Be safe online!

If you are looking to start your own home business, this is what you need to look out for

2009-05-27T11:53:00.000-07:00

Starting up serious home business careers online, require knowledge which is easy to aquire online. Within 6 to 12 months you can have a profitable domestic company up and running. Start out with one campaign and wait until it is established before moving on to another. It is extremely easy to get side tracked on the internet, start by turning off your email program. Starting a home business is not tedious. In fact, there are numerous advantages in starting a home based business.

Affiliate Programs: This is another legitimate way to earn extra income. An affiliate can get a percentage of sales generated by a customer when it sends a customer to a merchant generates. Affiliate marketing is also the easiest way to start your online home business and is one of the booming industries online. Simply by partnering with an online merchant as an affiliate, you can host your own site to provide them their much needed website traffic.

Consider technology needs and how savvy you are with a computer. Will you make a profit? Consider it an advantage to owning a worldwide home business.

Successful home-based businesses utilize all available resources. There are many tools and sources of information freely offered that will assist you in achieving your goals. Successful people who work from home will have a set time to work even if they never get dressed for the day. You have to be able to set aside time that is devoted for work only. Success usually does not occur over night, but you have a quicker chance at success if you know what you are going to do and what it will take to get there.

Successful people know that you will have to check out the testimonials from others to see if they have been satisfied and if they are earning money. If you pay for membership or products through some certain processors if or when a problem arises will arbitrate for you to get your money back if need be.

REAL home business opportunities are very successful when they are NOT just get rich quick schemes. Invaluable marketing tools in conjunction with affiliate/prospect management systems, forums, and contact with anyone who is already making money from the same company or program are superb ways to help you make your business a roaring success. Genuine home business opps come in a variety of guises, from affiliate link promotion to home-based business ideas like data entry (this is one you REALLY need to investigate, as there are genuine programs, but there are a HUGE amount of bogus ones out there too).
Starting an answering service is the third home business opportunity you could easily start. Did you know that there are many small enterprises that are on the look out for outsourcing their answering services? Starting a home business is not the easiest of things to do. There is a lot that goes into making a home business work and be successful.

Home business opportunities are an excellent choice for single mothers that need to stay at home with their children, retirees looking to make some extra money, or any one else tired of working in the corporate world. Find the internet home business opportunity, or work from home business opportunity that you�ve been looking for. Home business opportunities are not necessarily getting hard to promote and succeed with, but there is a lot more competition in that industry than there is in the cash gifting industry. And so many self proclaimed "marketing gurus" THINK and hype you to death, and if you're not careful, get suckered into joining their program or opportunity only to never succeed as they promised.

The trick is to use your common sense and not to get sucked in. Ensure you have a product and take it from there. Lots of programs have nothing to sell, just membership, and there are not always benefits to that membership, so research your opportunity. Remember you will have to put the effort in. If you can't do that there is probably no point in you starting anything. Most importantly... ENJOY THE RIDE. It's very exciting

Price comparison sites are they are rip off?

2009-04-20T15:37:00.001-07:00

Price comparison sites are a great way to see how you can get the best deal for your money. However are you aware that most price comparison sites get paid buy the retailers that they recommend to promote their stores?

Most people don't and it's not always the best way to look for certain products as they can be completely biased towards one company or another (or in some cases claim to be, for example an insurance comparison site, and actually be OWNED by on specific company).

One site that can be recommended however, is ShopWiki. This site is immensely popular highly regarded both in the US and UK. They are now coming to the Netherlands, builing on their success in France and Germany. They don't charge retailers to register with them so you KNOW you are getting good information that is in no way biased.

Paying for items online

2009-03-23T05:33:00.000-07:00

Auction and sites like it are great for getting bargains, and with the credit crunch in full swing its ALWAYS nice to get a bargain.

However with auction sites (ebay inparticular) you have slightly more protection than when you buy items from online ad sites. Now there is NOTHING wrong with online ad sites. You can get great bargains from them, but the do attract scammers. No question about it. So does ebay, but with auction sites you can always check their feedback score.

