people listedin the software in order for you to get yourself placed at thetop of the list of names. This is simply a variation of the oldfashioned chain letter. Actually, there are a lot of chainletters floating about the web and all should be avoided.

Another email promises guaranteed Credit Card approval! One groupoffered Visa cards to the credit-challenged “to put you back inthe mainstream of financial life in high style” at an interestrate of only 4.9%. How? Through the magic of using offshore banksin tax haven countries. There is however a $100 processing feeand $25 per month charge regardless of use.

Some people really believe that they have been selected to be inthe Internet Version of “Who’s Who”. This one started years agoand was sent to every company executive in the country - Theywill include your listing at no charge - oh, would you like acopy? “Send $98 to us and it will be delivered to yourdoorstep.”

There is no way to adequately cover all the scams that permeatethe web. Before jumping into any of these “make a million whileyou sleep” plans, use a little “due diligence” and check themout. The money you save will be your own.

Bob publishes the free weekly “Your Business” NewsletterVisit his Web Site at http://adv-marketing.com/business tosubscribe. As a bonus, get 40,000 FREE E-Books fromLarry Dotson, when you visit http://www.ldpublishing.com

We all hear the stories about how E-Commerce is the wave of thefuture, and what we must do to compete. Yes, the smallest “Momand Pop” business can compete against the “Big Guys” and make arespectable buck or two. As I’m sure you have, I get emaileveryday about how important it is to be able to accept creditcards on line.

And guess what - this is true. Not only should you be able toaccept credit cards, but also online checks. When a persondecides to buy, you have a very narrow window of time for them tocomplete the order. If you can allow them to make their purchaseand pay for it online, you have a great chance of getting theorder. However, if they have to write a check and mail it toyou, there is a “cooling off period” and you may not get theorder.

So we all agree that accepting credit cards is a good tactic foran online business. To do this, you must have a merchantaccount, and here is where some people get into trouble.

You receive an unsolicited email (spam) that says they will actas your agent, and will accept credit cards and checks on yourbehalf. They then go on to say they will deposit the money inyour account within two working days. If you join within thenext 48 hours, they will waive the usual $695 set up fee and giveit to you for only $39.95 - there will be no monthly fees andthey’ll only charge you 1.75% of the sale - wow what a deal.

I had a call this week from someone who did just that. Now hereis what happened. He didn’t read the “fine print” and when hesigned the agreement, he actually authorized them to charge hisbank account for $295 security which was non-refundable if hisaccount was cancelled, plus the $39.95 set up fee.

Now the plot thickens. He submitted about $1,500 in charges andthe money never showed up in his bank. In coversation with hisbank representative, he then found out about the $295 charge tohis account. He called his supposed contact at the credit cardcompany, found out that they were an independant sales agent, andthe $39.95 was not a set up fee, but a referral fee. When askedabout the $295 charge, his contact pleaded ignorance, told him hewould have to call the Company direct, and was given theirnumber.

He called the Company, asked about the $295 fee, and was toldthere was no one there at that time to answer his questions, butthey would call back. He then asked about the status of thecharges he hadn’t received, and was told he would have to faxadditional information and proof of delivery of his product. Hedid this.

After a few days passed, he checked with his Bank, and the moneystill hadn’t arrived. He again called the Credit Card Company,was told that the information requested was never received, andthey were canceling his account, which they did. He then calledhis customers and sure enough, their accounts were charged forthe amount of the merchandise he delivered.

Now - the plot sickens. He is out the $334.95 for the referralfee and the set up fee no matter what happens. In reading the“fine print” the company can hold his money for 180 days. Willhe get his money then? Maybe - if the company is still inbusiness . In the meantime, his money is most likely in aninterest bearing account, and the company will walk away with theinterest plus his $295. At the end of the waiting period, ifthey pay him the charges they are withholding, the company hasacted properly as far as the law is concerned.

Sounds like small potatoes until you multiply this by severalthousand people. Now, the AG will probably not get involved ifthey return the money 6 months from now - they did nothingillegal, and they cancelled his account for cause.

Will they get a bad rep - sure - and people will stop doingbusiness with them. But as this article is being written, thisparticular sales agent is now operating under a different name,and spamming new suckers.

Now pay attention - First, ignore the email spams you get frompeople promising to process credit cards on your behalf. Theyare simply independant sales agents, and cannot bind the actualcompany to anything, no matter what they promise.

