 1 crooks
 2 AOL security
 3 False Digital Signatures
 4 "marketing experts."
 5 Network Marketing
 6 Get-rich-quick offers, pyramid schemes that promise easy money
 7 paid to surf
 8 urban legends
 9 How to Hoax-Proof Yourself.


\1 crooks

Dear Friend, My name is Matt Gagnon. I am a top authority on business opportunities, an expert in internet/direct marketing and a personal mentor. 

I am so tired of all the bad business opportunities, internet marketing experts, fake marketing groups, mail order gurus and network marketing companies that don't really teach people anything about making money. They teach them to buy their front end products and then order more products. That is about it. 

It really isn't the people's fault though. Some of these business opportunity gurus are experts at writing a convincing sales letters and getting people to fork over their hard earned cash. 

How most gurus operate. The Two Business Opportunity Lies:

#1: The System Lie: Listen, there is no way to make money as you sleep as some system sellers would have you believe. Yes, there are methods that can generate a great deal of cash but the sooner you understand that millions of dollars are not going to fall into your lap for doing nothing the better. Lottery systems for example  please! If I had a way to win the lottery, would I sell it for $29.95? No, I wouldnt. The sad truth is that a billion people, or so, dont get this. That is what keeps the business opportunity world alive. Just read some of my reviews of moneymaking programs if what I am saying doesnt make sense. 

#2: The Guru Lie: Okay, maybe you are hooked up with something that can make you a lot of money like starting a home mail order business or marketing products on the internet, but that doesn't mean you are going to really learn anything or make a dime. Good information and actually learning something are two completely different things. Most books, newsletters, Ezines or tape sets are only going to give you so much information. Most of the goof balls on TV are going to sell you a $59 book (with little in it) and then try and get you to spend $2,000 for their seminar or real business system. Some of the stock market gurus out there charge even more.

It took me about six years, $20,000 and more hours than I care to remember to figure that out. It also led to the greatest undertaking of my entire life. 

My Ten Year Quest: There I was, working at a large well known direct marketing company managing their sales and customer service departments, looking for a real way to make money from home. 

I spent two years coming up with the perfect business model that I coined The D.E.S.K. Principle. Once I put all the ingredients together, I turned it on and 

I WAS TRULY "SHOCKED" AT THE RESULTS!!! The D.E.S.K. Principle turned:

$14 into $345
 $200 into $2,400
 $1045 into $5,630
 $45 into $455
 $99 into $344
 $145 into $999
 $2,400 into $13,454
 $600 into $8,000 

Each month I spent $1,200 on the D.E.S.K. Principle and that made me $15,580 (my favorite time of the month). 

I was sick of all the crap that people were selling. I was making a fortune and I wanted to share this idea with people because there was (is) no competition as long as  million people aren't doing the exact same thing. 

But how to get the information to the people? I thought about books or seminars, but nothing seemed the perfect fit. There are a lot of things that I don't like about the way most supposed "Gurus" teach their marketing methods. Most are just trying to sell tapes or books to get you to come to their seminars. Many don't accept phone calls from students, unless you want to pay $2,000 (or more). 

The Top 10 Things You Should Look For In Any Mentor/Business Opportunity: 1. You need to be able to pick up the phone and get your questions answered by a real person and not just when you are ordering: You need to be able to pick up the phone and talk to a real live person when the program arrives to answer any questions that you might have. That includes the person that created the product. It doesn't mean that you are going to be able to talk someone's ear off for two hours, but at least 10 to 15 minutes are going to be devoted to you (if that is what you need). Anything else is unacceptable. I am the only person offering this on the net for less than $2,000. I hope that shows that I am different right off. 

2. Look for someone that is working at home like you plan to: I have tried the office thing and it just isnt for me. I like staying up late writing, getting up around 9am, making some eggs and then start answering my phone. It works for me, and supplies more than a six figure income working from home. Yes, there are some corporate deals that I miss out on because I dont have a staff of 20 but who cares? If the guru you are thinking of spending your money with hasnt worked at home in 10 years, are they really going to be able to teach you how to start your own home based business? NO WAY!!!

3. Has the person (or company) sold a product besides their book or program? This is one that stumps a lot of people. Most of the internet marketing and Ebook authors out there started a company, sold one product and then decided that they were an expert in internet marketing. Unless they mentor or do consulting outside of their company (as of right now) they are only experts in selling their own product. PERIOD. We have sold a lot more than just our program. Everything from books to $100,000 servers.

4. Make sure that you are getting something real for your $Money$: I have gotten about 100 Ebooks in my internet lifetime and 2 were actually good. Authors that write real books that are of quality have them printed because they are worth it. Authors that slap books together don't. They won't take the time or have the interest because their materials are mediocre. We have never sold an Ebook. Never have, never will.