So with auction sites you have some peace of mind. However online ads work differently. You post ads that fit into a category and once they are within the sites terms and conditions they are usually there for all to see.

Now this is the crunch if you decide to buy from someone, ONLY PAY WITH PAYPAL. No I know lots of people don´t like paypal, but its the protection you need. You send someone the money agreed for the purchase of the item and if you don´t receive your goods or you have a dispute you can sort it out with paypal. You can also do this with our credit card, you have full buyers protection, but if you are purchasing from and individual they don´t usually have a credit card processor, however many, many people have have paypal.

HERE IS THE GOLDEN RULE! DON´T SEND CASH. YOU DON´T KNOW THESE PEOPLE AND YOU HAVE NO WAY OF CONFIRMING THEY ARE WHO THEY ARE! However with a payment processor like paypal or any of the others to be completely fair you have covered your back. That is what these processors are for, so use them

Being offered vouchers from retailers

2009-01-27T04:24:00.000-08:00

This is not so much a security issue, as a spam issue. This is something you can get sucked into, and you become the spammer.

There is, and it comes in many different guises and e-mail that tells you that if you e-mail all your friends and e-mail a specific e-mail address, you will receive $250 worth of vouchers from a main street retailer. Not only that, but your friends, should they e-mail it, will ALSO receive these vouchers. The reason you have to send it to someone specific is so they know who send the e-mail. It's claimed that the reason you will receive these vouchers is because you are involved in advertising for both parties.

THIS IS A CROCK! A full blown e-mail advertising campaign wouldn't cost as much as they claim to be giving. The commonest e-mail going around at the moment involved Marks and Spencers (a reputable british retailer) and Persimmony Homes (I think that's their name anyway). So they ask that you send the e-mail to your friends and to, for example sean@persimmony and that Sean will get in touch to arrange your vouchers for you.

So not only are you spamming your friends, you are spamming poor Sean, who is inundated with all the e-mails.

Again, common sense, it's a very valuabe commodity, and it should be used a whole lot more!

Another new one...

2008-09-14T13:45:00.000-07:00

There is another new type of e-mail spam attack.

It's telling you that someone has been trying to contact you. Now I have never heard of any of these so called reunion/social network sites. In fact, they have said that someone from school is trying to find me, yet they are sending to my married name, and anyone I went to school with, would NEVER know me by my married name, so obviously it's clearly a bogus e-mail.

So watch out for them, and as usual DON'T CLICK THE LINKS. Do I say that too much? Maybe I do, but frankly I don't care, because I don't think I can say it enough, especially as (and no offense to anyone reading this) sometimes people don't think, and will click the links, so just don't do it. It's always better to be safe and not sorry!!

If you didn't subscribe to it... Don't follow the links

2008-09-03T04:30:00.000-07:00

This entry is exactly what the heading suggests.

If you didn't sign up to, or subscribe to something, and you receive e-mails informing you that you did (it doesnt matter if they include your IP address, reason being its probably bogus)!

There is usually an unsubscribe link, which is also bogus, and it just lets the spammers and scammers know that, the particular e-mail address is active!!!

Just mark them as spam if your spam filter has not picked it up, and DELETE IT!! Really don't touch the links, no matter how tempted you are, you are opening up the flood gates to your e-mail address, and you will be inundated with rubbish (your e-mail address will go onto a list and will be sold and passed around).

Remember, use your common sense, and it will save you a world of torment!!!

Entertainment link...

2008-08-23T05:05:00.000-07:00

There is a new one. Now it looks like you have subscribed to a celebrity gossip e-zine. They appear to be from the likes of msnbc, or E! or something like that, with absolutely extraordinary subject lines.

It will look like a celebrity (mostly seems to be Paris Hilton, and I know everyone has their own opinions on Paris, but she doesn't deserve some of these headlines...), being caught in a compromising position, or that an aging celebrity has died (when that are still alive), but not only have they died but they have died under peculiar circumstances.

They include links, whatever you do don't open them. It confirms that they have a good e-mail address, and you will be bombarded with tonnes and tonnes of rubbish. Just do the the smart thing, DELETE, DELETE, DELETE. If you have your e-mail being accessed via pop (to your desktop) ensure that you delete it permanently from your system.