Second, do a little homework - how long has the company beenaround? Can you get contact information from some of theirclients who are using their service? Are these real people orsimply shills working for the company?

Third, and most important, read the fine print - better yet, haveyour lawyer review the contract.

Bob publishes the free weekly “Your Business” NewsletterVisit his Web Site at http://adv-marketing.com/business tosubscribe and place a Free Ad for your business

Basically, there are two forms of “identity theft”. The first,and most common is someone co-opts your credit card information.This can be done in a number of ways, and while there is sometrepidation about giving out this information online, if it is ona “secure” site, there is little chance of it happening there.More commonly, it is a lost or stolen credit card, or carelesshandling by an employee of a company where you used the creditcard to make a purchase. Always be sure you get the carbon paperif they use a machine to imprint the information from your card.

If you do get an incorrect charge from a vendor that you didbusiness with, this is not identity theft. This is usually amistake, and usually, can be easily corrected directly with thevendor. If the vendor does not cooperate, file a “disputedcharge” form with the credit card company

The second, and more insidious form of identity theft, is whensomeone assumes your identity, and opens up credit card accounts,or cell phone accounts in your name. They can also use yoursocial security number when applying for a job (a favorite trickof illegal aliens), or your drivers license to get a duplicatecopy.

Communications tools available on the Internet are allowingcriminals to engage in new schemes and strategies, and identitytheft can be carried out easily over the Internet.

All scam artists need do, is pay a fee to an information brokerto get an individual’s Social Security number. Online databasesalso contain address information, while an individual’s mother’smaiden name can be found in obituaries or other public documents.Typically, they also have the bills sent to a different addressso you won’t even get the bills and be alerted.

Recently, two Memphis men used the Internet to engineer anidentity-theft scam that allowed them to use the credit cards ofhalf a dozen top business executives. They ordered more than$700,000 worth of expensive watches and jewelry. The people whohad their identity stolen, didn’t find out about it until afterthey had credit problems.

If you open a credit account, ask that a password be used beforeany inquiries or changes can be made on the account. Avoid usingeasily available information like your mother’s maiden name, yourbirth date, the last four digits of your SSN or your phonenumber - the same holds true for pin numbers.

While there is not a whole lot you can do to prevent this, thereare things you can do, to protect your credit if it does happen.

Contact the fraud departments of each of the three major creditbureaus. (Equifax - www.equifax.com - Experian - www.experian.comand Trans Union - www.tuc.com) All of them offer advice on whatto do if there has been fraud committed. Tell them to flag yourfile with a fraud alert, including a statement that creditorsshould get your permission before opening any new accounts inyour name.

If you discover that an identity thief has changed the billingaddress on an existing credit card account, immediately close theaccount, and request the credit bureaus for copies of your creditreports. Credit bureaus must give you a free copy of your reportif it is inaccurate because of fraud.

Regardless of how the thieves got, or used the information,report it to the police department. That way, if there is aquestion down the line, there will be an official reportavailable.

Identity theft is a serious problem. If you feel that this hashappened, immediately take the steps outlined above. When someoneappropriates your personal information without your knowledge,it’s a crime, pure and simple.

While it may cause you problems when trying to straighten out themess, hopefully it will cause the perpetrators even biggerproblems. Those two Memphis men face millions of dollars in fines and several decades worth of prison time.

Bob publishes the free weekly “Your Business” NewsletterVisit his Web Site at - http://adv-marketing.com - tosubscribe.

You probably get hundreds of emails a week promising greatriches. “Financial Freedom”, “Earn Money While You Sleep”, “BeYour Own Boss”, “Create Your Own Destiny”, “Escape Your Dead EndJob”, “Be Able to Watch Your Kids Grow Up While Making Money”,“Work at Home”, are all common headlines. Are these statementstrue?

First, let’s have a reality check. Today over 90 percent ofstart-up businesses on the Internet fail within the first year.The majority of these fail in a few short months. Why?

The answer to this is simplistic. Many people are conned into aprogram that cannot succeed without selling the same program toother people. This is a typical example of a pyramid, and whenyou run out of suckers to sell the program to, you are out ofbusiness.

Others jump into a program without finding out the particularsfirst. Envelope stuffing is a perfect example. You are promisedone dollar for every envelope you stuff. With visions of “sugarplums dancing in your head”, you figure you could do hundreds aday. Let’s face it - machines can stuff thousands an hour. Whywould someone pay you a dollar apiece? They won’t - it’s a con -pure and simple.

