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Security Protection - Harry Waldron (CS)

Security Best Practices, Breaking News, & Updates

BusinessWeek: Five timeless business scams

The following are scams that are circulating by email, regular mail, or phone calls that everyone should be aware of: 

Article: Would I lie to you? Five cons still kicking
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12394486/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12394486/page/2/

They've been around for generations, but people still fall for them

1. The Scam: Free Money -- Charismatic individuals claim they know of funding sources that don't have to be repaid.

2. The Scam: Patent and Invention Services -- Business "experts" evaluate your invention or business idea, declare it a sure-fire winner, and ask for thousands of dollars to secure intellectual property protection, help you find manufacturers, and do marketing.

3. The Scam: Advance Fee Loans -- Companies promise loans to would-be entrepreneurs who cannot get capital from banks or investors.

4. The Scam: Work From Home -- It's only after you've made an investment that you find out the business isn't so easy.

5. The Scam: Wealth-Building Seminars -- Few people actually get richer, but many people get poorer attending these meetings, which are often held at hotels near airports.

Comments

Jack Payne said:

Of these five legal scams, invention protection and promotion services are the most insidious--as for taking the "mark" for really big bucks, that is.  Many of these people are so committed, so devoted to their pet, often lifetime, projects, that they will spring for a good chuk of their lifetime savings to see them succeed.

Those perusing the menu of what these con artists have to offer would do well to take long pause in deciding whether they would rather have red meat, or fuzzy green meat.

--Jack Payne

  www.sixhrs.com

# July 8, 2007 5:04 PM