Linked e-mails...

2008-06-28T05:01:00.000-07:00

I have noticed in spam e-mail lately, that the spammers are sending what look like personal e-mails.

The names of the from person are usually going to be common place names like
John, James, Sean, Mia etc; They are names that when the e-mail goes out
someone will know someone of that name and click the link.

The title will say something like

What were you thinking dude...
Wait til your mom sees this...

All with a link attached to something like youtube. Of course it's not
but that's what it looks like.

Think to yourself have you got yourself on youtube? Are you of an age
group that you would be called dude or man, or that you should be worried
about getting into trouble with your parents. Would the person you THINK
the e-mail COULD be from addres you in the same manner. Does it for all
intents and purposes SOUND like them.

Again, DON'T CLICK THE LINK. Just delete the e-mail.

Dodgy E-mails

2008-06-18T03:19:00.000-07:00

For the last month or so I have noticed that phishing e-mails are getting better and better. Seriously if I wasn't so suspicious I be opening links left right and centre.

I have emails posing from
Banks (all over the world)
The FBI (informing me I am receiving legitimate funds from strange business transactions, and that even though the criminals have been arrested I still
have millions waiting for me)
Rich widows and widowers (apparently their other half had money hidden and they
need my help to access it).
BMW My e-mail address was drawn to win a new car
LG I have won all sorts of electrical equipment
Walmart As a thank you for shopping there I have gift vouchers (this is impossible considering I don't live in the US, so I don't short in walmart)

And soooooo many more. I have done some research and now these people are also going offline. Using marketing ploys in the form of junk mail with ways you can get millions etc; So please also be aware of what is coming through your mailbox. These scams can be so compelling, no matter what way they are sent.

The best tip - Short and Simple

2008-03-18T03:37:00.000-07:00

Throughout this blog, and all the entries it contains, there is one piece of advise I have constantly given. It's a very worthy piece of advice, so I have decided, as it is such an important tip, that I would give it an entry all of it's own.

If you have your doubts about an e-mail you have received, and don't want to follow the link, if you are not sure about a site you're on, or you want to double check on a vendor.... OPEN UP A NEW BROWSER AND CHECK IT OUT.

It seems like a very obvious thing to do, but it is so forgotten. It's a very simple tip, but incredibly effective, and well worth taking the few extra minutes to check it out. I told you it was simple!!!

Your PCs security

2008-03-14T06:10:00.000-07:00

I have found a super product. Its called The Hackers Nightmare - The Bible of Computer and Internet Security.

This is so well worth the money. It easy to read and understand and implement. Seriously, I have never been so impressed with something I have bought online, and as I am paranoid (maybe that's a bit too strong) about my laptop being infected I was very impressed with it. Its written in a way that Novices can understand, and will hellp you in your battle against malware.

Seriously I couldn't possibley recommend anything more highly. If its something you are interested in just CLICK HERE. For only $30.00 you couldn't possibly go wrong!

Selling on Auction Sites

2008-03-13T09:12:00.000-07:00

When you decide to sell on ebay, you have no real control over who sees your item. You receive messages from genuine buyers, who have genuine questions.

You will also receive e-mails from (usually) chinese distributors, who want to offer you items to sell. These are more annoying than anything else, and usually relentless.

Then you get the really dodgy e-mails. Usually telling you that they want you item. Notice I said ITEM. They are prepared to offer you ten times the market value of the item. These e-mails (if you havn't guessed it) are total scams. The e-mailer will want to pay you via western union, and have the item shipped to Nigeria. Not always Nigeria, and I can't give a complete country the blame, but unfortunately the majority of these scams originate from internet cafes in Nigeria.

When you receive these messages in your inbox, DON'T ANSWER THEM!!! Log into the auction site you are a member of, and check to see if the message is in your inbox. If it is report it. If it's not, the auction site will usually have a security department e-mail you can report it to. For example ebay has spoof@ebay.com
Your auction site will appreciate your reports. It helps them to protect you!

