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Internet Scambusters (tm)
The #1 Publication on Internet Fraud
http://www.scambusters.org
By Scambusters Audri, Jim and Andrea
Issue #316 December 31, 2008
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Note 1: Easily change your subscription information by
clicking the link at the very bottom of this newsletter.
Note 2: Please share this newsletter with 3 or 4 of your
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Hi Scamdex,
Wow, it's hard to believe that today is the last day of 2008.
And it's almost as hard for us to believe how long it's been
since we did a subscriber Q&A issue. So, that's how we'll end
2008.
Today we'll answer these three subscriber questions:
- How do I stop getting all this phone spaham on my cell phone?
- Did I win any of this money?
- Can I earn extra income working in my home?
But first, we urge you to take a look at these top articles
from our other websites:
Answers to 7 of the Biggest Questions About Still Life Fine
Art Photography: An Interview With Jo Whaley
http://www.7photographyquestions.com/audio-podcast/
What Every Parent Needs to Know Before Plunging into a Prepaid
Credit Card for Teens
http://www.creditcardwhizkid.com/2008/10/what-every-parent-needs-to-know-before-plunging-into-a-prepa.html
Can You Buy a Home In Today's Real Estate Market?
http://www.consumertipsreports.org/can_you_buy_a_home_in_todays_real_estate_market.html
Weird Chocolate Gifts
http://www.extremechocolate.com/weird-chocolate-gifts-take-one.html
And now for the main feature...
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How do I stop getting all this phone spaham (misspelled intentionally)?
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Question: I keep getting phone spaham -- text messages on my
cell phone. I haven't subscribed for a texting plan with my
provider and I keep getting charged for these spaham messages.
What's going on? Is there anything I can do?
Answer: Yes, fortunately, there are some things you can do.
Phone spaham is easier to deal with than email spaham.
Now, although it's illegal to send solicitations to cell
phones, with an estimated 200 million cell phones in the
United States alone, that's a victim pool too rich for
scammers to avoid. So, you do need to protect yourself.
First, don't respond to texts you receive on your cell phone
based on the belief that they're coming from someone you know.
They often do come from scammers. So, simply don't reply.
In fact, sometimes by responding, you're agreeing for a
product or service that you don't want -- and you may be
inadvertently agreeing to a relationship with the spahammer,
which means they can then continue to spaham you.
That's because the CAN-SPAM act does not cover "transactional
or relationship" messages -- basically notices that you've
already agreed to receive. And if you've previously responded
to a text message, sometimes you've created this relationship
so that CAN-SPAM no longer applies.
Second, guard your cell phone number. Never give it out,
especially on websites offering freebies, like supposedly
"free" ringtone downloads. These sites often harvest cell
phone numbers for spahamming.
Third, if you get what you believe is a spaham text message,
save it and notify your service provider. Most providers are
aware this is a problem and will work with you to remove the
charge.
Finally, you can ask your provider to completely disable ALL
text messaging services on your cell phone so you don't get
any text messages. This won't work for everyone, but if you
don't use text messaging, it may be a good option for you.
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Did I win any of this money?
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Question: I am getting a series of emails talking about money
I have won. I would like to know if this is for real.
Answer: We have to admit that we are surprised every time we
get an email from a visitor to the Scambusters site asking us
this question. And we get dozens of people asking this every
week!
No. You did not win the Swiss, French, British or any other
lottery. It's a scam.
Two things to note:
(1) If you didn't buy a ticket, you can't win. This is a
general rule to remember.
(2) It's illegal for a US citizen to participate in a foreign
lottery. Although details may differ slightly from email to
email, the basic scam remains the same.
You can read more about this and other lottery scams here.
http://www.scambusters.org/foreignlottery.html
During tough economic times, people are more susceptible to
these type of scams. Don't fall for them.
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Can I earn extra income working in my home?
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Question: I'm a stay at home mom and I'd like to start
earning a little extra money by working at home. I'm
interested in [company name omitted] but I wanted to check
with you first. It only costs $49 but they say that you can
earn up to $2,000 in the first week. What do you think?
Answer: Sadly, the Internet is full of these work from home
and make a gazillion dollars schemes. They all pretty much
fall into the same category -- TGTBT (Too Good To Be True).
You have to use your own good judgment here and know that if
they are making claims that you will make ridiculous amounts
of money per week (for doing next to no work) it's almost
certainly a scam.
