Scam, Spam and Other Bologne

One of the first things to think about when you are starting out making money online is how do you spot scam and stop spam?

1. The Liars are the ones who assume a false identity. It is not unusual for people to create false identities online including email, websites and contact addresses. If someone asks you for money or contact details from a 'do not reply' to this address, don't do it. They may be selling your email address to someone who will send you lots of spam or a virus.

If you are wondering about someone's authenticity, don't open the email and if you are unsure, Google Who Is such and such. If they are above board you should find that out. The Whois website will give you contact details but you will probably see lots more information as well. Do they have a telephone number? A landline number is most credible. Linkedin is a good reliable source for business profiles. Twitter is great. Even if someone removes their tweets, they are still in the tweeting history and can be accessed. So do think before you open your beak!

Do they have an internet profile that makes you think they are who they say they are? Remember it is possible to change anything online, to make up a whole new virtual identity including switching gender and re-writing history. I guess we all have different aspects to our personalities in real life and we can choose appropriately who we those aspects with. Equally, it is easier to judge how authentic someone is in real time, however if you are easily sucked in, get a second opinion before making a decision.

2. The Exaggerators are the ones who boast that they will turn you into a millionaire overnight without you having to do any work. There is no magic system, no formula that will do that. In fact lots of people lose money because they are so busy chasing the holy grail that they don't check things out thoroughly. Having said that, scammers are clever and they cover their tracks well. Testimonials, photo shots of 'paychecks', fast cars, holiday snaps and big houses are used to lure people in. They use a lot of convincers to trick you in to buying a system that has made them 6 or 7 figures and will do the same for you. They often have a disclaimer at the bottom of the site in very small print. Remember all that glitters is not gold, trust your guts. Even if you really really want what they say they are offering, don't do it unless you are sure that they are going to deliver what they say they are going to deliver.

3. The Thieves are the ones who defraud accounts, don't send what you have paid for or trick you into buying something like the box that the widget came in rather than the widget itself. Keep your bank details safe, only use secure payment sites and only buy from people who have a good selling history. Check your statements, defrauders often take small amounts of money out at a time so you don't notice.

4. The Pests are the ones who fill your inbox up with unwanted annoying offers of viagra, weight loss products, money-making scams and casinos. Get a good email filter, do be careful of the free ones as they are often just selling your email addresses to third parties.

5. The Attackers are the ones who send you a virus of some kind and then offer to sell you a solution in the form of some kind of patch or other. Be careful of the websites you visit and do have good defense systems in place.

Well, it's not all bad news out there, just as the www increases the potential for viral abuse it also increases the potential to do the opposite. Check out the short video at the top that says 'NOW' and you will see what I mean. It is about the 3rd blog action day and will unite brilliant people from around the world in the most important issue facing us.

There is strength in numbers and we can all pull together and make a difference. Let's do it!