Using WiFi

2008-03-11T14:37:00.000-07:00

This is a short but sweet tip

WiFi is a wonderful thing. It cuts down on the necessity of wires everywhere, and it's particularly ideal if you use a laptop. The essence of a laptop is portablity and let's face it, wires pretty much prevent that.

If you use WiFi in your home, remember to password the access to your router. If you don't password your access, anyone can park outside their house with their laptop and use you access. No matter what sites they visit, it will all be registered to YOUR IP address, and if they are sites that have illegal content it will be your problem, not matter how hard you protest!

Your e-mail!

2008-03-08T13:51:00.000-08:00

This might seem like a rather obvious one, so I will keep this short and sweet.

Always remember that you are not limited to having one e-mail account. If you are starting something new, like trading on e-bay or an auction site, rather than use your normal regular e-mail, where you communicate with your friends and family, create and new e-mail to take queries etc;

Use and account that you are not worried closing, especially as when you trade online the chance of you receiving phising e-mails are increased, and you don't want to send an e-mail to everyone you know to say you are closing your personal account.

It's just a piece of lateral thinking, but it's effective lateral thinking!

Bluetooth, its is safe?

2008-03-04T03:24:00.000-08:00

When most people think of bluetooth, they tend to think of hand held devices, or a head set for communicating via an internet connection. Alot of people have (especially on newer computers/laptops) built in bluetooth, but never use it, and the constant news reports of bluesnarfing or bluebugging have put a lot of people off using it.

Bluetooth never really took off in they way it was expected to, but it is more adaptable that people actually think. It can be used to set up network etc; However its main design and function of for PAN (personal area network).

However bluetooth is not as easy to breech as you would think. There are what are called "cell phone worms", this worm with either copy your phonebook, or delete everyting. Although you have to remember that you can always turn your bluetooth off.

Bluetooth has such a short range, any hacker will have to be withing 10 meters or 33 feet away from you.

It's not a major security issue, but if you don't feel happy using it, just turn it off. If you have it on your cell phone, just turn it off if you are not going to be using it.

If you need more information contact your cell phone network provider, your internet service provider or the hardware supplier.

Spelling mistakes?

2008-03-03T14:05:00.000-08:00

The title of this might be a misleading, however they are also a good giveaway relating to what is a phishing or scam site or e-mail. This is another example of checking everything out, and then making a decision. (Don't forget my golden rule, open up a new browser and double check everything)

For example:

The word WHICH, is the most common spelling mistake, in something that is bogus it will be spelled WICH, WITCH (in the wrong context)WHITCH

The reason this doesn't always jump out at us is because the first and last letter are correct. If you pay a little bit of attention to this, it will become more obvious.

Another one that I have seen (on very flashy websites and e-mails too) is the word PROBABLY. It has been PROBLY, PROBABBLY and spellings like that.

It's just another area in which you can take a common sense approach to stop the online scams.

Posting your Resume online

2008-03-03T13:31:00.000-08:00

Another post that is short and sweet!

In this, the day and age of identity theft it is increasingly easy for phishers to get your details.

A lot of people nowadays tend to put their resumes up online with every detail about themselves. When doing this be more careful. If you secure and interview you can give a more detailed resume and promote yourself at the interview stage.

When you are putting your details up online I don't mean that you be vague, but leave your nationality, sex, age, address, date of birth etc; OFF your resume. Let your qualifications and experience speak for themselves. If they want more details just say that more details and reference can be supplied upon request.

If need be, say you will fax the details. Get the fax number, and then call the main reception and confirm that it is the companies fax number.

This all may strike you as being a bit paranoid, but it is better to be safe than sorry. It's just a piece of advice!

Simple but effective!

2008-03-03T13:18:00.000-08:00

In this blog, you will be introduced to concepts and things that you may not have though of. However this particular entry is going to short and concise!

The simple truth is, use your head. Try to look at all concepts. For example when you get a phishing e-mail, read it carefully.

A company that is a true victim of phishing is Paypal. The phisher will send e-mail that for all intents and purposes looks like its from paypal. However when you look closer at the e-mail it will have dead giveaways. A line might be slightly in the wrong place, a spelling incorrect.

