| Internet frauds and scams, in many cases,
are not really novel and ingenuous ways of defrauding people. Mostly
it is the same kinds of fraudulent schemes that have defrauded consumers
and investors for many years before the inception of Internet.
These age old schemes, after adapting its colour and
look necessary for this new medium, are now appearing online. With
the explosive growth of Internet and e-commerce in particular, online
criminals try to present their fraudulent schemes in ways that look
like any legitimate offer for goods and services that vast majority
of genuine e-commerce merchants offer. In the process, they not
only loot consumers and investors but also undermine consumer confidence
in legitimate e-commerce and the Internet.
In next few issues, we shall discuss some of the 34
types of Internet frauds and scams we have identified so far.
Work At Home Scheme
This scheme (like many other Internet scams) offers
easy way of earning money by doing very little.
Typically aimed at housewives, unemployed, handicapped
persons, the elderly, and low income earners - these fraudulent
schemes promise a high-income position requiring little experience
and no investment. The catch in most of these schemes is that -
you must purchase something before you begin work. The upfront money
to be paid in advance may range from USD 35 to few thousands !
Big disappointments await those who are gullible enough
to have paid for the schemes. Some work-at-home schemes promote
ideas for setting up home businesses, such as selling specialty
products for which little or no market exists. Participants are
not informed at the outset that they will be required to sell these
items themselves without any outside help. Sometimes these schemes
require you to produce the items yourself with the promoter's promise
to buy back the items providing the workmanship meets their 'high
standards.' These promoters invariably reject the finished products
and return them to you to sell on your own.
Other variants of the scheme are stuffing envelope,
responding to e-mails and even surfing Internet !
Are all 'Work-At-Home' Schemes Fraudulent
?
A Big No ! There are certainly many good and legitimate
schemes to work from home.
As I said before - the Internet fraudsters try their
best to imitate genuine e-businesses. Just as market for fake diamonds
can not exist unless there are real diamond sellers in market -
there are many legitimate earning opportunities in the Internet
besides the fakes.
For example, companies are outsourcing jobs like data
entry, medical transcription, editing etc., which can be done from
home.
However, none of these legitimate schemes offer easy
money or promises thousands of dollars for doing very little. On
the contrary, many of these outsourced-works require special skill.
Related Links:
Source: FAIDA
- Newsletter on Business Opportunties from India and Abroad
Vol: 3, Issue 39
January 23' 2003
Author :
Dr. Amit K. Chatterjee
(Amit worked in blue-chip Indian and MNCs for 15 years in various
capacities like Research and Information Analysis, Market Development,
MIS, R&D Information Systems etc. before starting his e-commerce
venture in 1997. The views expressed in this columns are of
his own. He may be reached at amit@infobanc.com
) |
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