You’ve Won the Christmas Lottery … Not.

Like many millions of other email users out there, you’re probably familiar some way or another with 419 Nigerian fraud. You’ve probably seen a Nigerian email in one of its many different variants filter through to your email inbox or junk mail folder. 419 Nigerian fraud, or Advance Fee Fraud, most prolifically takes on the classic wealthy businessman variation, which promises several million dollars dumped into your bank account from some deceased businessmans banker or solicitor in Africa, providing your pay some sort of fee upfront, of course.

Not all 419 Nigerian fraud is that easy to spot however, and one particular variation that comes increasingly popular during the run up to Christmas is the 419 Christmas lottery scam. For the unaware and uninformed, receiving an email confirming you’ve won hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars is the perfect way to catch someone’s attention. After all, 5.6 million USD might just come in handy over the festive period!

These types of scams prey on people who need money, and  the Christmas period provides many such people who may be willing to believe stories they normally wouldn’t do any other time of the year.

So this is why we will see a surplus of apparent Christmas lotteries and sweepstakes filling our inboxes, trying to dupe people into biting.

Remember, even if the initial email asking you to “confirm” your winnings doesn’t mention fees or charges, follow up emails certainly will, and can range from courier fees, security clearance fees, handling fees, release fees and even bribes!

Examples this December include the Coca-Cola Zero Lottery and the Nigerian Xmas Lottery sweepstake.

Remember this – you cannot win lotteries you have not entered, and no credible lottery notifies its winners via email, much less requires upfront fees to collect winnings.

For our full article on advance fee 419 fraud and its many variants and methods of spotting it, click here.

Facebook Launches New Profile – Viral Rumours Soon to Follow

Facebook have recently announced the imminent launch of the new profile page, meaning your profile page is going to be restructured and ergo is going to look very different indeed.

New features will incorporate recently tagged photos of yourself appearing at the top of the profile page, a featured friends element allowing you to select your important friends (many potential arguments there, then) and more information about your hobbies, work etc. (sharing even more information with Facebook? They must enjoy irritating the hell out of privacy activists)

We’re telling you about this imminent change [-all users should have new profiles by the new year-] because every time Facebook does make any sort of change, hoaxers see this as some sort of starting whistle to spread as much illogical tripe as possible to see how far and deep their alarmist lies can spread across a network comprised largely of people far too familiar with their Copy & Paste keyboard shortcuts. (It’s Control + C and V for the sceptics)

So this post is a pre-emptive warning that soon the old favorites are likely to make an inevitable return, such as…

-Facebook groups, pages and applications that claim it can get your old profile back, providing you invite people to join, of course. Like all changes Facebook make, once their finalised, there is no reverting back.

-Viral messages stating Facebook has been hacked because of some sort of irrelevant and obscure feature some hoaxer has discovered. Remember the assertion your account could be hacked because your own name appeared on your list of friends? Prepare for the next viral “Facebook has been hacked” panic.

-Similar to the above point, we expect a new round of “Facebook hackers” to miraculously appear, magically comprising Facebook accounts based on the illogical pseudo-jargon garbage the hoaxers dream up.

-Facebook are planning on charging for upgrades. You really have to admire this rumours ability to simply refuse to lay down and die. Always popping up every few months, likely prompting Facebook’s message on their homepage that it will always be free. We expect to see a timely return of this classic at some point.

So Facebook are already altering many of its users to the new profile layout.

We can’t wait.

Think of any more rumours likely to follow? Feel free to comment below.

Facebook Cartoon Profile Pics Have NOTHING to do with Pedophillia !!

It rarely seems a month passes by without some sort of specious claims about pedophiles running riot on social networking sites, and this December is certainly no exception with yet another viral rumour hitting the Facebook.

It all started in November when messages started to appear in Greece and Cyprus requested people to change their Facebook profile pictures to their favorite cartoon characters. The messages didn’t enjoy much success, and seemed doomed to a quick demise.

That was until early December when the messages were picked up, translated into English and were altered into saying the changing of profile pictures to cartoon characters was a way of saying "No to child abuse", and the cartoon character you opted for should be an old favorite from that respective Facebook users own childhood.