5. Is the opportunity something that you can start for cheap or are there any hidden charges?: Too many of my competitors sell a nice book for $59 and then try and hit you up for $2,000 to sell a website or something like that. Make sure you understand what you are buying. $2,000 for a site is crazy. 

6. Do you have to have your own product to get started? Some authors leave you high and dry when it comes to product selection. With us you can sell your own products, sell our products or sell someone else's. We teach you all three techniques. 


7. Make sure they have products for sale other than their own: There are some really slimy companies out there that have little, if any, intention of helping you create your own home based business. One of the signs is a company that graciously let you sell their products, but won't help you sell anything else. We go way beyond that. If you have your own product, great. If you want to sell ours, great. If you want to find others, great. We will help you with all three.

8. Can you talk to the Author of the program or the President before you order? That is probably one of the biggest surprises that I hear about my company all the time. People call, ask for me and I talk to them for five minutes before they order. They are truly shocked when I get on the phone. I personally think that it is a joke. Not that people are surprised, but that other companies aren't doing it. How are you going to learn anything from some of these people if you aren't even sure they are real people? Test me out if you think I am kidding.

9. Are real updates included with what you are doing? How many cheesy Ebooks have you bought only to find out that they are trying to get you to sign up for their $39 monthly web site or their $499 tape set? I am not against people having web sites as long as there is new content in there all the time. Otherwise, dont bother. 

10. The Final Approach: People often ask me what else we sell besides our Mentoring Program and I usually say, "Do I need to sell a bunch of stuff?" We do mentoring, lead generating, corporate consulting and review writing about the business opportunity industry. That is it. I dont have a bunch of programs to sell you. I dont need to. Real marketing experts dont need to. Don't you hate it when you go to someone's site and they are selling everything under the sun? Are their ideas really that good if they have to sell all this crap? I don't personally make money selling hosting, five different books, dial up, access to my fake search engine, seminars, boot camps, workshops or any other garbage. 

The Bottom Line: You need more than a book, newsletter or cassette seminar. You need a company that is not only going to teach you the skills (via the above methods), but will also be there for you with new information, updates and answers to your personalized questions whenever you want. Mentoring is the answer. Somebody that is actually going to teach you their business and spend some time showing how to start, how to make money and exactly how to keep the income flow coming once it starts. OUR OFFER: Here is what my staff and I have put together. I can teach you my exclusive D.E.S.K. Principle including how to get started from scratch using less than $100 in most cases. 

All part of a year long mentoring program. 

THE MAZU PUBLISHING MENTORING PROGRAM 405 Page "Million Dollar Manual". 3 Hour Cassette Seminar. 12 Months of Members Only Web Site Access. Associate Program. Access To Hot New Products. Discounts, Steals And Deals. 12 Months Of "Unlimited" Phone, Email And Fax Consulting - with me and my staff. Priority Mail Shipping.

