The Internet Scams Anonymous Group

Last Update: February 19, 2010

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The Internet Scams Anonymous Group (ISA) launched online January 2010, after nearly 2 years of research into the magnitude of Internet Crime; related to Internet Scams, Internet Fraud and Spam.  Most attached themselves to various Affiliate, MLM and Pyramid Programs. Others find their way into High Yield Investment Programs (HYIP) and even Forex. Certainly work at home programs, data entry/processing and survey programs are not immune to scams.

 

The group is valuable to its business and individual members and is anonymous because most victims of a scam will not admit or are afraid to tell friends, family and others that they have been scammed.  Like other successful anonymous groups - as the member base grows,  members will help members by learn from each others mistakes, as well as their successes.

 

With the number of new users on the internet growing at a rate of 40% per year, most of these new users are ill prepared and must beware that every form of offline scam has or will surely find their way to the internet and into their email account.

 

While the internet has, many fine websites and groups that offer how-to information. Many of these focus on a particular type of scam or fraud such as paid to read or click, MLM, Nigeria, email fraud, identity theft, etc. Still others go to great lengths to provide lists of scam websites; however, no one has the resources to keep their lists up-to-date with rate of growth of Internet Crime.

 

The Internet Scams Anonymous Group is interactive and concentrates on helping its members understand the basics of a scam, how to do their own online due diligence of the business and to understand their motivations to join in the scams.  Research has shown that once an internet user has been a victim of a scam, they are likely to be a victim again, unless some form of corrective action is taken.  A daily read of any news source shows that anyone regardless of his or her experience or credentials is a potential victim.  For that matter anyone can be a victim of an Internet Scam and email fraud even if they are not a participant, by the illegal use of their name by the scamsters.

 

While individual members may not have a business, marketing or risk management plans, business members learn that internet crime and spam can affect nearly every aspect of their organizations risk management plan, be it financial, operations, technology, employee productivity, etc. Business members learn that unethical competitors use clickers to draw down their funds can consume advertising pay-per- click advertising budgets. Many companies have some form of employee policy for the use of the internet; most have overlooked the full impact of internet crime. ISA business members learn the importance of considering and adding Internet Crime to their Risk Management Plans.

 

Members learn that any use of the internet to make money online is a business and is not a hobby. ISA and the scammers understand that not everyone can run a business either offline or online, so the scammers promise potential affiliates overnight success while the affiliates do nothing, except give their money. Unfortunately, "guaranteed success" or "refund guaranteed" has little meaning or value online.

 

Too many of the new users online are work at home moms and dads, senior citizens and others who just want to make some extra money, but their already limited resources are easily consumed by the scammers. Certainly many users are and will be successful online as long as they learn to avoid the eye-catching email headlines and sites that play to their individual need to make money online.

 

Of course, the ISA group recognizes that this is a big challenge and a worthy cause; however, the group is optimistic that that they can help its members identify the scams and the scammers.  Scammers must learn that the same power that was given to them by the use of the internet to scam or swindle others can also be used to reduce their effectiveness and ability to take money from others. 

 

Although the Internet Scams Anonymous Group is a private network, the public will benefit from contributions to various online blogs, articles, social networks, forums and other postings that result from member discussion and participation within the group.

 

Dr Don Yates Sr PhD

Founder

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