Some might stumble on a legitimate venture - yes there are someout there. But they followed the “Earn Money While You Sleep”routine. They believe if they follow some simple directions,they will be “rolling in dough” without having to do any work.When the postman isn’t filling their mailbox with $20 bills, theylose heart and quit.

Others might buy some “obsolete government reports” on a CD andbelieve the “rap” that they can sell each one for $15 a pop.They get a free email account, a free web site, and are inbusiness with just the cost of the CD. That business might lasta week.

The ones I get a kick out of are where they “front load” you withmerchandise. You could have thousands invested before yourealize you have been taken. Most of the people trying to sellthis deal, are only trying to recover the money someone elseconned them out of, and hope you will be gullible enough to letthem fleece your pockets. Anybody want to buy a “water filter”?I know someone with a garage full.

With the exception of a naïve minority, people are “savvy” enoughto avoid the majority of these scams. So, if you want to getinto business on the Net, use some common sense and do some “duediligence” investigation before jumping in with both feet .

Do some people make money on the Net? Sure - but guess what?They work for it. Some may tell you that JOB is a dirty word andstands for “Just Over Broke”. Working for yourself is hard workif you want to succeed. You must run your “Home Business” withthe same discipline you would use in any other.

You must advertise, advertise, advertise - if people don’t knowyou’re there, how do you expect them to find you to do business?Be prepared to work 60 to 70 hours a week or more if it is a fulltime venture.

But how about those who need the financial security of their job,while trying to develop their online business - can they hope tosucceed? Yes! But they have to put in their effort in theevenings and on weekends. They have to approach it with the sameattitude as someone doing it full time.

There are a lot of good opportunities “just ripe for the picking”out there. If you avoid the obvious scams, and do some “duediligence” investigation, you will find one. If the first fewdon’t work for you, don’t lose heart. Be sure you give itenough time and effort before giving up. If you are sure itwon’t, “cut your losses” and move on to something else. It maytake some time to find a “fit”, but when you do, it will be worthyour time and effort.

Bob publishes the free weekly “Your Business” NewsletterVisit his Web Site at http://adv-marketing.com/business tosubscribe.

Let’s imagine a scenario where you just purchased some traffic for yourwebsite from a company that looked and was recommended by some of yourpeers. You send them your ad and join their list. They tell you that theyhave over 50,000 people on their list and no need to worry because when yousee all those leads and traffic using your stats software you are going tobe impressed. The company will even post your classified ad to a thousandsites, give you access to some free e-books and keep you on their list forfree updates for life. If you are not happy you can even have a fullrefund. This sounds good, nothing can go wrong. Or can it?

You check your email box the next day and find over 200 leads waiting foryou along with stats that blow your mind: 2000 hits. Not bad. You quicklyenter the emails into your stationary or sales manager software and getthose letters out to those leads. You direct the same company to sendanother ad out to their list and get people to sign up for your newsletter.You supply the url to signup and go to bed since this is too easy. Themoney’s just about to start rolling in any minute now…

Next day is even better, you check your list and 140 people joined up foryour newsletter. Your classifieds must be pulling along with all the otherads since you are getting hits everyday now that you never had before.

You could have paid anywhere from $200 to $500 for this service. Problemis, the service could be worth about 1 cent. But how you ask? Simple…

The Con Artist’s Clever Model

Let’s pretend we are programmers and that we are trying to figure out a wayto sucker people. Being very clever we have come up with an idea.

1. We will create a computer program that will book 2000 random free emailsites from places like Hotmail, Home.net, GeoCities.com, Eudoramail.com andabout 20 others. There are hundreds to choose from but for this first draftat the con job we will just use a few.

2. Another part of the program will log into the free accounts at leastonce a week to keep them fresh. This works just like programs thatautomatically submit urls to search engines then check your position inthem. All automatic and very easy to manage, trust me.

3. We need to have the program visit url’s that we request after loggedinto the email account. Of course we will spoof the ip that our programuses so that when it checks email then visits the site it looks legit inthe url owner’s (the person we are suckering) stats package.

4. If the person gives us a domain address we will take a quick visit andfind a guestbook or other form on the site. Our program will then go tothat url and enter the fake information like name and email address. If wefind a newsletter subscription form we can have our program join the list.How many fake emails to enter? Depends on how much they pay us. Remember,they are legit email addresses but there is never anybody home.

The system is now in place. The poor sucker pays us money and we type theirurl into our system for their web site and forms. Next day according towhat we want they have enough traffic and emails to keep them happy withhanding over cash.

