Scam Watch: Paypal Account Hacked!

After doing my usual routine, studying, calling my hubby and my morning regimen, it was late in the afternoon that I decided to check my mails and messages. I received one startling message from my friend Mitch and she asked me to read her post regarding her current dilemma: her PayPal account just got hacked! Not only that, but it seems that her EON account has also been accessed by this freak and withdrawals where already made! To top it all off, she can't access her PayPal account anymore because it was CLOSED!

This is quite an outrage! I don't know what slimeball would do such a thing. I know there are a lot of despicable people online these days and I even blogged about it when my friend Ruby also got scammed online. Read my article Get Smart or Get Scammed for more details.

I guess this means that we have to be on guard guys. Perhaps, we need to bombard questions to PayPal and ask how they are safeguarding their clients from despicable people.

Check out Mitch's blog When Silence Speaks and read her post about this dilemma!

Image: Google Images

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Get Smart or Get Scammed!

The Internet is probably one of the most lucrative places to earn money, start a business, and meet new people. Unfortunately, the Internet is also one of the avenues where scammers do their dirty deed.

To those who are blog newbies, myself included, we are so naive and gullible to different forms of scams because we may not be familiar with them. I am not an expert on scams and I have never been scammed...yet, but I am not holding my breath because a lot of these scammers prey on the innocent, the naive, and the desperate.
To avoid getting scammed, I have listed a few tips that have helped me avoid scammers. These are by no means, 100% effective but they have worked well for me.

1. Don't talk to strangers. We have been taught since kindergarten never to trust anyone. Since mostly everyone you meet online are virtually strangers, it is best to be wary of people. This may sound hypocritical because I have met a few people online that turned out to be really cool but I am still wary.
2. Do not trust people right away. Sure, they may seem nice and their photos may project an "angelic" appearance, but that doesn't mean that they are.
3. Never share personal information to people on the Internet. You might think that it is harmless but believe me, it is not. I have heard a lot of horror stories regarding this tale; of identities being stolen, people using your credit card information...the list goes on and on.
4. For bloggers who want to make money through their blogs, beware. There has been an increase in "Get Paid To" scams popping up like daisies all over the blogosphere so it is best to be aware of them. Only make transactions with reliable companies and never enter into any third party agreements or contracts because this spells trouble.
5. With regards to instant messaging and other forms of chat services, I advise you to be wary because a random person will just strike up a conversation with you. My YM contacts are people that I know and trust. Whenever a window pops up and some person with a handle like, say "cute_guy123," wants to chat with me, I immediately hit the ignore button. If someone wants to add me as a friend and I have absolutely no idea who he/she is, I click the ignore button.
6. Be wary of social sites. Just because his/her profile shows him as 18 and male with a hot picture attached to it, doesn't mean that he really is! This would all boil down to one thing: do not trust anybody.
   
7. When you feel like a company you signed up for is doing something fishy; e.g. not paying you when you requested for a cash out, don't hesitate to contact their customer service. Reliable companies quickly respond to queries of this nature and your problem will be addressed. If all else fails hit Google or any search website and find out if others are getting scammed by that company.
8. Lastly, do not trust anybody. I know this is redundant but this is probably the most crucial bit of advice that I can give you.
   

It pays to be vigilant guys. The Internet is really a good avenue to learn, grow, and make money. However, it is also a breeding place of unscrupulous people. Protect yourselves because it may happen to you.

Get Smart or Get Scammed!

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Scam Watch: A. W. Surveys

Remember my recent money making banner A. W. Surveys (see above)? Well, I learned something about this company. It seems that they are trying to scam people of their time and money! I have tried a few of their surveys; after a few of them, I started smelling something fishy.
But first, I'd like to tell you about A. W. Surveys. They are one of the PPS (Paid Per Survey, I call them) sites that pay you to do surveys. These kinds of sites are pretty much becoming rampant in the Internet, these days. It's pretty much not too hard to avoid them. Anyway, this site promises you $6 just to sign up and $4 per survey you do.
Let me tell you about their survey; they let you click a link which redirects you to the site you are going to review. Suspiciously, the sites that you are going to review other PPS sites! So, I asked myself; "How do I review them if I don't sign up?" I didn't sign up, though because I signed up in a couple of the PPS sites and didn't receive a survey for a month. After a few surveys of the same kind with other websites, I stopped doing the survey.
A few days ago, I came across Pinoy Raket Online's blog and read about A. W. Surveys. Sure enough, he informed his readers that he still hasn't received his cash-out (you can request for a cash-out when you earn $75) up till now. Fishy, isn't it? He also said that after doing the surveys that he received when he signed up, he didn't receive any other surveys to do. Hmmm...are you smelling something already? Fishy, perhaps?
If you want to read Pinoy Raket Online's post, click A.W. Surveys: Just Another Scam GPT Survey Site.

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