And always remember the #1 Scambuster Rule for work at home
jobs: NEVER pay for the chance to get a job.
There are thousands (perhaps even tens of thousands) of work
at home scams out there. Check out this article on "10 Tips
on Avoiding Work At Home and Home Based Business Scams" before
you proceed with any work at home offer.
http://www.scambusters.org/work-at-home-jobs.html
That's it for today, but we'll be back next week -- in 2009 --
with another issue. Wishing you a very Happy New Year. See
you then!
- Please Check Out These Offers - They Keep Scambusters Free -
- - - - - We Highly Recommend All of These Products - - - - -
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"Finally...You Can Pay Off ALL Your Debts, Including Your
Mortgage, In Less Than 10 Years...Even If You Just Got Your
Mortgage Yesterday...AND the More Debts You Have the Better!"
...Without having to 'pinch pennies,' get a second job or cut
back on your spending in any way -- and still become debt-free!
Did you know that trying to pay off your high interest rate
debts first and/or paying extra on more than one debt can be
the SLOWEST way to get out of debt?
"How To Own Your Paycheck Again!" reveals everything you need
to know to pay off those debts in the shortest possible time.
And the really amazing part is... if you can pay all your
bills on time now, the more debts you have the better!
I know it sounds crazy but the author of this program, Leo
Quinn, has been teaching this method for almost 10 years and
he's got the feedback from students to back it up. We met him
a couple of months ago at a conference, and he clearly knows
his stuff.
In fact, here's what fellow Scambusters subscriber Tom Dooley
has to say:
"Once I read your debt reduction concept, I threw the
data into an Excel file, and found that you are correct.
I could retire my debt in less than ten years with your
program and some monetary discipline. ...I have been
trying to pay off the high interest stuff first, but not
making any headway.
"This is highly embarrassing, as I am a data manager by
day, and ought to have figured it out myself. I was
hesitant to try your program because it seemed like 'pie
in the sky.' I'm glad I did!"
- Tom Dooley, Wallingford, PA
Leo has even agreed to give Scambusters subscribers an extra
special discount. Discover the full story now at:
http://scambusters.org/a/leoquinn.html
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101 Mouthwatering Cholesterol Lowering Recipes
Anyone trying to lower their cholesterol knows the first thing
any doctor will tell you is "watch what you eat." But low and
no-cholesterol foods won't do much to force your cholesterol
lower.
That's why you need to eat cholesterol-lowering foods as well.
They trigger your body's "cholesterol furnace," driving your
cholesterol level down naturally.
Dr. Chris Hart and Amy Carey have just published a collection
of 101 cholesterol lowering recipes that combine
low-cholesterol and cholesterol-lowering foods to help you
drop your cholesterol level quickly, easily and naturally.
Best of all they taste great, too! And, you'll find special
bonuses to help you make any holiday meal healthier... without
sacrificing the taste.
Discover more about this unique collection of cholesterol
lowering recipes here:
http://scambusters.org/a/cholesterolrecipes.html
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How to Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be...
Rather than just dreaming about making your dreams come true,
why not actually make your dreams happen?
In fact, it can be fairly simple -- much easier than you ever
imagined!
How? By following the little-known steps outlined in an
outstanding and innovative recent book.
Here are just two of the initial rave reviews -- read them
carefully if you would like to go from where you are now to
where you want to be:
"All I had when I started in the film business was a dream,
but a dream without a plan gets you nowhere. That's where
Pam comes in. Her new ebook shows you exactly what steps
you need to take to identify and to live your dreams.
"If you are ready to make the most of your life, and really
want to live your dreams (and become a millionaire in the
process), Pam's the one to help you do it!"
--J. Hill, Producer, Director, Writer, Hollywood, CA
~~~
"I've been a financial consultant for over twenty years,
and I have helped lots of people make lots of money. I've
never seen a better overall plan for personal and
professional success than 'Turning Dreams Into Dollars: 5
Steps to Becoming a Self-Made Millionaire.'
"In my business, clients would pay thousands of dollars for
this type of information, and, believe me, it's really
worth millions."
--B. Duncan, Financial Consultant, Las Vegas, NV
Visit now to find out how you can make YOUR dreams come
true...
http://scambusters.org/a/wealth.html
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