How To Avoid Scammers and Spammers

Now before you go out and try to find work at home opportunities, take a minute to read through this guide to avoid getting scammed or spammed. The saying "A ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure" couldn't be truer than with online transactions. As cited in Christine Durst's book "The Rat Race Rebellion" the ratio of scams to legitimate opportunities is 42-to-1, so it defiantly pays to be careful. Scammers have become more crafty over the years, finding new ways to get your credit card number and other information; follow these tips and don't become a victim.


Avoiding Spammers

•  Don't ever give out your primary e-mail address. Sometimes even reputable pay to site, like Swagbucks or PrizeRebel, take on offers from shady sites that may sell your e-mail name to spammers, and that can lead to unwanted emails (You know the kind, like the e-pharmacy trying to sell you male enhancement) Create a secondary e-mail to use for pay-to sites, or even better, use a fake e-mail, like from FakeMailGenerator.com
• If you do receive spam, then click the "unsubscribe" button at the bottom of each e-mail (Sometimes you may have to click "Allow Images" for the link to appear.

Avoiding Scammers

•  Don't ever EVER give out any sort of password of any kind, even if they say that they need it to "confirm your identity" or something like that. Don't fall for this!
• Avoid phishers (People who trick you into giving up sensitive information by creating a fake website that looks like a legitimate one) by checking the URL bar to make sure that the address is correct.
• Like in the real world, you don't pay to get a job. If they want you to pay up front then its not a job, its a business expenditure, if not a full blown scam. And as with any business, there's a risk that you may not make your money back.
• Check with the BBB (Better Business Bureau) to see if they have a record there. If they don't, then proceed with caution.
• Check every job, and website, for its legitimacy. 
• Remember if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. Those "Make $100's in an Hour" promises are 100% bogus. Nowhere in the world, even online there is such a thing as getting rich quick.

Long story short, being safe  is a mix of cautious skepticism and common sense most of the time. Remember to check with these resources for more information! Next time, I'll be talking about pay-to sites, see you there!

Resources

Scambusters - http://www.scambusters.org/

Better Business Bureau (BBB) - http://www.bbb.org/

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) - http://www.fbi.gov/