The move seemed popular, and enjoyed even more success than the “Post Your Bra Color” and the “Doppelganger Pic” viral campaigns. Even though the movement did not seem to be attached to any official charity of group, many people were happy to change their profile pictures for a day, or even a week.

But as the saying goes, it only takes a few bad apples to spoil the bunch, and this is certainly true as to the unfortunate path this story has ended up taking. Only a few days after the messages and cartoon pictures went global did the sick and vile rumours of pedophile involvement begin to surface, and surface they certainly did.

Almost instantaneously did various rumours appear claiming the whole idea of cartoon profile pictures was created by social networking deviants who owned and operated dangerous groups designed to steal your children and rob their photos. Yet again the illogical rumours led you to believe that pedophiles invented the idea of cartoon profile pictures in order to be accepted as friends to your children.

Yet again the rumours made no sense, offered no evidence and defied even the most basic principles of common sense.

And yet again people passed the rumours on in their thousands.

This includes rumours like -

ATTENTION! Just reported that the group that started the post about changing your profile picture to a cartoon character is actually a pedophiles group that is doing this because its easier to get accepted friend requests! Please re-post.

and

CHANGEYOUPRFILE PIC BACK TO NORMAL!! this cartoon thing has been set up by pedos using a registered charity thing to entice kids. Apparently on the 6th of december you will be kicked of fb if u hv cartoon pics. the more folk that put up the cartoon pics the harder it is for the police ...to catch the sickos!!!

Suffice to say, the rumours were not true AT ALL, and if you feel like changing your profile picture to an old favorite cartoon, whether it be to support child abuse awareness or simply to revisit nostalgia-town, feel free to do so in the comfort and safety of knowing you’re not allowing, supporting or endorsing any paedophilic related activity.

If you want more on the subject, here is our original post on Facebook pedophiles.

Casino Gambling System Scams

We'll warn you, if you're not interested in Math, probabilities or gambling, the following blog post is likely to bore you to death.

One of the longest running, controversial and popular fallacies in the world is the belief, support and use of betting systems apparently designed to improve or guarantee winnings from casino games such as roulette and craps. Such systems purport to overcome the casino odds by using various strategies, some simple and some complex to allow the user of such systems to “beat the casino”

Of course anyone familiar with casinos will know that people playing games such as roulette, blackjack and craps will statistically lose out over a long enough period because everyone playing such games are subject to the “house odds” - meaning that the chances of success are always very slightly in favour of the house (the casino) so that any betting spree long enough would statistically favour the house. For example the green zero in roulette or the player acting first in blackjack gives the casino a very slight advantage.
Such betting systems claim to not only overcome the house edge but virtually guarantee the person using it a profit, regardless of how long the betting spree goes on for.

Casino betting systems are advertised in a variety of ways, including many unethical methods of which the seasoned Internet user would be familiar with including SPAM email, malware attacks, spyware pop-ups and advertisements on equally unethical websites. Victims may be directed to websites or baited through email correspondence by people running the casino system scams. The people promoting such systems may either be under the false belief the system works, or may just be after your money, much like a get-rich-quick scam.

Many different varieties of systems have emerged over the decades, most of which pre date the Internet by many years. In fact most “brand new systems” flogged on the Internet daily are not brand new at all, rather one of many different thousands of systems that have been tried, tested and ultimately failed many years prior.

Varieties of systems include the "gambler fallacy" systems which somehow implement the age old fallacy that an event that has not occurred in some time is more likely to occur in the imminent future, for example a roulette wheel resulting in 3 red numbers in a row will more likely show a black number next. Of course this is not true, and anyone reading that previous sentence will realise this, but many systems disguise this error in logic by overtly complex equations and fancy hype.