Now don't get me wrong the are getting better and better. But if you want to check something on your account in anything, just open a new browser.

That particular thing has to be the best piece of advice you can have, so I'm going to repeat it. OPEN UP A NEW BROWSER, DON'T USE LINKS IN AN E-MAIL.

So like I said, in the title, simple but effective!

E-mail from your banks and service providers

2008-03-02T04:13:00.000-08:00

The massive trend from scammers today seems to be sending quiet good quality e-mails that appear to be from a bank, network, paypal etc;.

The message is always around the same theme. That there appears to be a problem with your account, or that there was strange activity on your account and to click this link to gain access.

I myself have received e-mails from bank that are Italian, British, American, Australian... the list is pretty endless. I have never banked with any of these banks. EVER. I am not even based in any of these countries so why would I have accounts with them.

There is a chance they may get it right one day, but I will just ignore it. If you do receive such a message, always open up a new browser and access your internet account in the usual way. If your bank or network or paypal has something to tell you they will have a message for you when you long in.

DON'T click on the link provided in the e-mail. This link has been created with the sole aim of getting your personal details. I can't stress this enough, don't click the link, open another browser and check from there.

On the site you are accessing look for the e-mail for security and forward the mail to them, and tell them that you are deleting it from your account.

It only takes an extra minute or two to protect yourself. Opening you browser a second time takes minutes, and could save you time, effort and money.

Paying online

2008-03-02T02:42:00.000-08:00

A lot of people are weary of paying for items online. They of course can't entirely be blamed, whenever something goes wrong, it get shouted about from the hill tops.

People are right to be weary! One major thing to do is to use paypal as a way of payment. This is especially useful if you don't have a credit card. Not to mention the added security that paypal affords you. This also means that the person you are purchasing from DOES NOT get your card or bank details. Very important in this day and age of identity theft. Many people don't like paypal, but you wont get protection like it. Although there are other online payment companies beginning, which give you the same protection, they just don't have the same brand that paypal has built up.

Failing that pay with a credit card. Your credit card provider will always protect the purchases you have made so if you have any difficulties they will protect you. When you see the security protection the vendor provides open up a new browser and check it. Just type the name of the data protector into your search engine and see what people have to say about it. It will take a few minutes of your time.

I do not advise you to pay via transfer. Once your money is gone it's gone! Your bank will provide you no protection (in most cases), as you agreed to the transfer, it was YOU who made the transaction and on your own head be it.

The only way I not going to TELL you not to pay someone you don't know or trust is via Western Union or moneygram. It's unfortunate that Western Union gets picked on a lot by scammers, as it's a great way for parents to get a cash infusion to their children or whatever. Western Union do their best to stop people from being scammed, but there are not in on these scams so it's not their fault.

Always try and use your common sense, and if your instinct tells you something, listen to it!

Paid to read and Paid to click

2008-03-02T01:45:00.001-08:00

A lot of internet users and constantly trying to find ways to earn a living on line. With that in mind you have to remember that hand in hand with that comes internet users trying to con and scam.

Now I'm going to focus on the pay to read (ptr) and pay to click (ptc) programs. Before I get into detail, I am going to say for the record that there are PLENTY of genuine opportunities out there. A very honest program is www.adbux.org they have a very good reputation, even if there are going to be delays in anything they do, they tell you and don't ignore your tickets, and they DO pay you. There are many more programs like this.

When trying to pick a program do your research. They are usually free to join, but you will waste your time clicking on ads and offers if you don't check them out.

Always check to see if you can find anything online about the program you are interested in. Do a quick check on the advertising rates verses the payment rates. For example there is a company called Capital Mail, they claim to pay $200 per mail per ad clicked. When you get to the cash out amount the payment button never shows up. Now think on this, an advertiser pays around $20 for a set of ads sent to lets say 200 people. So how does one person get $200 from and advertising rate of $20 to send to a total of 200 people!

So be careful and do your homework. If you are having difficulties getting your payment and you are very sure you won't get it, use the credits to advertise an MLM program you are involved in, or your own website. You will usually get this quicker than the cash.

