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FIB - Scams 101 - Ye Olde Archives
Posted By: Dennis Bevers <bassco2@bellsouth.net> In Response To: BRAVO!! And if I may add my 2-1/4 cents.... (MaaMaw)
Tuesday, 30 November 2004, at 10:35 p.m.
except that they can scam more people faster than ever before.
Fifty or more years ago, it was pigeon drop scmas, sham oil well investments, and slick talkers selling off national monuments.
As a matter of fact, one real sharpie sold off the Eiffel Tower, not once, but twice, to French companies who specialize in demoliton and scrap metal.
One hundred to four hundred years ago, it was fake gold coins.
More recently, in the US and especially in Texas and Louisiana, we had a major downturn in oil exploration and production. Scam artists started sending out direct mail to laid off oil field workers, drillers, tool pushers, roustabouts, etc, offering high-paying, tax-free income working in the Middle East. You just needed to send in your resume', along with $100 to $500 or more (depending on the scammer) to pay the job placement firm's fee.
Less targeted, but with more potential, were the travelling business opportunity seminars that toured the company, offering 6 to 15 or more different businesses during a one-day seminar. They peddled everything but Injun Joe's Snake Oil Elixir.
And some got bit more than once before the day was over. After buying one or two businesses, some also signed contracts for credit card processing, that came at outrageus prices, with 3 and 4 year contracts.
The internet is allowing these same scammers to reach more victims faster than ever, and reach across the US. In addition, the internet allows crooks from around the globe to scam people here, without leaving their home.
Thankfully, FIB, ripoff.com, and other anti-scam sites exist to warn potential victims about the threats that abound.
Dennis Bevers
Legitimate business without the Spam