Does this scare you? It should because it is happening right now.

How can you avoid this?

1. Watch the company you are dealing with. Do they sell email lists? Ifthey do they are crooks!!! Stay away.

2. Get on their list for a long time. See what the quality of their newsletter is like. Is it good information or just filler news.

3. Call the Better Business Bureau in their city. Just visit http://www.networksolutions.com and look this up using their domain urladdress. If they are not a member, get away from them at all costs. This isa hard fast rule!

4. Talk to them on the phone and ask questions about the source of theiradvertising that gets them so much traffic. How did they get so popular?You need to find this out and verify it.

5. Finally, how much does this cost? I saw a guy pay $149.95 per year topost daily to millions of people! Yeah right. We sell classified ads withover 200,000 impressions for just $99.95. More than that and you are beingsuckered.

George Kosch MSc., Webmaster for Worldprofit.com, is a renowned technologyservices consultant and educator. He has appeared as a speaker in severaltechnology seminars and on Canadian television as an industry expert. Forother helpful information on how to grow your business, go tohttp://www.worldprofit.com/autoresponse. Subscribe to Worldprofit’sbusiness-building newsletters at http://www.worldprofit.com/ezines

Received the following forwarded email from a subscriberthis morning:

“I am an Executive Director with the Nigerian NationalPetroleum Corporation (NNPC) and a member of theContract Advisory Committee (CAC). I am seeking yourassistance to enable me transfer the sum of$26,500,000 (Twenty Six Million, Five hundred ThousandUnited States Dollars) into your private/companyaccount.”

Carole told me she has received “3 or 4 of these in the lastweek, I think from different people. I deleted the others. It makesme nervous. Sounds like a dangerous scam. “

That’s exactly what it is, of course. Maybe you’re reading thisthinking “I can’t believe people are still falling for the Nigeriascam after all this time”. On the other hand, maybe you’rereading this thinking, “Wow, I might have responded to that. Howam I supposed to know what’s a scam and what’s real?

The reality is that there are hundreds of thousands of peoplecoming online, for the first time, each year. Many of thesepeople have simply not been exposed to scams like the onesthat are constantly touted on the Internet before. Many of thesepeople come online to try and find a way to make money with theircomputers and/or they’re looking for ideas for making moneyfrom home.

The fact that they may not recognize scams off the bat doesn’tmean they’re naive or stupid, it just means that they haven’t beenin an environment where this sort of stuff came their way beforenow. And don’t the scammers know it.

Like vultures circling overhead, they await their prey. They knowthey have only a narrow window of opportunity because it doesn’ttake newbies long to catch on so they have to be quick about it. Andhow do they do that? They hang out where newbies hang out sothey can get them while they’re still young and fresh and vulnerable.They’re nothing but predators looking to pick off the easiest game.Wouldn’t want to have to engage in any real work, after all.In this article we look at several main scams and how to recognizethem.

=> Nigerian Advance Fee Scheme

The gist of this worldwide scheme is that small to medium-sizebusinesses receive a letter from someone who purports to bean official of the Nigerian government or major utility or similarwho needs to transfer some huge amount of money out of thecountry. The money typically is an overpayment by the governmenton a procurement contract. The object of the exercise is to getyou to provide your bank account details (for the purpose ofwire transferring the money of course). Surprise surprise, there’sa transfer all right but not INTO your account!

=> The FTC “Dirty Dozen”

These are the top 12 scams that have been identified by the(U.S.) Federal Trade Commission as the most likely to arrivevia email:

1. Business Opportunities - often pyramid schemes (see below)thinly disguised as legitimate opportunities to earn money.What to look for: high returns with little or no effort or cash outlayrequired.

2. Bulk Email - offers of lists of thousands of email addressesall of whom, of course, are just dying to receive your marketingmessage.What to look for: “Bulk Email Works! 10,000 addresses for $9.99.”

3. Chain Letters - send $5 to the next name on the list thencross the bottom name off the list, replace it with your own, thenforward the letter to 500 of your nearest and dearest.What to look for: A jail cell. This is a pyramid scheme and isillegal. The letter goes to great pains to say that it is not illegal.

4. Envelope Stuffing - think you’re going to be paid for stuffingenvelopes? Think again. You get a kit that you can turn aroundto recruit others to an envelope stuffing scam of your very own!Watch out for craft assembly work as well. You’ll probably findall of your hard work is not up to their exacting “quality standards”and therefore you won’t get paid for your work.

