You Can Protect Yourself From Internet Fraud

Desperate? You’re Ripe for Internet Fraud

Desperate times call for desperate measures. People can and most often will do just about anything to get themselves out of tight spots, including falling for internet scams. Heroically – miraculously even – a few of the more fortunate ones are able to fight their way back from disaster. Unfortunately, the number of those who are taken advantage of through a virtually unending variety of internet scams far outnumber the fortunate few. Sadly, these people go from mere desperation to total devastation.

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So what is it that causes people to continuously become victimized by internet scams? Con artists know all too well that their marks are easily categorized either by fear, greed or even seemingly innocent curiosity. These are common traits hard-wired into every human being on the planet. This makes it not only possible, but most probably that at one time or another, we are all vulnerable to internet scams.

Fear and Internet Fraud

Fear is one of the most powerful of human emotions. It’s a basic survival mechanism designed to alert us to danger. Like master wizards, con artists create situations that stir up intense fear in the masses. Having successfully created the illusion, it’s an easy step to present their internet scams as potential solutions.

It’s interesting to note that most fear is future directed. In other words, we tend to use fear to imagine or predict the most terrible and unwanted outcomes. More often than not, these become self-fulfilling prophesies. Everything could be going well in your life today, but what if…? That’s why internet scams work so hard to develop the appearance of lack or loss.

What makes fear-based internet scams so effective is that they always include just enough ‘truth’ and ‘proof’ to convince even the most hardened skeptic, especially if those individuals currently find themselves in those very situations. Fear is used as an actual control of the target’s mind.

Greed and Internet Fraud

When I think of greed, I see a large, pompous, cigar-puffing, ruthless business tycoon – a corrupt fat cat who uses everything and everyone to his sole advantage and crushes anything else that stands in his way; just the kind of sleazy scumbag behind the internet scams. “That’s definitely not me,” I hear you saying. True enough. But is this the ONLY way humans display greed?

Like fear, greed is another hard-wired emotion found in every one of us. Let’s face it, most of us dream of a better life, with the word ‘better’ usually implying ‘easier’. For example, how many of these internet scams have you checked out lately:

Now reading any of these ‘ads’ usually triggers the BIG #6 for most of us. (My wife Maggie and I took a personality course where #6 was a detailed description of the skeptic!) But for those who find themselves desperately trapped in these scenarios, they are wide open for internet scams. For some reason, they just can’t see through all the smoke and mirrors created by the scamsters.

Innocent Curiosity and Internet Fraud

We live in the age of information. We NEED to know! Scamsters KNOW this and count on it when developing their internet scams.

Celebrities… World disasters… what if we DID win that lottery? Nothing is sacred from internet scams. If anything, they feed voraciously off of other people’s misery and misfortunes.

Innocent curiosity plays upon our imaginations, stimulating the afore-mentioned fear and greed. They say curiosity killed the cat. It can also cripple your computer as opening suspect emails can unleash viruses that can wipe out your hard drive. As for those forms you completed… say goodbye to privacy; hello identity theft!

A Word to the Wise About Internet Fraud

I might be accused of using fear tactics myself as I write this article. However, having been victim to more than a few internet scams and even more real-world scams, I would advise you to err on the side of caution.

I’ll be the first to admit that taking my own advice is pretty hard. Isn’t that usually the way – we need to practice more what we preach? In my case, I’m well-anchored by a very strong #6 in Maggie. Better to be a little disappointed today than to be totally wiped out and devastated tomorrow. Here are just a few things you can do to protect yourself from internet scams:

Having said all this, the web is a wonderful place with internet scams making but just a small part! The bulk of information is brought to you by legitimate websites with nothing to hide. They are 100% trustworthy and you will receive nothing but the best.

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You Can Protect Yourself From Internet Fraud
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