We all complain about the amount of spam emails we receive … and it seems that no matter what we do to stop the influx into our Inbox, the spammers simply find a way around it.
They just don’t let up … probably because there’s enough gullible people out there who fall for their offers! When responding, many of these people don’t realize that the’re heading – in many cases – into a straight out SCAM.
There are three major product categories these spammers / scammers seem to love…
Investment Offers:
These are generally in the form of an Alert recommending a quick move on a stock because it’s on the rise.
Now that’s the sort of information you should take heed of if it came from you’re private (“Licensed”) Broker or Wealth Management advisor … but not from a stranger.
I’ve had the unfortunate experience of meeting a major spammer who specializes in this area. It was at a private function where he openly admitted to sending out up to 70 million emails a week promoting investment offers.
As he explained, the objective of these mailings was to lure buyers into a stock he or his colleagues had purchased for next to nothing — drive it’s price up — and then exit at a price way beyond the actual value of the stock.
The outcome: a sharp price fall after their exit and all those who came in as a result of this Alert end up losing money. For him it was a legitimate way of making money … to any “balanced” person, he’s not only a spammer, but also a SCAMMER!
And if the authorities were ever to become aware of his activities, he could end up in jail for quite some time.
Avoid becoming a victim: DO NOT open ANY investment-related email UNLESS it comes from your Broker, Wealth Manager, or an organization whose list you have opted into … and only heed investment recommendations from those who hold a “securities license”!
Health Offers:
These are generally promoting sexual stimulants such as Viagara or Cialis and sometimes online pharmacies.
Now I appreciate the cost of pharmaceuticals is way too high and that those in genuine need may be tempted to look for “cheaper” alternatives.
However, take a close look at the style of most of these promotions — the people behind them are often the same who are pushing Viagara and Cialis. And in those two cases, they are most often pushing products which are FAKES.
I’ve traveled abroad quite a bit and in many countries I’ve been confronted by street hawkers pushing these two products. Now I’ve never had the need or desire to try them … but a friend of mine has. The result: NONE!
They are cheap imitations and the dosage is way below the “genuine” product which is available only through authorized channels. These FAKES are generally the products pushed by the spammers / scammers!
Avoid becoming a victim: DO NOT open ANY health-related email UNLESS it comes from an organization whose list you have opted into … and only buy products which have been approvd by health regulatory bodies.
Lottery Offers:
We all want to be Millionaires — and winning a lottery is one way you can achieve that.
“Lottery scam” emails often advise that you’ve won a prize and must send money in order to collect the $1million+ you have won!
These spammers / scammers forget one thing … you can’t possibly have won a prize in a lottery you never ever entered in the first place!
So please … NEVER SEND MONEY TO CLAIM A PRIZE IN A LOTTERY YOU HAVEN’T ENTERED.
Avoid becoming a victim: DO NOT open ANY lottery-related email UNLESS it comes from an organization whose list you have opted into … and only deal with company’s with a solid track history of delivering services in this area.
As the old saying goes … if you receive an offer in the mail or via email which sounds too good to be true, then it probably is!