5. Health and Diet Scams - magic pills that eradicate the needto eat fewer calories than you expend in order to lose weight.They don’t work.

6. Effortless Income - no such thing. As the FTC says, if theyworked, everyone would be doing it.

7. Free Goods - you’re told you’ll get a free computer. You haveto pay a fee to join a club and then told you have to recruit othermembers. You get paid in computers. They’re nothing but pyramidschemes.

8. Investment Opportunities - look for outrageously high ratesof return with no risk.

9. Cable Descrambler Kits - they probably won’t work and evenif they do, you’re stealing a service from a cable company andcommitting a crime.

10. Guaranteed Loans or Credit - pay a fee and you’regiven a list of lenders, all of whom turn you down. Credit cardsnever arrive.

11. Credit Repair - no matter how bad your credit, pay thesepeople and they’ll fix it. They generally just advise you how to lieon future credit applications - how to commit fraud in other words.

12. Vacation Prize Promotions - your accommodations will be sobad you’ll want to pay for an upgrade. You’ll probably have to payto schedule a vacation at the time you want as well.

=> Pyramid Schemes

Make money by recruiting members into the program without givinganything of equal value in exchange for membership fees. ContrastMLM (multi-level marketing schemes). These are not pyramidschemes because they involve the sale of products and servicesin return for membership.

=> Medical Billing

Prepackaged businesses requiring an investment of $2,000 to$8,000. Few people who purchase one of these “businesses”are able to find clients, start a business and generate revenues.Competition in this area is fierce and concentrated around afew big, well-entrenched firms.

=> Your In Box

Finally, go to your in-box now. You’ll find no end of scams sittingright there. Here’s one that just arrived in mine …

“Subject: How to make $1,000,000 in 20 weeks selling toNewcomers on the Net”

Like all the rest, it gets the one-finger salute - index fingerto the delete key. Works beautifully every time.

Where to go for more information on internet scams:

FTC Websitehttp://www.ftc.gov/ftc/consumer.htm

Scambustershttp://www.scambusters.org

Netscamshttp://www.netscams.com/frameset.html

Elena Fawkner is editor of A Home-Based Business Online …practical home business ideas for the work-from-homeentrepreneur.http://www.ahbbo.com

Are you tired of the scams, the hype and the bogus rip-offsthat fill your mailbox? We are too!

You need to know how to spot one, what to look for and whatto avoid!

Follow these simple tips, listen to that little voice within,do a little research and you’ll be fine.

There are many great programs out there that ARE legitimate.Here are some things to avoid….

First of all, don’t believe anything that promises to makeyou rich overnight. I’m not saying it can’t happen, butodds are it won’t.

Also, some phrases to watch out for:

“You don’t have to DO anything, just join and we’ll build itfor you.”

“I went from welfare to millionaire in a few months!”

“Get paid for doing nothing. Just sign up.”

“One time only offer.”

“#1 Ground Floor Opportunity”

Along these same lines, watch out for the following:

Any offer that comes from a free email service such ashotmail, yahoo, etc. I’m not knocking free email services,but if the offer is that great and the deal is legitimate,the person wouldn’t hide behind a virtually anonymousemail source.

Any website or email that has no live contact person listed.If you have to jump through hoops to find the personresponsible for the offer, be suspicious. What are theyhiding? Never sign up for anything without having somecorrespondence with a live person, either via email or,preferably, over the phone.

Anything that simply requests money, with no exchange ofgoods or services. And, I mean valid goods or services.Not a report on how to stuff envelopes for money or alisting of businesses that will pay you to work from home.

How To Check Out A Company

These are some steps you can take to research a companywith whom you are considering getting involved.

Find a contact person with the company that will talk toyou. Have a list of questions such as length of time inbusiness, annual revenues, publicly traded or privatelyheld, name of CEO and other company officers, names andcontact info for other company representatives that youmay call.

Check to see if the company is a member of the DirectSelling Association by visiting their web site athttp://www.dsa.org

Check with your state’s Attorney’s General Office.

See if they are listed with Dun & Bradstreet,and if so, check their rating.

Talk to 3 or 4 representatives and find out how long theyhave been with the company and get general feedback.

If you have found the company or opportunity from a website, look for contact information of the person owningand representing the site.

Make sure you get all of your questions answered to yoursatisfaction. Don’t let anyone pressure you into makinga decision.

