Web of Deceit

Posted on 1 Jul 2004 at 11:28

There's also the 'boiler room' scam. Boiler rooms are illegal and unregulated share-trading operations. Someone contacts you either by telephone or email and offers you a chunk of 'highly profitable' shares in a company. In reality the company doesn't exist or the shares are not valid for trade.

HOW TO STAY SAFE
Remember that real investment gurus sell their advice and money-making skills. If they gave them away for free, how would they stay in business? At the risk of sounding pious, don't let greed be your guide. Above all, remember the Met's mantra, "if it sounds too good to be true, it is".

SCAM 6: FAKE SSL

When shopping online most of us check the bottom right-hand corner of our web browser for the little gold padlock. When we see it we assume the site is safe and reputable. But is it?

The padlock icon pops up when a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) communication between your PC and a web server has been created. This is a secure pathway down which encrypted and highly sensitive data can be passed. Almost all online banks and shops use SSL.

Rather than just seeing the SSL icon and assuming all is well, you should also double-click on it. This will bring up the site owners' official SSL authentication certificate. The certificate should match the seller's URL.

Fraudsters have gone one stage further than just inserting a fake padlock icon into their sites. Some acquire SSL certificates from reputable sites. Though you can't right-click on an SSL certificate and select Save As, there is nothing to stop you pressing Alt-Prt Scrn and grabbing an image of a genuine certificate. The screen grab can then be woven into your site with a few lines of code.

HOW TO STAY SAFE
First, as we've already said, you should always double-click on the padlock and check the certificate that pops up. If the site's URL and that displayed on the SSL certificate are different, leave the site immediately.

Also check the URL of the site you're on. By convention, URLs that require an SSL connection start with 'https:' instead of 'http:'. As a result, con artists sometimes construct their pages so that the URL is hidden from view. If you find a site that does one or the other, be wary. According to the Microsoft Knowledgebase, you can check the real URL by entering the following into the address bar of your browser:

javascript:alert("actual web address:" + location.protocol + "//" + location.hostname + "/");

SCAM 7: MIRACLE CURES

This con generally takes the form of emails, websites or online actions for 'miracle cures' for everything from arthritis, obesity and impotence to Parkinson's disease, hair loss and cancer. These pills, potions and ointments may never have been properly tested and might, if they actually do anything at all, cause more harm than good.

HOW TO STAY SAFE
Quack doctors and their miracle cures have been around for as long as illness itself. You should approach these 'cures' with a cynical eye, though this may be easier said than done if you're ill.

Check with your GP before popping miracle pills, particularly if you're on other medication. You should also keep an eye on www.quackwatch.org, an excellent site that details the latest con 'cures'. Webster's Dictionary also has a useful resource at www.websters-online-dictionary.org/ definition/english/ qu/quack.html.

SCAM 8: SHILLING

Shill bidding or bid padding is an internet auction scam where a seller or their cohorts bid on goods to inflate artificially their perceived worth. It's a common scam that is difficult to spot.