3 Dangerous internet scams and how to avoid them

Have you ever been scammed out of your hard earned cash? Perhaps you know somebody who has. Maybe you’ve been lucky so far, but
as the internet evolves, so do scammers. This article will take you through 3 popular internet scams and shows you how to avoid them.

“Nigerian Scam” or “419 Scam”

This scam has been running since the beginning of the internet and has been responsible for people losing millions of pounds. It has
received international news coverage over the years, but people are still falling victim to it.

The scam typically begins as an unsolicited message asking for financial help or a business proposition. Although there are many cover
stories, the premise is usually the same. You’re asked to pay a substantial amount in order to free up a cash sum in excess of millions.
Once it’s been freed up, you’re entitled to a slice of this cash, making you an instant millionaire.

In reality, this cash sum doesn’t exist. It’s a trick intended to obtain money and personal bank details from you.

The scam is widely known by many internet users. However, millions of pounds are still being stolen from unsuspecting victims.

Marcus Evans Scam Conference advises you about avoiding scams like this. They recommend that you look out for

 An e-mail from an unknown source asking for any kind of financial investment.
 Poor use of English and grammar in an e-mail.
 e-mail from a Yahoo, Hotmail or Gmail account

Bank Details Scam

Another dangerous scam, this time aimed at UK banking customers. This typically begins with an e-mail from a scammer disguised as one
of the UK banks. The e-mail provides you with a link to the website and asks you to update your personal information.

Many unsuspecting victims don’t see a problem with this and enter their details in the system. In actuality, they’re not at the bank’s
website and the e-mail did not come from the bank. This scam cleverly copies the information and layout from the bank website to make it
look official.

The victim then enters their personal details and the scammer is free to use their details as they please.

Marcus Evans Scam Conference advises you to be very careful with your personal information. You should never disclose your pin number
to anybody, even an employee of the bank.

Other things you should look out for

 Website and e-mail address. If the e-mail and web address isn’t from the bank or building society’s official website, disregard it.
If you’re unsure of the official address, do a quick search on Google or Bing and it should come up as the number 1 result.
 If anyone requests personal information, be cautious. Even if it appears official, double or even triple check. Make a call to
customer services if something doesn’t seem right.
 Never under any circumstances give your chip and pin number to anybody. Its sole purpose is for you to use when withdrawing
money or paying over the counter. Your bank doesn’t have to know this information and would never ask.
 Poor English and grammar. This seems to be a recurring problem with scam e-mails. If the English and grammar is poor, the
chances are it’s a scam.

Gumtree Western Union Scam

This scam is typically aimed at people looking for a property to rent in the London area.

A property is advertised on the Gumtree website. The property is usually desirable and at a surprisingly affordable price. If a potential
tenant shows interest, to prove they have the funds, they’re asked to make a transfer to a friend or relative via western union.

They are then asked to scan the receipt and send it to the “landlord”. This all seems above board, until the “landlord” uses the scanned
copy to withdraw the money and any hope the person has of renting a property that never existed in the first place.

This is an extremely dangerous scam. The price of renting a property in London is the highest in Europe, and with the current financial
situation, people are looking to cut corners and save money. When this cheap property in an ideal location comes along, it’s like a godsend
to some.
What makes it harder to tell it’s a scam is the fact that the tenant isn’t asked to part with any money. The transfer is merely proof that
they have the funds available.

Marcus Evans Scam Complaints advises people looking for a property to rent should be cautious. If something looks too good to be true, it
probably is.

Things to look out for

 Very cheap property to rent, usually lower than average price.

 Any request of a Western Union transfer, even to a friend or relative.
 Any request for money before you’ve even viewed a property.

For more information on marcus evans complaints do visit our website: http://www.marcusevans.com/marcus-evans-complaints.asp