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 If it sounds too good to be true … By Gene Friedman Throughout history, there have been people trying to separate other people from their money. Numerous get-rich-quick schemes are still offered to the gullible and the greedy who soon discover the wisdom of that old adage: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. There are and have been so many of these scams over the years that they have developed into their own genre of crime known collectively as “financial fiction.” With the advent of computers and the Internet, these fictions have gained new life and have spread at the speed of electricity. I’m sure that you have wondered whether it’s true if anyone makes money as advertised in the work-at-home offerings. Or whether Microsoft really donates 10 cents to an orphans’ charity if you forward the e-mail you just received. The answer, in case you haven’t already guessed, is “no.” Take the work-at-home scam. You are promised an outrageously high income merely by working out of your home, perhaps just by stuffing envelopes. It doesn’t even require that you have any experience or skills. The advertiser will provide all the details; just send the money and you are on your way to wealth. In fact, that is the only way to get rich with this program; get people to send money and provide nothing in return. At the end of the day, it’s only the scam artist who gets rich. The most common current scam is the Nigerian letter. Sometime soon you will receive an e-mail from a prince, minister or high government official. Because of the unstable nature of his country and the corruption of everyone there (except him) he is asking your assistance in retrieving money rightfully owed/swindled/stolen/kept from his family. For your unselfish efforts, you will be rewarded. Just send him your bank name and account information so that he can wire the reward money directly to your financial institution. If you should fall for this one, here’s what will happen when you give this, or any other, stranger your bank information: He will take your money, all of it. You will not receive a reward or anything else in return. Another concept is the chain e-mail. Send $5 to each of the people listed in the message and eventually you will receive $25 or more from other people in the chain who do likewise. The problem with this scam, other than the fact that you will never receive any money, is that chain letters are illegal. Whether they are perpetrated through e-mail or through the post office, you are liable to end up in jail. A scam in a similar vein is the message that announces that you have won a contest that you didn’t even enter. You may ask yourself, “How can that be?” Exactly. You can’t win a contest that you never entered and probably were never even aware of. The only winner is the person to whom you send the “processing fee.” These are just a sampling of the many hoaxes and scams circulating on the Web. Sooner or later one of these or a similar one will appear on your computer. Before you respond to these too-good-to-be-true offers, check them out at www.truthorfiction.com. Hoaxes, scams, and urban legends also can be verified at snopes.com. Remember, there is no such thing as a free lunch. Friedman is director of college security. Thanks to Amy C. Fleitas at Bankrate.com for the above information. |
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