Not all Internet Recover stolen crypto are business opportunity related. There are endless schemes and methods that con you out of money. Some of the more recent ones involve apartment rentals and international friendships and dating. The scam will involve money at some point but the process of bilking you out of your money is more personal.
These scams put time and effort into developing a “friendship” with you. They know what you are seeking, whether it is someone to rent your apartment or someone to marry. That gives them a chance to exploit your needs. What might these scams involve?
The apartment scheme is where you have listed an apartment or house for rent on the Internet. Someone from an international local responds saying they are looking for a place as they are, or their daughter/son is a student. After finding out the price of rent, they generously send you a full years payment in advance, by cheque of course. Shortly after, they call and say that unfortunately they will not be able to rent the place after all.
They insist you keep the security deposit amount, but ask you to please send back the remaining years worth of money they sent you. They helpfully give you instructions on how to wire it to them immediately. What you find out a few days after is that the cheque they sent you for the full year is bogus. You have just sent them your own hard earned money and have been a party to fraud.
The international friendship and dating scam is just as offensive, if not more personal. With all the social networking sites on the Internet, this scam is gaining in momentum and bilking many a lonely soul out of their money. You start chatting with a wonderful man/woman on your social site. They seem very sincere and likeable. Chances are they have an amazing picture of themselves.
They are good looking. After some time of getting to know them on a personal basis, you receive an email wherein they express a need for money. It may be a desperate situation or health related issue. You feel obligated to help out this “friend”. You would feel like a jerk if you refused. The other scenario is that they want to come and meet you but are lacking the funds or ticket.
This one is used mainly on dating sites or marriage sites. You send them a ticket or money. They don’t show up. Later, you find out the beautiful woman you were falling in love with is really a man named Earl who is forty two and has a long history of fraud. To avoid these scams, you must do the same as you would to avoid business scams:
Never take a cheque from someone promising you work or an advance and deposit it to your account. Their next step will be to request all or a large percentage of the money to be wired to them. Their cheque will bounce shortly after you send real money to them. Never send money to someone you only know from emailing or social sites.
Don’t believe pictures. Anyone can post any picture whether it is of big fancy cars, money or an incredibly good looking person. Seeing is NOT believing on the Internet. Do not accept offers from people you have not met in person. Never give out personal information that could be used for identity theft. The more information you give out to scam artists, the more vulnerable you are to their scam.
Research companies, dating sites, international marriage sites, businesses and scams before signing up. If someone has been scammed, they often will post about it. Social sites and dating sites are target for money scams that become quite personal. These people will establish a “relationship” over emails and through chatting to make themselves appear sincere.