Safety on your Social Network and Dating Sites

2008-03-01T03:05:00.000-08:00

I have touched on this in an earlier blog entry, but it is worth going into some more detail.

Phishing is a very common practice on ALL social networks and dating sites. Now to be fair to the sites themselves, they do try ardently to prevent this from happening, and they have very strict guidelines. So they do try to protect their users, it is just a huge undertaking and that is why they also rely on you the user.

So now that I have made it clear that I am in no way slagging off social networks and dating sites here are my top tips to being careful but still enjoying your time online.

1. Pay attention to the detail on the users page or profile
2. If asked to IM (instant message) off site DON'T DO IT!
and report the message or comment to the sites security dept. There is usually a report button very visible.
3. Never give personal details such as e-mail address etc:
4. If you are given a sob story and asked to cash or send checks, money orders etc; DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES AGREE TO DO IT NO MATTER HOW TEMPTED YOU ARE!
5. Pay attention to the detail given in a message. If someone says that they are from the UK, the English will be up to scratch. It's little things that give them away.
6. The picture on their profile is usually picture perfect (this is not a complete give away, as many people use social networks)
7. You will usually get excessive compliments about you and your profile and about how special you are.
8. Remember to follow your instincts! Ignore anyone who makes you feel uncomfortable.
9. Do not take these online attacks personally.
10. Exercise your right to choose. There is always a block or ignore button. USE IT

I hope you have found this post useful, if you have any tips you would like to add, please post a comment or message me.

Data Entry online...? - Update

2008-03-01T02:34:00.000-08:00

After I have finished writing my previous blog, I came across a new site for Virtual Assistants. They have outlined a scam that I think everyone should be weary of. Like I said previously NEVER PAY FOR A JOB. The will just reinforce this. This information is copied from www.virtualassistantjobs.com so if you have any queries I advise you to refer back to them.

This is a direct copy from the above website, I have left the link in just in case you want more information.

Do not confuse us with online Virtual Assistant Scams.

First, let’s make this clear…. We do not charge fees. We do not have an application fee, We do not require a membership deposit. You do not need to pay an activation fee, handling fee or training fee. Anyone may apply and be hired if you have the equipment, skills, education and experience to work as a professional virtual assistant. And just in case you missed it, there are no fees. Zero. Zilch.

We do offer virtual assistant certification for a fee. However this is OPTIONAL and is not required to be considered for a job. It is only meant for candidates who are interested in obtaining professional certification.

We do also suggest that have a virtual fax line. The program is FREE. You do not need to pay for the upgraded version. (The free version is okay)

The Scams

One of the biggest Virtual Assistant scams around is Westwood Virtual Staffing. They charge you a $24.95 fee and then redirect you to our website. WE ARE NOT AFFILIATED with Westwood Virtual Staffing nor does your affiliation with Westwood Virtual Staffing help your chances of landing a project with us. More likely being referred by Westwood Virtual Staffing will actually hurt your chances of ever being hired since they do not provide you with our job ID numbers and correct application instructions.

Westwood Virtual Staffing has received many complaints. They frequently change their website address and company name. Most job seekers that pay the fee to Westwood Virtual Staffing do not even receive a reply. PLEASE DO NOT BECOME A VICTIM.

If you have been scammed by Westwood Virtual Staffing we urge you to contact us vot@virtualassistantjobs.com - Please provide as much information as you can. We may be able to help you obtain a refund and will guide you in reporting these scammers to the proper authorities.

The Truth

VOT (Virtual Office Temps) is a staffing and recruiting firm. Projects come to us from employers in need, we send virtual assistants to them to complete those projects. We’ve been in operation since 2001. In fact, we were one of the first virtual assistant staffing organizations online! We’ve built a fine reputation and our virtual assistants have completed thousands of projects. Our service is FREE to the job seeker. In fact, we invite you to request a list of current projects via email.

Our virtual assistants work in all sorts of capacities. We need home based staff who can type, prepare legal documents, do medical billing, complete presentations, do desktop publishing, make travel arrangements, provide office support, assist executives and so much more. If you have a great business or office skill, we could use it! There are no fees to apply or be hired. Learn more about our jobs.