Find out all up front costs. Also, find out if there areany recurring monthly or annual costs that you cananticipate.

What exactly is expected of you? Are there monthly salesquotas? What do you have to do to get paid? When willyou get paid? Is there any fine print that you need tobe aware of?

Listen to your gut instincts. They are usually right!

There are many profitable, legal and fun work at homebusiness ideas both online, and offline. Just do yourresearch.

Don’t allow the “bumps in the road” to stop you from findingthe option that will work for you. Keep me moving in thedirection that will allow you to create a life that youlove! It will happen, just keep looking!

Jackie Ulmer, a veteran Home Based Business Owner,has coached and trained thousands of representativesboth inside and outside of her sales organization.One of her primary goals is to help others succeed.She can be reached through her web site athttp://www.streetsmartwealth.com/

SCAM - - a fraudulent or deceptive act or operation…

We are all afraid that some business we get into mightturn out to be a scam. But sometimes the personal needsof individuals outweigh the thought process needed torecognize that something could be fraudulent. Many peopleare looking for ways to make extra money and the Internetcan provide many ways to accomplish that need. But it canalso provide an easy vehicle for individuals to losetheir hard earned dollars.

We recently did some research on a program that we wereinterested in and found that the entire operation wasquite questionable. While we couldn’t prove that it wasoutright fraudulent at this point, we saw enough risksto say no, we are going to put up any money. We alsoadvised the 90+ people who joined based on our referraland most have told us that they are passing it up too.

Sometimes all it takes is to do a little checking on yourown behalf. Sure it takes time but if you invest a littleof that time up front you may save a lot of futureheadaches. Sometimes when you do a couple of checks youmay find that a lot of the work has already been donefor you and is posted on sites that are available for yourreview.

The following are some sites and suggestions you mightconsider in checking that program out that you areconsidering. These are by no means all that are out there.You can go to one of the major search engines and searchon scams and find many more resources.

Victims Against Scamshttp://pub31.ezboard.com/fvictimsagainstscamsfrm60

International Council of Online Professionalshttp://www.i-cop.org/pledge/1029.htm

In an effort to keep fraudsters from slipping through thecracks, the US government has created The Sentinel. It’s anonline database of all sorts of information regarding Internetscams and fraud.http://www.consumer.gov/sentinel/

The Better Business Bureau Onlinehttp://www.bbbonline.org/

Internet ScamBustershttp://www.scambusters.org/

The National Fraud Information Centerhttp://www.fraud.com/

The Federal Trade Commissionhttp://www.ftc.gov

Look at a program and ask yourself some of these questions:

Is the product something that I would be proud to sellor promote? If the answer is no, then stay away.

Make sure that there is an actual service or product that youwill be selling. If you are just going to get paid for everynew member you recruit, then it may very well be an illegalpyramid or ponzi scheme.

Is there contact information easily available at the site?Do they show their email addresses, street address, names ofprincipals, company name, telephone number? Send them aquestion and see if you get an answer or an automatic reply.

If you have a address or telephone number go towww.yellowpages.com or www.whitepages.com and check them out.You can use the telephone number and do a “reverse directorycheck” which checks the telephone number and gives you anname and address if one is on file.

Check out the web site’s domain name athttp://www.networksolutions.com/cgi-bin/whois/whoisJust enter the domain name i.e., whatevername.comand you can determine who the administrative contact,normally the owner, where they are located and howlong the site has been registered.

Do they offer you a free promotional site for youruse with your own personal referral code? If you have topay your entry or membership fee and then find out you haveto pay another $100 or so to get a promotional site andemail advertising package, and that is the only way theyallow you to promote it, be leery. They are making theirmoney up front. I don’t believe that you should have topay a company for basic promotional tools to promote theircompany. They can take the expense off as a business expenseif they are for real.

Of course you will still have to make an informed decisionon your own after doing your research. But you may findenough information from any one of these resources or allof them to sway you one way or the other. Just make aninformed decision before you spend your hard earned moneyand resources.

Joe Reinbold, Publisher of Home Income QuarterlyE-dition, a free weekly on line marketing newsletter. Tosubscribe just mailto:subscribe@homebizlink.com Or visitThe Entrepreneur’s Home Business Link where you will findthe solutions to your home business needs at:http://www.homebizlink.com

Social Engineering is the attempt to gain access to sensitive data (such aspassword, usernames and credit card numbers) by gaining trust. This methodof gaining access to a system is very popular among hackers. It is oftensurprisingly easy and even more often successful. THIS IS PROBABLY THE MOSTSUCCESSFUL AND MOST USED METHOD OF GAINING ENTRY TO ACCOUNTS!

