One thing I think we ALL agree on: There are way too many scams out there. Both online and off. Things like:

Email from a "millionaire" who needs help transferring large sums of money" This is one of the most popular scams online today.

How about the "You`ve won the lottery!!" mails? You know that unless you`ve bought a ticket, or registered for the lottery in question, you haven`t really won a thing. Prepare to be scammed!

Oh, and the "Free Credit Report" mails, did you know that they`re usually just someone looking to get your ssn number, or some of them even bill you for using their "free" service later?

Watch out for the E-gold and Paypal scams, where someone sends you a mail telling you that you HAVE to login, or risk losing everything. Both E-gold and Paypal have strict email policies, and neither of them would EVER ask for your login info with an email.

Then there`s "You`ve won a free gift". How many of those do you get per week? All you have to do is pay s&h, right? Well, that means it isn`t really free, doesn`t it? You know what they get when you claim that free gift? Usually your credit card number, or even your email address/phone number which can then be sold on as "leads".

I`ve put together a bunch of links that can hopefully help you with safely marketing online, without getting scammed.

Minimize Credit Card Fraud
www.scambusters.com

Museum of Scams and Frauds (I really love this one)
www.quatloos.com

Great list of online and offline scams
www.crimes-of-persuasion.com

A forum for discussing get paid programs. Good, Bad and Scams
www.isaaf.com

List of scams with a touch of humour
www.worldwidescam.com

What if you`ve already been scammed? Complain! Don`t just leave it. You won`t help yourself, nor others if you just leave it. Even if you don`t get your money back, you`ll be doing your bit to stop these scams and fraudsters, ultimately helping others to avoid them.

Been scammed? File a report!