Scams are everywhere
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People who need money and are possibly looking into starting a home-based business or online endeavor could have a lot of options. There are many so-called gurus who are anxious to sell their products, which make often outlandish promises of untold wealth. Some of the most prevalent opportunities out there now, which could be fairly legitimate, are online marketing businesses. However, there are scams as well. It is one of the problems of modern society and business.
If a person is looking to earn some extra money, he may fall prey to unscrupulous scammers who are trying to cheat anyone they can find out of their hard-earned money. Emails are being used to find unsuspecting victims who will succumb to the scheme they have devised. Thankfully, many spam filters weed out some of these bad emails.
While emptying trash from an email account recently, an email at the top of the list stood out. It looked like something interesting to read.
It started out with the salutation, “My dearest Sir/Madam.” This tries to get the person hooked by making it sound like it is a friendly email by calling the person by an endearing term.
A clue to their lack of authenticity which is usually quickly detected is the fact that they may have grammatical errors which would not be used by a native English-speaking person. Not that a lack of command of the English language is a bad thing, but it can be a sign that the email is from another country. Certain countries now have a reputation of being places where people are perpetuating these scams.
The message actually said that they used the website directory of a chamber of commerce and industry in Cotonou Benin Republic to obtain the email address. There is indeed such a place. It is in West Africa and borders Nigeria, where a lot of these online scams are said to originate.
The email went on to say that they were looking for a trustworthy person to do business with who would do a simple matter in exchange for a great sum of money. They give a sad story about the death of their father by poisoning and subsequent death of the mother. Of course, the parents left millions of dollars, but they are unable to access the money. All they need is for you to provide your bank account where the money could be transferred. Then they would take their sum and give you at least $3,000,000 for your help. In reality, they will simply empty your bank account.
Remember, if something sounds too good to be true, there is a good possibility that it is not true. If money is needed, it is better to find a legitimate way to earn the money. It will take hard work and dedication to succeed, but it is infinitely better than falling for some scam with the hope of easy and quick money.
This scam may seem unbelievable, and you may wonder how someone would ever fall for it. However, there are people who do fall for it. That’s why the scammers can continue. Some of the scams may be more reasonable with smaller amounts of money, so people may be more prone to believe them.
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Everybody needs money, and it is not always easy to get. If it sounds too easy and unbelievable, don’t fall for it.
The best thing to do if you receive a suspicious email is to delete it immediately. Certainly do not click on anything or give them any personal information.
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