Here’s how it works. You might receive a phone call from a representative ofyour computer company claiming there is a problem which requires immediateattention. He may offer to come right over and fix it (or, in a variation,he might send you a disk in the mail). Of course, while he is there, hereboots your system with a “diagnostic” floppy inserted into the drive. Whenthe “tests” are done you will be relieved to find out from him that nothingis wrong with your system. Naturally, you were just infected with a Trojanhouse which gives this stranger complete access to your system and all ofyour data files.

A more common social engineering scheme (especially on America Online) is tosend out an email which says there is a problem with your account. Would youplease send your username and password by return email so it can be fixed?Or perhaps you are asked to visit a web site, which naturally requires youto log in with your username and password. You might be asked to call aphone number, where the very official sounding person on the other end willjust want to verify that your account is yours by getting your credit carddata.

An example of a standard social engineering attack is shown below.

From: Security@yourISP.Com To: taylorwayne@yourISP.Com Subject: Account Compromised

We have detected a major security breach to several accounts on our network. While we do not believe that your account was among those compromised by hackers, we recommend that you check your account data immediately.

To verify your account, just visit the following URL:

http://www.yourISP.Com/security/view.htm

Login to your account and check your data. Make special note of the last login data and time. If anything appears to be incorrect, please send an email to security using the link at the bottom of the page.

Thanks for your immediate attention. YourISP security

When you visit the site it shows a username and password prompt. You enteryour username and password, which sends you to an “incorrect password - tryagain” screen. You hit the “continue” button, which places you on the REALISP site. Now when you enter your username and password, you are, of course,logged in. You are greatly relieved to find that your account data has notbeen changed and think nothing else of the issue. Of course, you just gaveyour username and password to a hacker!

And that’s all that social engineering is about - gaining your trust,getting your vital data, and abusing that data.

How do you protect against this? Be aware that it exists and don’t respondto these kind of things. If someone asks you for your password, then tellthem to buzz off. Nobody needs to know your password for any reason. Let merepeat: DO NOT GIVE OUT YOUR PASSWORD TO ANYONE FOR ANY REASON. THERE IS NOTA VALID REASON FOR ANYONE TO NEED IT. If the person who asked really workswhere he says he works, then believe he, he can ALREADY get to your account.Why on earth would he be asking you for your username and password?

If you think the email or whatever might be accurate, then call the ISP ornavigate to their site yourself (don’t use anything from the email or letterthat your received - use the menu’s and screens provided by the ISP). Forexample, say you get a letter from your ISP saying to change your passwordimmediately. It has a phone number and URL. Throw the letter away withoutreading either. Now, find your ISP phone number and URL yourself - perhapsin your browser help menu or in the manual or letter that arrived when yousigned on. This bypasses anything that might be wrong in the letter or emailthat you received.

If you do suspect that you’ve received a social engineering attack, be surethat you notify your ISP, MIS department or whoever needs to know. The onlyway this kind of criminal can be caught is if the crime is reported quicklyand accurately.

Richard Lowe Jr. is the webmaster of Internet Tips And Secrets. Thiswebsite includes over 1,000 free articles to improve your internetprofits, enjoyment and knowledge.Web Site Address: http://www.internet-tips.netWeekly newsletter: http://www.internet-tips.net/joinlist.htmDaily Tips: mailto:internet-tips@GetResponse.com

Everyone loves bargains. Shoppers will flock to your site if you canoffer quality branded goods at deep discounts. Not only that, theseshoppers would be more than eager to share their best buys withfriends, colleagues and relatives. They may even volunteer to buy onbehalf of those who do not have access to the Internet.

Studies have shown that online shoppers are more price-sensitive.A look at the financial statements of listed online retailers revealed anunhealthy trend - cost of sales is much higher than revenue. In otherwords, most online retailers are resorting to cut throat pricing toincrease sales.

While analysts pointed their fingers at new competitive pressurespresented by companies that help buyers compare prices online, Ibelieve consumers are simply not motivated enough to make morepurchases online if stores do not offer their products at below regularretail prices. In the impersonal environment of an electronic store,consumers’ inherent desires to seek out good bargains become adominant factor in deciding what and where to buy online.

