Avoid getting scammed by following these six suggestions:

Avoid getting scammed by following these six suggestions:

1.Get a free custom-designed website for a 30-day trial period, with no obligation to continue! Sound familiar? It sounds too familiar to many who have been charged on their telephone bills for offers they never accepted! The FCC says this is type of fraud is becoming all too common. Be choosy about who you give out your personal information to. Review your telephone charges regularly. Don’t be too shy to challenge all charges that you don’t recognize.

2. Don’t fall for the Nigerian Sad Stories. The one I got was so interesting, I emailed the guy back to see if I could get more information. It sounded like a great story for a magazine article! He wanted me to give him my phone number and to meet me. I refused and told him to get lost. I later read that some people weren't so smart-and were never seen again! 3. Don’t go for the chain letter millions. Just because you hear of a kid making thousands, doesn't mean that it's legit. Just ask those whose tried it. I confess. Nada. Zilch.

4. Check out invention promotion firms. My sister created the most adorable invention once. She paid thousands to an invention promotion firm. The invention is still not patented. It has been long forgotten. In reality, few inventions make it to the marketplace and still fewer become commercial successes. Investigate any company before making  commitments. Call your Better Business Bureau. You can call the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office at (703) 557-4636 and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) at 1-(800)-827-5722.

5. Keep good records. Just the other day, my husband noticed that a deposit of $200 wasn't showing up on our bank statement online. We called and found out that they had NO record of the deposit. If my husband had not kept the deposit receipt, we would have lost that money. Keep copies of everything. Make and date notes of every telephone call that has to do with a business deal. Write down everything you can remember about previous calls. Get in the habit of writing down the names of people you talk to.

6. Don't believe every email.  Don’t you just love Paypal? I do! I love the convenience it offers! But…the other day I received an email that seemed to be from Paypal. It stated that I should immediately go to the site provided and login to my account. I am glad that I noticed something very important! The URL was not Paypal’s! It said, “http://www.paypalsys.com

 If I had logged in there, I would have given away the bank-literally! Paypal will not contact you and ask that you verify information. If you have been scammed, don't just take it! Fight!Place a complaint online with the Better Business Burea: http://www.bbb.org/complaints/consumerform.html .If you've been scammed on the Internet, your first stop should be the Internet Fraud Complaint Center (IFCC): http://www1.ifccfbi.gov/index.asp



The IFCC is a partnership between the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center. You can file a complaint and view fraud tips and warnings. Even intelligent people make mistakes-they just don't repeat them.-30-

Kristi Sayles, author of too many publications to list here, invites everyone to sign up for her free ezine called "Internet Treasures." Check it out online at http://smartauthor.com/treasures.html