It Can't Happen to Me.....Can It?
By Denise Hall (c) 2003
We all know scams abound on the internet. The types we're
probably most familiar with are the "get rich quick"
schemes and the "Nigerian scam" letters. If you're smart
and you've done your homework you'll steer clear of both.
But other types of fraudulent activity take place that we
don't think about as often. In fact, we might not think
about them at all until it happens to us or someone we know.
Do you know how easy it is for someone to steal your credit
or debit card number and buy things that you'll be
charged for?
True Story:
A friend of mine recently found a purchase on her debit
card that neither she, nor her husband, had made. $75 was
stolen from their bank account!
True Story:
Another friend discovered two $38 charges on her credit
card statement that she hadn't made. The purchases
had been made over the internet, but she had never bought
anything online. Actually, the only thing she ever used
that particular credit card for was to put gas in her car!
Did you know that customers can order a product or service
from you, receive what they paid for, then tell their bank,
credit card company or third party internet payment
processor that they never made that purchase?
True Story:
Two of my friends, who own ad co-ops, received orders
from customers for ezine advertising. The ads went out to
the ezine readers, then the customers claimed they hadn't
made the purchases!
It's highway robbery. No, make that "The Information
Highway" robbery. But don't think it only happens online.
It's been happening for years offline, as well.
These scenarios, and others, happen every single day. Are
you prepared when it's your turn?
That's what I thought. You've never considered these things
before, have you?
We're all at risk for this type of theft. Online and
offline it's possible for each and every one of us to be
ripped off by scam artists.
Internet business owners are especially at risk because,
with the technology of computers, people really can make
fraudulent purchases easily. They can also request
fraudulent refunds just as easily.
As an online business owner you can find yourself with a
real dilemma. How do you know that the person who's buying
your product is the true owner of that credit card? How do
you know that once a customer receives your product they
won't falsely request a refund?
It's not an easy situation, is it? It falls into the
catagory of "things that make you go hmmmmmm..." doesn't it?
There are methods you can apply to help you avoid such
circumstances. There are also steps you can take to recoup
your money if you're a victim of fraud.
For your own safety, please be sure you take measures to
protect your personal money and your business profits. For
more information you can get an excerpt from the e-book,
Get Inside the Minds of Scam Artists! Discover the Tricks
of Their Trade! by sending an e-mail to this address:
mailto:hbbnewsletterexcerpt@a1ebiz.com
About the Author
Denise Hall is the owner of Home Business on a Budget which
specializes in tools and resources for your home business
needs. Visit http://www.home-business-on-a-budget.com today.
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