One of the unfortunate side effects of the recession has been a substantial increase in the amount of swindling and fraudulent activity on the Internet. For people who are sometimes desperate to find a way to deal with financial woes, the proliferation of questionable mortgage refinancing programmes, get rich quick schemes and misleading credit card comparison offers can be especially dangerous.
There are three basic rules that will help limit your exposure and thus minimise the chance of becoming a victim of Internet crime. The single most important rule is to never do business with any online contact that is not willing to provide a physical address and telephone number that you can verify. Make it a point to actually follow up and verify that such an address exists and that it is indeed the business site of the individual you are communicating with. This will allow you to check into the background of the organisation before making any commitments.
Second, keep in mind that legitimate companies do not offer rewards that are too good to be true. If the reward seems out of sync with that you have to do, something is most likely amiss. Commit to nothing and supply no personal information until you find out what is going on.
Last, a legitimate online business will not pressure you to make a move now. There is always time for the consumer to mull over the offer and get back with the business. By contrast, scam artists want an answer now, before you have a chance to think too much about the deal. If you feel pressured to act before you are ready, say no and break off communications immediately.
Tags: Credit Cards, Internet Crime., mortgage
