The Future of Online Scams: How They'll Deceive You Out of Your Advertising Budget

Jan 2
11:21

2024

George Kosch

George Kosch

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Imagine this: you've just bought some website traffic from a seemingly reputable company, recommended by your colleagues. You've sent them your ad, joined their mailing list, and they've assured you that their list of over 50,000 people will generate impressive leads and traffic. They even promise to post your classified ad on a thousand sites, provide free e-books, and offer lifetime updates. If you're not satisfied, they guarantee a full refund. It all sounds too good to be true, right? Well, it might just be.

The Deceptive Model of Online Scammers

Let's put ourselves in the shoes of a cunning programmer looking to deceive people. They devise a scheme:

  • They create a program that registers 2000 random free email accounts from platforms like Hotmail,The Future of Online Scams: How They'll Deceive You Out of Your Advertising Budget Articles Home.net, GeoCities.com, Eudoramail.com, and others.
  • The program is designed to log into these free accounts weekly to keep them active. This is similar to programs that automatically submit URLs to search engines and then check your ranking.
  • The program is also designed to visit URLs after logging into the email account, spoofing the IP to appear legitimate in the website owner's stats package.
  • If a domain address is provided, the program visits the site, finds a guestbook or other form, and enters fake information like name and email address. If a newsletter subscription form is found, the program can join the list. The number of fake emails entered depends on how much the victim pays.

This system is already in place. The unsuspecting victim pays money, and their website and forms are entered into the system. The next day, they see enough traffic and emails to keep them satisfied and willing to part with their money.

How to Protect Yourself from Online Scams

  • Be cautious of the company you're dealing with. If they sell email lists, they're likely dishonest. Stay away.
  • Join their list and assess the quality of their newsletter. Is it informative or just filled with fluff?
  • Contact the Better Business Bureau in their city. You can look this up using their domain URL address at Network Solutions. If they're not a member, steer clear.
  • Speak to them on the phone and ask about the source of their advertising that generates so much traffic. How did they become so popular? Verify their claims.
  • Lastly, consider the cost. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. For instance, we offer classified ads with over 200,000 impressions for just $99.95. Anything more than that, and you're likely being scammed.

This scenario might be frightening, but it's a reality in today's digital age. By staying vigilant and informed, you can protect yourself and your advertising budget from falling into the hands of online scammers.

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