| Fraudsters are continually coming up with
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| | Legitimate companies will never ask you to
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| new ways to con unsuspectingpeople into
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| | give out anypersonal details - including
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| parting with their money, and with the
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| | user names and passwords - by email, soyou
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| internet, email andmobile phones it's
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| | should never part with such information.
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| becoming easier and easier for them. Here
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| | Pyramid schemes
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| are someexamples of types of scams you
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| | Marketed as money-making or investment
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| might come across and tips on how
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| | clubs, these scams claim to beable to make
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| toprotect yourself from being scammed.
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| | you large sums of money in a short period
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| Home working opportunities
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| | of time simplyby paying a fee to join them
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| Advertisements offering opportunities to
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| | and by recruiting others to join too.
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| work on your own from home canbe
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| | Theyare based on the premise that the more
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| incredibly enticing - 'no experience
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| | people who join, the highermembers climb
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| required', 'no sellinginvolved', 'no
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| | up the pyramid and the more money will be
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| investment or overheads', 'huge earnings
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| | made to bedistributed among members.
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| potential'.
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| | However, they can never work as they
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| Being your own boss and working flexibly
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| | requirea continual flow of new members,
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| is something that many peopledream of
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| | which can never be sustained. Asimilar
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| doing, so it can be easy to get sucked
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| | scam is the chain gift letter/email, in
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| into joining up.
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| | which it is claimed youwill make large
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| Typically, you're asked to pay a fee up
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| | sums of money simply by giving a sum of
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| front for administration,expenses and
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| | money to one ormore persons on the list
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| materials, or perhaps even just for more
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| | before adding your own name and forwarding
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| information. Thisis when alarm bells
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| | theletter/email. Any type of plan that
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| should start to ring. Legitimate employers
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| | claims to make people money solelyfrom the
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| wouldnot ask you to part with money like
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| | recruitment fees of other members is at
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| this. After sending the fee, eitheryou
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| | best unsupportable andat worst fraudulent.
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| never hear from the company again, or you
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| | Warning signs
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| receive work only to haveit rejected at
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| | If any of the following apply, then you
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| your own cost when you send it back for
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| | should question the legitimacyof the offer
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| inspection.
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| | or deal:
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| Common examples of types of work
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| | The offer was unsolicited.
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| advertised in these scams are
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| | The company is based abroad.
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| stuffingenvelopes, making cards or sewing
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| | You have to pay a fee to claim a prize.
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| clothes or fabrics.
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| | You are asked to hand over your bank
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| African bank transfers
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| | account details or otherpersonal
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| Most often received by email, these scams
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| | information.
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| purport to be from governmentofficials or
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| | It seems too good to be true.
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| high-ranking people in an African country
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| | You have to phone a premium rate number.
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| who need totransfer money from the
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| | The correspondence address is a PO box.
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| country, which they claim can only be
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| | The correspondence you receive is full of
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| doneusing a foreign bank account. They
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| | spelling mistakesand/or grammatical errors
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| often flatter your vanity byclaiming you
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| | and looks unprofessional. (However, don't
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| have been specially chosen for your
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| | be misledinto thinking that if something
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| reliability,trustworthiness, discretion
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| | looks professional, it is legitimate.)
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| and competence in financial affairs.
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| | Tips to help you avoid being scammed
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| Theyexplain that they will use your bank
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| | It helps to know who you are dealing with.
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| account to transfer a large sum ofmoney,
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| | Get names and companydetails and do your
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| of which you will receive a significant
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| | own personal research to check whether the
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| proportion as a fee. Ofcourse, after you
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| | deal orcompany is legitimate.
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| hand over your bank account details you
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| | Find out if it's a genuine company by
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| never hearfrom them again and discover
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| | checking whether it isregistered at
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| that your account has been emptied.
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| | Companies House.
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| Prize draw winnings or foreign lottery
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| | If the company is legally required to be
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| jackpots
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| | registered with acertain body, such as the
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| In these telemarketing scams, you'll
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| | Financial Services Authority,check whether
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| receive a phone call or a letterinforming
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| | the body holds records of the company's
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| you that you've won a prize in a draw or
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| | registration.
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| foreign lottery, andthat all you need to
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| | Bodies such as the Citizens Advice Bureau,
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| do to claim it is to pay an administration
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| | Consumer Direct, the
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| fee orphone a premium rate number, which
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| | Office of Fair Trading or your local
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| leaves you hanging on for severalminutes
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| | trading standards agency can oftenbe good
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| as your phone bill mounts. If you receive
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| | sources of information on scams and
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| such correspondence,stop and think about
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| | frauds.
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| it - did you enter a prize draw or buy a
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| | Don't be afraid to ask for information to
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| lotteryticket? You can't win anything in a
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| | be repeated orexplained in more detail,
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| competition unless you entered itin the
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| | and ask as many questions as you need to.
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| first place so if it's unsolicited, be
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| | Don't allow yourself to be bullied by
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| suspicious.
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| | hard-sell tactics. Nevercommit to anything
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| Phishing
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| | on the spot.
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| Phishing is the term for fraudulent emails
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| | Take time to make your decision and always
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| appearing to be fromlegitimate companies
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| | read the small printof the terms and
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| which request bank account or customer
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| | conditions. Seek professional or legal
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| accountdetails. You're asked to reply to
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| | advice ifnecessary.
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| the email with your full details as
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| | Keep all relevant documentation.
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| asecurity check, or to update company
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| | Apply a healthy scepticism to anything
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| records, or for you to remainregistered.
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| | that doesn't seem quiteright!
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