Are You being scammed?

How do you know if you are being scammed? Some scammers are very subtle and you can be tricked before you know it. What the subtle scammer does is to talk to you a few times to find out the best way to make you give away personal information and how to best to put pressure on you. In this case you are much better safe than sorry. If you even suspect someone is being dishonest with you or if something about the person in question or something he or she said makes you feel uncomfortable, break all ties immediately. Likewise if someone you have only spoken to for a few days or weeks wants your phone number, address, or other information through which you can be contacted, break contact. If someone is pressing you to do something, like phoning him or her or disclosing personal information, confront the person right out and say that you don't want to. Then break all ties. This isn't a person you want to talk to, even if he or she seemed nice (or even extraordinately nice) when you first "met". It may not be easy to break all ties with a person that you genuinly thought you liked, but always remember what the consequences can be. You are better safe than sorry in these cases. This is probably the most important piece of advice I can give.

The examples above are just a few of the ways a scammer can try to get to you. There are many more, I am sure. A less subtle scammer could ask for money right out, usually giving some false reason to make you feel sympathetic to him or her. Never send people money like that! If you want to help someone who has cancer, give to a cancer research organisation. If someone needs help to start a new life, send links to good sites about writing job resumés etc. Don't send money even if it is a person you like and has chatted with several times, you just never know who this person really is until you meet him or her face to face. That's the sad truth.