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Defending and Protecting Net Newbies
By: Dee Scrip
Tantamount to the paradigm shift in communication created by Alexander Graham Bell’s invention of the telephone, the Internet provides a medium for instantaneous access to information, business decisions, transactions, and personal interactions. As Edward Blake divulged dual sides of the human spirit in “Songs of Innocence and Experience”, likewise there is a dissonant dark side on the Internet.
Wolves cloaked in sheep’s clothing menacingly lurk on the Internet, waiting to fleece their next innocent lamb, commonly referred to as the “net newbie”. Once their victim is sighted, the end result is a virtual net newbie nightmare, as the ravenous wolves siphon money into their gluttonous bank accounts.
There are five notable fleecing schemes focusing on the innocence of net newbies, as well as other naïve, unsuspecting Internet surfers:
1.Retail Fleecing -- Expensive high-value items are offered at low or discount “Internet prices” or auctioned off. Typically wolves possess exceptionally efficient systems for amassing your money, but inevitably dispatch either never occurs, or an inferior product is received. Synonymous to pulling light out of a black hole are net newbies retrieving refunds.
2.Business Fleecing -- Better expressed as “scam, slam, thank you ma’am” identify business opportunities promoting fast-track money, e.g., $35,000 in 10 weeks, $100,000 to $500,000 in one year, lotteries, money doublers, etc., may appear feasible, but are not probable.
Many wolves purport years of slaving over the Internet until one day they “miraculously” discovered an amazing money making system that has netted them millions of dollars, and they are eagerly willing to share their “secret” with you for a nominal fee. The only phenomenon these wolves discovered was how to profitably fleece net newbies and other naïve internet victims. Realistically, starting an offline or online business takes time, dedication, commitment, work, and effort.
3.Investment Fleecing -- Scalping and “pump and dump” schemes are the most popular. “Pump and dump”, a hybrid market manipulation wherein a company desiring to increase sparsely traded stocks, or stocks of shell companies, disseminate false information to boost trade. Holdings are then sold (dumped) before stock price drops again.
4.Credit Card Fleecing -- The devastating aroma of identity theft lingers for years. Unprotected computers, or un-secure, peer-to-peer services, provide a smorgasbord for wolf hackers to feast on. Wolf packs offer each other programs, manuals, processor chips, etc., to easily access net newbie computers, gather confidential information, then spew forth carcasses known as viruses, worms, or Trojan horses. Confidential information is then sold to other criminal internet wolves for profit, as they in turn create new bank accounts, purchases, etc. using the net newbie’s identity.
5.Social Fleecing -- Ostensibly the zenith of vulnerabilities for net newbies occurs when grazing the pastures of IM (instant messaging) services, chat rooms, disaster relief solicitations, etc. Net newbies are blindsighted, not only by their intrinsic nature to alleviate personal tragedies, but also by assuming there is safety in numbers and that firewalls (anti-virus software) provide protection when utilizing IM services or chat rooms.
Tips for Net Newbies:
* Seek guidance from professional internet marketing experts, rather than lone wolves (although some wolves travel in packs) who purportedly made their millions by discovering a “secret” or unique marketing technique.
* Refrain from approaching or viewing the internet as a place to make a fast buck, regardless of how convincing a wolf website or den appears.
* Avoid IM services, peer-to-peer systems, and chat rooms.
* Abstain from money-doubler schemes. This is frequently the den for wolf packs. You can sell amidst the wolves without joining the pack.
* Take time to develop online relationships and learn how to locate legitimate business opportunities before investing money.
**Attn Ezine editors / Site owners **
Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine or on your site so long as you leave all links in place, do not modify the content and include the resource box as listed above.
About the Author
Dee Scrip is a well known and respected published expert author of numerous articles on Fuel Economizing, Pollution Solutions, Home Business Opportunities, Fundraising, VoIP, VoIP Security, and other related VoIP issues.
http://www.ubpill.com
http://www.free-pc-phone.com
http://www.thefueldoctor.com
Ubiee Newbie
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