The Internet Scams Anonymous Group
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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