Another type of system is the "bet big win small" systems such as the Martingale system which sees a player double his stake after every loss, so his first victory will cover his previous losses plus his original stake back, hence the small win. This system has proved incredibly popular since it maximises a players chances of winning in the short term, but like all "bet big win small" systems, the profit will only be small and the amount potentially lost will be much larger, meaning anyone using this system will eventually suffer a big loss and hence are at no more of a mathematical advantage that anyone using any other system. The probability of losing with the Martingale system is often underestimated by even experienced gamblers.
Another similar system involves betting low amounts on the majority of possible outcomes meaning the chance of victory will always be on the players side, who shall receive small profits. This is popular in roulette, where for example a player can place bets on 32 out of the 37 possible outcomes, meaning they are likely to win a small amount, but may suffer a huge loss. Like the Martingale, this may be a good short term solution, but players using such a system will eventually suffer a huge loss and be subject to the same mathematical probabilities as anybody else over the long term. Many betting systems stem from this short term solution to blind victims into thinking that the chances of winning can be on their side.

Even to this day many gamblers swear by and defend various betting systems, but the fact is that no one system will or can ever work, because of the core mathematics involved with gambling. No matter how the system is dressed up, or presented to the victim, or how complex the people behind the scam are willing to get, casino games are subject to simple, fundamental probabilities that no one can change. Betting systems that sell ultimate betting strategies are selling regurgitated information that will make no one more or less likely to become rich from a casino. Games such as roulette, blackjack and craps will always be in favour of the house over the long term, and in the words of Albert Einstein - "No one can possibly win at roulette unless he steals money from the table while the croupier isn't looking".

Your Get-Rich-Quick Scam Quick Checklist

Get-Rich-Quick scams take many variants, and if you're looking to make an extra buck online, be wary of schemes that match the following points -

- Extra discount pop-ups when you try and leave the page? They make you think you're getting a special deal when you're not.

- Large red fonts, yellow highlight and long winded sales letters? Get-Rich-Quick scammers are not great web designers, so the website or sales letter will usually look the same, a borrowed template, with outsourced graphics at the top.

- Rags to Riches story? Get-Rich-Quick scammers love rags to riches stories to help the victim relate to them. They are never true.

- Limited Offers, Limited Time or Limited Copies? It is always limited somehow with Get-Rich-Quick scams, because they want you to act hastily.

- UpSelling? Extremely infuriating is when the sales letter gets you to buy the system which will "make you a fortune" only to find out that you need to buy other upgrades if you really want to "make money."

- Tacky "Proof of Earnings" Pics or Vids? These are either fake or as a result of selling useless get-rich-quick information to other victims. Rest assured they are not a result of the "ultimate program" they are trying to flog to you.

- Secret Hush Hush Tips? Tips for making money online are endless, but there are no guaranteed groundbreaking techniques that will make anyone who tries them rich.

- Posting Links? If it involves the ambigious "posting links" then run away fast. There is no such thing as posting links and getting paid. This is an extremely vague way of describing affiliate marketing, which involves selling other peoples products through your referral link. Its certainly not as simple as posting links and getting paid!

- Fast cars and big houses? Get-Rich-Quick scams are notorious for painting the victim the picture of what it would be like to be rich, and this includes pictures of fast cars and big houses, no bills and no boss. They do this to lure the victim into the program by making them really want the program to work.

- Get-Rich-Quick? Yes thats right, get-rich-quick scams promise you will get rich quickly! There are no shortcuts to making money online fast. The cyber goldrush is over, and if you want to make real money online now, you have to work just as hard, or even harder than you would normally have to in the real world, and it doesn't happen over a few days! Sorry!

10 Tips for Shopping Safely Online

The amounts of shops and services accepting payment online is increasing dramatically, meaning there is an extremely wide range of products available at the click of a mouse. It is no surprise that scammers have flocked to the retail side of the Internet looking to steal your money, but if you follow some easy safety procedures, using your credit or debit card online can be just as safe as using it in your local shop.


10. Never wire money through Western Union or MoneyGram!

Run away at the mention of either of these services. They are not designed to be used by online businesses, and are prolifically used by scammers because of their lack of security.



9. Never buy from new websites.

Scam websites popup every month or so, and rarely last more than a several months. That is why you should try and avoid new websites selling goods, unless you have a good enough reason to trust that site.



