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Beginner Tip:
Avoiding Spams And Scams
by Larisa Thomason,
Senior Web Analyst,
NetMechanic, Inc.
Scam artists have always been with us. Neanderthal families probably had visits from cave-to-cave salesmen hawking fire starters and forehead reduction kits. We modern humans have to deal with email spammers, unscrupulous Web hosts, and online fraud purveyors. Learn to recognize the signs of an online scam before you get caught by one.
Typical Scam Characteristics
You'll see most of these tactics used by email spammers who get your address from lists compiled by email spiders. It's the updated version of direct mail. But unlike direct mail, email costs virtually nothing to send out. Spammers view it as a great, almost anonymous way to sell bogus products and services.
The offer is probably a scam if:
- It's a big secret. The seller can't tell just anyone the great business secret he's discovered, so he shares it with a few hundred thousand strangers via email.
- You have to act now! Good business opportunities and deals rarely have to be completed immediately. If anyone is pressuring you to make a snap decision, be suspicious.
- They just need a "little information" like, well, your social security number, credit card number, mother's maiden name, pet's name, blood type, first grade reading score, etc.
- The word Nigeria is mentioned anywhere, anytime during the conversation or in the email. They'll ask you to help them transfer money out of the country and into your bank account. But of course, they need your bank account information to complete the transfer. As victims soon discover, the only thing that gets transferred is your own life savings!
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Just about any user could fall for an email scam, but as a webmaster, you're vulnerable to even more depraved - and expensive - schemes.
They're Stealing Your Name!
Oh, this is a popular one! Here's how it works.
A representative of the "Scam Domain Store" or other operation contacts you by phone or fax to warn you that another company is trying to register a name almost identical to yours. You have to ACT NOW or they will sell that domain name to this other customer! Your online identity will be stolen!
Say your company name is MarsupialWorld.com and that's the only domain name you own. The domain scammer will tell you that "another party" (usually the scammer himself) wants to register MarsupialWorld.net, MarsupialWorld.biz, MarsupialWorld.org, etc. Unless you act within the next few hours to purchase the names yourself, then the scam artist will sell them to this other party who will probably turn them into kangaroo fetish sites and ruin your reputation as a serious dealer in kangaroo and opossum art!
They want you to give them your credit card number so they can register the domain name for you. Of course there will also be a hefty service charge to stop the other application. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) fined a Canadian company $375,000 for bilking customers this way.
The best way to keep these scam artists at bay and keep someone else from hijacking your Internet identity is to register names and extensions close to yours when you register your main domain name. Then set up the alternate domain names to automatically redirect visitors to your main site.
Don't Get A Patriotic Web Site
Never underestimate the ability of spammers and scammers to try to make money off tragedies. After the terrorist attacks in the United States on September 11, 2001, some email spammers began to hawk the .USA extension for domain names.
Consumers were exhorted to "Be Patriotic! Register .USA Domains for only $59.00 each!" Once again, the FTC stepped in to shut down the sites because there is no .USA extension - but not before one "registrar" had collected over a million dollars in bogus registration fees.
You may receive similar offers to register .CAT (for cat lovers), .FOOD, and other unusual extensions. Ignore them all. The Internet Corporation on Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), is slowly approving new domain name extensions, but those are widely publicized before launch.
Choose Your Host Carefully
Many Web hosts offer to register your domain name for you when you open a hosting account. By itself, that's no problem: it streamlines the process and means less paperwork for you. However, make sure you check your registration information afterwards to be sure that you are listed as the owner of the domain - not your Web host.
Some unscrupulous hosts charge you a registration fee, but register the domain name as belonging them alone. When you try to transfer your hosting account, you won't be able to transfer your domain name unless the hosting company releases it to you. This is a prime way for hosting companies with really bad service to hold their customers hostage.
Read the terms of service carefully before you sign up for hosting to be sure that you personally will own the domain name. Then, after the registration goes through, check it again through one of the WhoIs databases and make sure that you're listed as the administrative and billing contact - not your Web host!
Network Solutions/Verisign WhoIs
Tucows WhoIs
Know The Basics
Running a Web site isn't just coding and posting. You need to know the basics of how the Internet works and specifically how the domain registration process operates. No, you don't have to become conversant about routers and servers, just get the big picture.
Think about driving a car. You may not understand the minutiae of an internal combustion engine, but you do know the basics. You aren't likely to be taken in by someone who offers to sell you a "magic word" that will open the car doors if you lock your keys inside. Nor would you buy a special, secret potion that will make your car fly. At least we hope not.
Don't be taken in by fake domain extensions or bogus registrars either! Learn how the domain registration process works. Otherwise, you're vulnerable. Visit the InterNic Web site for a list of accredited domain name registrars and a non-technical explanation of how the domain name registration process really works.
Check out some back issues of our newsletter for more information about domain names and Web hosts:
7 Questions To Ask Your Web Host
Trust But Verify
Web Site Moving Day
Is Your Web Host Spider Friendly?
Domain Name Selection Tips
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