How To Apply With Us

To become a virtual assistant with VOT you need to complete the following steps:

· Review the duties and job requirements

· Request our current projects list via email from projects@virtulassistantjobs.com

· Add yourself to our mailing list to be kept up to date on new projects (it’s free to join, free to apply and free to be hired) Send email to virtualofficejobs-subscribe@topica.com

· Register to be considered for virtual assistant projects (it’s free)

Additional Information

If you are a current or previous customer of Westwood Virtual Staffing please contact us. We do not tolerate scams and will do all that we can to help you receive a refund or file a complaint.

Data Entry online...?

2008-03-01T01:33:00.000-08:00

I have recently been searching online for some stay at home opportunities. All I can say is what a can of worms that is.

Now I credit myself with having some intelligence (rightly or wrongly). I have also checked on scam sites, and boycott sites. They are a load of RUBBISH!! Remember the phrase if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, chances are its a duck, well these data entry jobs are exactly the same.

What you end up doing is paying for the 'system' that has made Mr X 1000's each week. Why does it make him all this cash? Well basically you are paying him for the honour of promoting his business.

How? Well what happens is this. He assures you that you can make money by inputting information. What you are really doing in inputting information into classified ads or something similar with his company details and a referral link for you.

The only way you get paid is when an interest party requests more information! With the amount of work from home adverts out there, the chances of you actually making some real money is relatively small.

Don't misunderstand me, there are plenty of genuine work from home opportunities, just research them thoroughly. Never believe the ticking clocks on offers either, that is just a piece of HTML code. When you see a logo or seal saying that they are affiliated with certain online protection groups, ALWAYS CHECK!!! It will take 2 minutes of your time to check (open up a new browser to check it out and check all the details.)

Always remember someone who wants to give you a legitimate online job will NOT charge you!! If you applied for a job in McDonalds do they look for money upfront? NO of course they don't, and neither does any genuine employer!

Good Luck and if you need more information please feel free to contact me via this blog comments or messaging!

Be SAFE online

2008-02-28T11:39:00.000-08:00

Everyone has read the stories about people getting ripped, and it happens a lot more than you think.

Firstly the practice of getting peoples details is called phishing. So when anyone on your social network asks for you to chat on yahoo or msn or wherever, they are most likely looking to get your details. Please be careful with this. I don't mean to sound rude or horrible here, but there are people who are more vulnerable than others.

People who are looking for that special someone or who are a little bit lonely are bigger targets than anyone else. They will flatter your profile, your looks everything that will make you feel special. Then comes the crunch. After a short while they will tell you that they are in love with you, and want to be with you but can't afford to get to you, would you pay for them to travel to you and you will both live happily ever after. It's all bogus of course, but you would be surprised how many people both male and female will believe this.

Always remember that in a lot of cases this is not a personal attack, it's more to do with casting a line and see what bites (see Phishing). It is completely random, and in a lot of cases the culprit is sitting in an internet cafe in Nigeria (I am not slagging off a complete nation, but statistics prove that quiet a lot of these scams come from Nigeria, but they are worldwide too). When they get a bite they call the victim a MUGU! I think this means something like stupid rich person, especially as they will try to fleece you for everything they can.

If someone on your network or someone you have met online asked you to cash a money gram (not that the companies that issue these are not to blame for others dishonesty) or check for a large amount of money, and they offer to let you keep half as compensation DON'T DO IT!!! It's that simple just don't do it.

If you buy or sell on auction sites or craigs list you still need to be careful. If you sell only accept electronic transfers or paypal. Especially paypal as they go out of their way to protect you. Likewise if you are buying something using a credit card or paypal is great protection. Do NOT pay for goods via western union or anything similar. The biggest golden rule for auction sites is to NEVER trade with anyone who looks to do it off site. It's just not worth it.

Most of all, never, never, never (I cannot stress this enough) give your personal details to anyone you meet on a social network or dating site. However should you meet someone from a dating site, tell someone where you are going and what you are doing. Protect yourself from madmen/women, con artists and scammers at all times.