Consumer Fraud Reporting
Get-rich scams
Reporting on the Latest Frauds, Scams, Fake Lotteries, Spams and Hoaxes

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Get Rich Schemes and Fake Review Websites

Some websites are themselves scams; claiming to offer you a good deal, a warning about scam business plans or reviews of other websites and get-rich schemes. The overwhelming majority of the time, Get-Rich-Quick Schemes are shams, actually promoting their own (or others) prices or products, which are terrible and at worst, some are identity thieves! Some use a variety of convoluted businesses to skirt the laws and regulations, as many, if not most Multi-Level Marketing companies do, some are blatant rip-offs.

What Defines a Get Rich Scheme or a Scam WebSite?

We all intuitively know when we are being conned or scammed, but there are some clear warning signs to watch for, that we use to define scam websites:

  1. Hyperbole - The first and most obvious clue to this type of scam is hype. If the website uses exaggerated claims and hype phrases like "earn passive residual income", "for only pennies a day", "now you can get slim in just minutes" or "Get rich now!", "Earn big bucks in minutes per day!" you can bet it is a scam. A simple rule of thumb is if you see multiple dollar signs like "$$$", you can be certain that a scam is at work!

  2. Hidden charges - When they offer something for free, but you have to enter a credit card to pay for "shipping and handling", watch out!  Once they have your credit card number, they can bill anything they want to it. Of course, you can dispute it, but they've prepared for that; the fine print usually says that you have also agreed to try their product or service, and if you don't follow their complicate return rules exactly, then you've bought it.. something you don't need, didn't want and doesn't work, often for hundreds of dollars.

  3. No details - They won't give, up-front, you the slightest clue about HOW you'll make all this money in no time and for almost no effort.  Guess what?  You have to buy their magic book of their secrets or sign up to their program!  Ooh!

  4. Bait-and-Switch: If the website's advertising, or domain name are clearly different from the intent of the website once you get there, it's a scam. 

  5. Misdirection - if you type in a web address, but it redirects to a different web address, that is usually a sign of a scammer.

Get-Rich Scams and Work-From-Home Schemes Unmasked!

See our page that lists the most common get-rich schemes like Isackson and 49GetMoney.com, others

Reporting a Fraudulent Business Proposal

In the United States contact:

U.S. Secret Service
Financial Crimes Division
1800 G Street, NW
Room 942
Washington, DC 20223

Phone: (202) 435–5850

Fax: (202) 435–5031

Or contact the local U.S. Secret Service Field Office.

Overseas,

Contact the Foreign Commercial Service (FSC) at the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. If there is no FCS office, contact the American Citizens Services Unit of the Consular Section or the Regional Security Office.

For other government agencies to report scams, see this page.  And of course, write us! We are always interested in hearing about any potential scams!   

Is is a scam, or just terrible web design?

At first glance you might think this is a legitimate website for a legitimate business.  But compare the images, text and links.  What does this ubiquitous photo of a young college aged blond woman with a backpack have to do with anything related to shipping cargo?  And you've probably seen that photo many times before; it seems to grace many scam websites.

Where is the link to contact information?

Why does a quick search in Google for "basecargo.com scam" turn up 10 results, such as:

Evidently, there had been a scam on that domain; they folded, and now the domain is hosting nothing more than sponsored listings, web-speak for advertisements.

The present website is more a simple waste of time than a scam.

  

Copyright CFR 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009  - Definition of scam, fraud, etc. -  Legal disclaimer / corrections / complaints  -  Privacy Policy
Names used by scammers in the examples on this page and others often belong to real people and businesses who often have no knowledge of nor connection to the scammer's use of their name and information.  Sample scam emails and other documents are copies of the scam to help potential victims recognize and avoid it.  You should presume that any names used and presented here in a scam are either fictitious or used without their legitimate owner's permission.
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