8. Only enter your card information on a secure server

If you’re worried that sounds too technical, you needn’t be. Look at the start of the web address. https:// means secure. No “s” means not secure (just http://). Never enter your card details on a domain without the “s”.



7. Never buy from a site with poor spelling and grammar

Scam websites often originate from places like China or Russia. Be on the look out for poor grammar, syntax and spelling. Even if the website is legit, do you want to be buying from an unprofessional seller?



6. Don’t buy from websites with poor contact details

Essentially, always look out for a postal address, and do not trust websites that used free web based email addresses like Hotmail or Yahoo.



5. Don’t buy from poorly designed websites

Look for company branding, and good design. Scammers quickly set up website templates meaning there may be design and development flaws, and the site will often look tacky.



4. Don’t buy from sites if the prices are too good

Because most scam websites won’t actually sell anything, they will of course bait their victims with extremely low prices. Ask yourself if the prices are too good to be true. If they are, you may be getting scammed.



3. Have up-to-date Antivirus and Spyware Removal Software

Spyware steals your personal details like card information, so even if you are buying from a legit site, spyware can still put your privacy at risk. Run up-to-date antivirus software to make sure your computer is clean.



2. Don’t send your bank account, routing number or social security information

For readers in the UK, this means sort code and national insurance number. Online retailers don’t need this information so if they ask for it, you should shy away.



1. Novice shoppers should stick with the famous brands

If you’re new to the whole e-commerce scene, it is best to stick with reputable sites, and by this we mean –
Manufacturer websites, such as the official Sony, Dell or Samsung websites.
Shop websites, such as the official PCWorld, Walmart or Debenhams websites.
Other famous sites, such as Amazon.com or Buy.com.

Another bonus to sticking with sites like this is that the prices will always be competitive and there is plenty of buyer protection!


Those are our top tips to shopping safely online, and if you follow them, you should not find yourself falling foul to any Internet scams. This is a condensed version of our full article which can be read here.

Auction Listing Agent Scams

Ever came across a scheme purporting to teach you how to become a Certified Auction Listing Agent? They are work-at-home scams. Read on for more information.

Certified Auction Listing Agent scams work as follows –

They get the victim hooked on promises of profitable work-at-home opportunities. Some use long winded sales pages full of the usual garble about how someone became financially free and does not have to worry about bills and can go on long vacations etc. Others ask the victim to enter their ZIP code so the site can `search for jobs in their area` and are then forwarded to a long winded sales page full of the same drivel (regardless of the ZIP code entered. The `opportunities` are identical. The ZIP code does not even need to be entered)

The sales page will give the usual get-rich drivel of how nice it is to be rich and will usually include a rag to riches story of how many people have become successful using the so called system. The sales page will also go on to explain that these people are becoming rich by selling items on auction sites like EBay on behalf of other companies, usually Fortune 500 companies or other reputable businesses. These companies will apparently give the member large commissions for each item sold meaning members could potentially earn up to $75-$100 an hour!

Of course members can find out all the secrets to this money making techniques by paying the site operators a sign up fee and usually on going monthly fees.

Of course, like all get-rich-quick scams, the sales page is nothing more than deception and outright lies.
There are no Fortune 500 companies looking for people to sell their items on EBay. That is pure fabrication. Victims who sign up to become a "Certified Auction Listing Agent" are typically sent several things, including

- Information on setting up an EBay account and a PayPal account, which can freely be found on the Internet on numerous sites, for free.

- Tips on using EBay. Again, this information can be freely found many other places online.
- Fake certificates implying that the victim is certified to sell items on EBay. The certificates are fake and are not required to use EBay.

So in reality, members are actually paying [usually] extortionate fees on how to use EBay which anyone could do for free anywhere else, meaning essentially all the information is completely useless, and the vast majority of members will simply be unable to recuperate the initial sign up and monthly fees which are often in the hundreds of dollars.

Popular scams of this nature include Jennifer Johnson and HomeJobPlacement.org, or Elizabeth Jackson and workathomepositionplacement.org.

We strongly recommend avoiding sites of this nature as they are blatant scams designed to get as much money from their victims as possible.