How could you sell quality branded goods at 50% off without losingmoney? Quite simply by securing alternative sources of products.Many manufacturers and wholesalers are flooded with overstockedand surplus goods in their warehouses. They must liquidate millionsof dollars worth of top quality merchandise at “distressed” pricesevery month to make room for new products.

Merchandise can become “distressed” for several reasons:+ Overstocked goods are sold as closeouts.+ New models make previous models obsolete.+ A product line is discontinued.+ Changes made to the product’s color or label.+ A large contract order is cancelled.+ A manufacturer is forced to close and must liquidate its goods.+ A manufacturer is forced to liquidate its goods to generate operating capital quickly.+ A manufacturer has limited warehousing space and must move its inventory to make room for new merchandise.+ Refurbished products that are as good as new.+ Product over-runs.

Whatever the reasons, “distressed” goods are still quality productsand they carry the full manufacturer’s warranties just like the regulargoods.

Most of these “distressed” products are bought by wholesale clubsand online discount stores at prices way below manufacturing costs.Although these products are resold at discounted prices, the profitmargins would still be fairly comfortable to turn in good profits with ahigh sales turnover. Online discount stores that adopt this businessmodel includes NASDAQ-listed FragranceNet, DesignerOutlet.com,OutletMall.com, 1bookstreet.com and GotItDirect.com.

You do not have to operate in the same scale as these onlinediscount stores. Neither do you have the warehousing facilities andresources to compete with these established discount stores. Actingas an affiliate of these discount stores will not work either, asshoppers would have gone to the online stores directly on subsequentvisits.

The objective of offering bargains to your target audience is to enticethem to visit your site as often as possible. Its acceptance will openup many other opportunities to sell your key products and services. Aviable approach for small businesses is outlined below.

Adopt a highly selective product strategy.———————————————————-Keep your business simple by staying focus on one product or anarrow range of products that are complementary to what you areoffering at your site. Treat the business as a form of providingvalue-added service to attract and retain visitors to your site.

By focusing on a single supplier, you will have more time to attendto enquiry, process orders, and arrange for delivery of goods toconsumers. Your supplier will also recognize your commitment tohis company and products by giving you a better deal and moreco-operations than he would give to someone who represents manysuppliers.

Get your supplier to ship the products directly to consumers.—————————————————————————-Operate your business without holding on to any inventory. You canget your supplier to ship directly to your customers after you havesecured and received payments (ideally) for the orders. There aremany suppliers out there who are willing to drop-ship your ordersanywhere around the world. You can find them at the following sites:

Wholesale Central - http://www.wholesalecentral.comCloseout Central - http://www.closeoutcentral.comSurplus-Closeout Finder - http://www.infomart.net/surplus/

Setting up a cost-effective shopping and billing system.—————————————————————————-Well, in order to sell products online, you must operate a shoppingcart. It is an electronic platform, which allow users to browse throughproducts; place selected products into a shopping cart; and makepayments online through a secured server.

As a small business owner, you should outsource this aspect of theoperations to a third-party billing company to keep operating coststo a minimum. My preferred choice for this job is Verza. Besidesoffering one of the most competitive rates in the third-party billingindustry, it also provides a wide range of services that will make yourjob easier.

+ You can use to sell single items or multiple products.+ Accept checks and major credit cards online.+ Free setup. System will be operational within 24 hours after submitting your application.+ Anti-fraud screening provided free of charge.+ Free tools provided to help you build your own online store.+ Reseller program supported. Verza will track and process payment of commissions to your affiliates directly.+ Payments made twice a month directly to your bank account.

Get more information at http://aloha-city.com/bizlink/verza.html

Your small discount outlet is now ready. There is no need to incur anyfixed charges in inventory, shopping cart, secured server and merchantaccount. Let Verza and your supplier take care of the operations whileyou focus your efforts on marketing, promotion and affiliate recruitment.

If done properly, you can expect shoppers to flock to your site regularlyin search of the best bargains, provided your target audience isinterested in the specific products that you are offering on sales.

You can afford to price them lower than other established discountstores as your cost of operations is relatively lower. It has the potentialto become a major money-spinner besides fulfilling its role to open upother lucrative business opportunities. Try it! You have nothing muchto lose, but plenty to gain with this business venture.

Patrick Tan, an entrepreneur and former journalist, offers a completerange of e-commerce solutions, consulting services and free resourcesto help you build a successful career online. Visit http://aloha-city.comfor more information. He publishes a free newsletter to share hisexperience and business know-how - mailto:basics@aloha-city.com