Investment Scams and The Internet

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Just as there are investment scam offers you can get in the mail, there are also scams on the Internet. Besides the offshore and million dollars transfer scams, there are also Websites that scammers put up to convince people to purchase from them. Con artists have been quick to exploit the Internet for their own gain. If you are guided to a Website about this type of investment, be careful. You will need to evaluate the investment very carefully to determine if it is real or not. There are many Websites that are available to help you become a better educated investor. You just need to go to these sites and read about the investment you are interested in.

Because of the Internet, fraud has become more rampant than before. This doesn't mean you have to avoid it since there are many places online that are legitimate. Here are some things you need to look for when shopping online:

• Unregistered: If the business you are thinking about working with is not registered, run away from them. You are just wasting your time. Investment companies have to be registered to operate period. Therefore, when you check them out online, they have to show in some form or fashion that they are registered.
• Online promotions: Be very careful about online promotions. These promotions could be about fraud or scams. The promoter is only about getting the money not so much as providing the investment. Check out the offer first before you invest.
• Misrepresentations: People who offer investment scams will do so by misrepresenting the investment. They will try and sell you some kind of investment that is not true or holds no weight.
• Manipulation: Sometimes investment scammers will use manipulation to get you involved in the scam. They may provide with a hot tip that they claim you have to act on immediately or lose out on a great deal.

Where do these scammers usually hang out? They are normally found online through investment newsletters, bulletin boards, and email. If you have any question about Internet scams, go to this Website where you can find more info about them and what to do about the scam: http://www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml.



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