A New Low

A new variation of the Nigerian Scam theme

The scam artists are employing the Nigerian Scam to fleece unwary sellers who advertise pets for sale.

This is particularly despicable because not only are people losing their money but dogs are being abandoned in freight terminals or being killed to get rid of them.

Unsuspecting dog breeders have been caught off guard by this now well advertised scams as complaints are still numerous. These are usually high value dogs so the losses are often substantial.

These thieves are very clever and are well prepared. They have fine tuned this system of fraud, so it's easy for the unwary to be duped. They're extremely persuasive and carefully execute their plans.

Unfortunately it's virtually impossible to catch them as they operate from overseas and are expert in covering their tracks.

Their method of operation is to claim that they are from some foreign country and they want to buy the item you have for sale, whether it's a car or a dog or some other relatively high value item.

They tell you that someone in USA owes them money and that they will send you a check for an amount far in excess of your asking price. They don't haggle over the price in fact offers a bonus. You are supposed to cash the check then send them a money order for the difference.

The problem is that the checks are counterfeit, but so well done that bank tellers can't detect that they're bogus. If you've sent the money when the check fails to clear, you are responsible, not the bank.

I read a recent article by a reformed con artist who claims that Americans are stupid, just waiting to be fleeced. This is not true. The problem is that we are the most generous, trusting people on earth, consequently we are often easy prey for these despicable predators. I think this is particularly true of animal lovers who just don't anticipate this kind of behavior.

We have to learn to become more wary and know how to combat these thieves. Caveat Emptor, let the buyer beware.

For more information on this subject visit: http://www.caveatemptorus.com

Written by: George W. Cannata, author and publisher of the web site http://www.caveatemptorus.com July 29, 2005. You may copy this article in its entirety so long as you include credit to the author.

---

The 5 Critical Steps to Protecting Your Computer on the Internet

Spyware, viruses and worms... oh my!If you are connected to... Read More

How To Be Your Own Secret Service Agency

So you want to know who your kids are chatting... Read More

Steganography ? The Art Of Deception & Concealment

The Message Must Get Through The year is 300A.D.,... Read More

Lottery Scam, What It is and how to Avoid It?

Internet scams and frauds are on the rise! The quantity... Read More

Why Corporations Need to Worry About Phishing

Phishing is a relatively new form of online fraud that... Read More

Password Security and Safety

There is nothing more important that password security in world... Read More

Make Money Online - Latest Scam Disclosed

Before we start, I want to make it clear that... Read More

Sarbanes-Oxley: A Cross-Industry Email Compliance Challenge

Is your enterprise following the rules?The bulk of financial information... Read More

Do You Know What your Kids Are Doing Online?

It's a sad statistic, but hundreds of unsuspecting kids are... Read More

Personal Firewalls - Secure Your Computer

There has not been a time in the history of... Read More

8 Surefire Ways to Spot an E-Mail Identity Theft Scam!

The E-Mail Identity Theft Scam is running Rampant. These E-Mail... Read More

Is My PC Vulnerable on the Internet?

No longer are viruses the only threat on the internet.... Read More

Is The Internet Over Regulated

Today's Internet or World Wide Web is being over regulated.But,... Read More

Lets Talk About Antivirus Software!

Nowadays more and more people are using a computer. A... Read More

Eliminate Adware and Spyware

Everyone should eliminate spyware and adware from your hard drive... Read More

Secrets On Security: A Gentle Introduction To Cryptography

Let us take the example of scrambling an egg. First,... Read More

Crack The Code - Thats A Direct Challenge

I Challenge You To Crack The Code ------------------------------------- I had... Read More

Information Security for E-businessmen: Just a Couple of Ideas

If you constantly deal with bank or electronic accounts, it... Read More

Three-pronged Trojan Attack Threatens Security on the Internet

Glieder (Win32.Glieder.AK), Fantibag (Win32.Fantibag.A) and Mitglieder (Win32.Mitglieder.CT) are not names... Read More

5 Simple Steps to Protect your Digital Downloads

A couple of days ago, I was searching for a... Read More

Web Conferencing Readers - So What Do We Do with the PAYPAL SPAMMER

From: "Paypal Security" Subject: New Security Requirements Date: Tue, 26... Read More

Online Cell Phone Scams and Spam

They're out there. Individuals trying to make a quick buck... Read More

I Spy...Something Terribly Wrong (In Your Computer)

This really chapped my lips...I recently bought a new computer.... Read More

Online Shopping: 10 Tips For Safe Online Shopping

Have you ever bought a product or service from the... Read More

Online Shoppers, Beware of a New Scam

Beware of a New Scam Aimed at Bargain-HuntersTrying to buy... Read More

Data Security; Are Your Company Assets Really Secure?

Is your data secure? Think again. Securing data is unlike... Read More

Make Money Online - Defend Against The Latest Scam

First, let's do a little recap'. As I stated in... Read More

How to Manage Your Username and Password The Easy and Secure Way

Have been an Internet user for more than 9 years,... Read More

40 Million People Hacked - YOU as Identity Theft Victim

Saturday, MasterCard blamed a vendor of ALL credit card providers... Read More

Viruses, Trojans, and Spyware - Oh My!

Have you ever had to call Symantec or McAfee to... Read More

How to Protect Your Child from the Internet

When the Internet first came about, it was realized it... Read More

Watch Out For That Scam

The IFCC (Internet Fraud Complaint Center) received over 200,000 complaint... Read More

What to Look for before You Purchase Spyware Software

Huge number of spyware software applications are available in the... Read More