Product Description

Phishing. Spoofing. Spyware. Swoop and squat. Malicious spam. Chain letters. Ponzi schemes. ID theft. The Internet Era has created a whole class of frauds and schemes that separate people from their money. It's also given new life to older cons and scams. This book organizes various rip-offs by type and severity. Then it explains how each type of scam works -- and how an ordinary person can recognize it before getting taken in. Drawing on interviews with law enforcement experts, victims and even crooks, this book gives readers a state-of-the-art primer on financial crimes and the sleazy dealings that fall slightly short of illegal. It also uses real-life case studies of frauds, to show how they start and how they end -- all in a plain-English style that everyone can enjoy. And this book does more than just tell stories; it gives readers questions, checklists, worksheets and other tools to make sure they're not being scammed -- or to take the right actions if they have been.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #191425 in Books
• Published on: 2006-05-30
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 276 pages

About the Author
The Silver Lake Editors have been writing on topics in personal finance, insurance, security and risk management for two decades. Many of their books have been adapted as licensing and continuing education materials for professionals in the insurance, risk management and security fields. From the early 1990s, they started editing shorter books designed for consumers, and this is the 17th title in that series.

Customer Reviews

Identity theft explained and how to prevent it!
This small sized book identifies and explains the identity theft spectrum and how it occurs. It tells how we are taken in by con men and women and how to prevent it. In some cases, we are even shown how to bring to justice these heartless criminals.

A basic primer packed with insights any Internet user should be aware of
Scams & Swindles: How To Recognize And Avoid Internet Era Rip-Offs is a basic primer packed with insights any Internet user should be aware of. From Nigerian schemes and money laundering to phishing, id theft and investment frauds, Scams & Swindles covers method, purpose, and how to avoid becoming a victim. Mortgage fraud, spam and spyware receive insights too all with an eye to Internet dangers.

no technical answer to phishing
The book is a hallmark of our current Internet experiences. The editors go through the various scams circulating on the Web. Like the Nigerian 419. Or the Russian/East European mail order brides. Or the fake prescription drugs. An amazing compendium of the darknet. Some readers may be scared off the net. But more likely, you will gain some protection simply by being aware of the book's advice.

One chapter is devoted to phishing. Where an email purports to be from a bank, and breathlessly urges you to log in to your account, to ascertain some important detail. Or the email might say it is from eBay or Paypal, with similar urgencies. The chapter is instructive for many readers. But please note that the editors do not offer anything in the way of a technical antiphishing solution. Their methods involve manual effort on your part. Alas, there will always be gullible or inexperienced users to fall prey to phishers.