Let me explain each feature that you are receiving. My 405 Page " The Million Dollar Manual". 
 Here is what is included in the book: My Exclusive D.E.S.K. Principle That I Have Used To Create A Six Figure Income Each Year For The Past 3 Years - Ever Since I Turned It On. The entire D.E.S.K. Principle laid out in plain English. No hype, BS or lies- Page 271 10 things you can do to educate people about the D.E.S.K. Principle that can make you a ton of cash- Page 277 The three secret techniques of the K in the D.E.S.K. Principle that have made me huge amounts of money (up to $10,000 a week)- Page 284 Why it doesn't matter if I teach you this or not. We can all make money. There is no competition with the D.E.S.K. Principle - Page 388 The ten things the D.E.S.K. Principle doesn't need when you start that you think you might- Page 52 My exclusive "Get rid of goals" exercise that will not only get you on the D.E.S.K. Principle faster but goes against everything those self help phonies have told you.- Pages 26-27 The secret motivation of the TV gurus. It ain't D.E.S.K.- Page 3 Exactly how to start cheap so you don't spend a penny you don't have to- Page 69 The 5 things you can buy (cheap) to get the D.E.S.K. Principle going ten times faster - Pages 45-51. How the D.E.S.K. Principle can double or triple the amount of hits your site is currently getting- Page 273 8 things that can kill the E in D.E.S.K. Principle faster than you can imagine- Page 276 The magic part of S that can make you $100,000 (or more) a year with just a few days work- Page 281 Why I only use the D.E.S.K. Principle in all my business practices- Page 285 Exactly what to do the first day my course shows up- Page 175 The five minute easy technique I used to go from $2,000 a week to $6,000- Page 392 What perfect $500 D.E.S.K. Principle book you can read for free if you haven't- Page 91 The three types of products you can apply D.E.S.K. to, where to get them and exactly how to start making thousands each week- Page 77 My favorite place to use the D.E.S.K. Principle that makes me an easy $20,000 a month (there is room for you too. Guaranteed)- Page 285 The technique you can use (involving strangers) and the D.E.S.K. Principle to make thousands. I do it all the time- Page 221 Easy ways to work The D.E.S.K. Principle that even your Grandmother could do (it is that easy)- Page 182 How to apply D.E.S.K. to your hobbies and make $900,000 this year. It's been done many times- Page 79 But I include more, a lot more. Direct Marketing The "three part" product breakdown that everybody misses. Not only save cash but increase your profit 50% to 100%- Page 153 My seven rules of direct marketing that make me big money - Page 56 How to guarantee the success of any mailing that you put together. - Page 196 Not sure whether or not you need a mail house? Here is how to tell in an instant- Page 218 Hottest day of the week to mail letters. Don't mail on any other day- Page 226 How to turn $100 into $256,000 just by mailing letters- Page 219 The secret technique of "black hole marketing"- Page 165 The three parts of killer classified ads that will have people begging to buy your product- Page 178 Copycatting for huge profits each month- Page 182 The four secrets to advertising that most people overlook- Page 159 How backward marketing and reverse marketing can increase your profits 100%- Page 161 A display ad formula that makes otherwise losing display ads pay off big time- Page 192 The partnership dilemmas that most people never think about. Save yourself hours of heartache and cash- Page 381 My secret ingredient for lists that earns me $2 for every single envelope that I mail out (not what you think and not some cheesy envelope stuffing scheme)- Pages 196-203 My special 15 pt quiz that you must run any offer through before you pay one cent- Page 151 The four parts of a mailing that can increase your cash flow 100% to 200%- Page 197 A no BS way to mail all your letters for $.245 a piece- Page 217 The way I make an extra $50 every time someone orders a product from me- Page 200 A special address you can put on your letters so five times as many will be opened- Page 198 A special classified ad creator that creates ads so hot that people will be begging to send you money- Page 181 20 ways you can get started if you are dead broke and need cash fast- Page 118 Plus All My Internet Secrets My ten favorite online places to advertise- Page 185 9 reasons why selling an Ebook will cost you a fortune- Page 133 Do you need a computer to make money? Read this page to find the answer- Page 245 Why "cyber-squatting" is a waste of time!- Page 248 Is bulk email the big evil that everybody wants you to believe? The answer may surprise you.- Page 247 My top 25 internet news sites. Never buy another newspaper or watch depressing TV news again- Pages 252-53

The eight mistakes that people make when creating their web site. Save yourself thousands- Pages 255-60 How to get a nice web site made for about $50- Pages 262-63 Two relatively unknown ways to get into Yahoo- Page 305 The $200 secured server mistake- Page 270 How not to get ripped off in the entire copyright thing. Quit overpaying- Page 265 The best sites for keeping current. Never buy an online magazine again- Pages 251-53 Complete review of the search engines and how to get listed fast- Page 305 Secret software that will automatically direct more traffic to your site and how to get it cheap- Page 399 Thinking about doorway pages? Don't until you read this section- Page 399 The big online sales mistakes that people make with their offers. You won't after reading this- Page 285 Exact site that will tell you what people are typing into the net for free. This alone has made me over $378,000- Page 319 Why 89% of people are wrong about links- Page 326 A little talked about way I turn $.01 into $85 every single day. -Page 319 Two more places I turn $.01 into $85 to $155 -Page 321 Yes this is a real 405 page book. Not an "E-Book".
 My 3 Hour Internet Marketing Cassette Seminar On 3 High Quality Cassettes. I got out a mike and 3 hour long tapes and just started spilling my guts about everything from basic web page design to associate programs and advanced search engine marketing. Hundreds of gems in the 3 hours. I talked so much making them; I lost my voice for the entire week after. 

Affiliate Programs, Autoresponders, Banner Ads, Bulk email, Classified Ads, E-books, E-zines, Free Resources, Graphics, Information Based Products, Joint Ventures, Mailing lists, Newsgroups, Product Creation, Research, Search Engine Secrets, Shopping Carts, Software, Web Servers, Web Site Design. Yes, these are real tapes. Not something that you download. Similar sets are priced at $129. I've included them for no charge with your membership.

12 Months Of Members Only Web Site Access Heres where youll find updates to the D.E.S.K. Principle, software, tips and tricks, links to other successful sites, what students are doing and so much more. A site you will want to check out at least once a week. Some sites are charging $49 to $400 for lifetime access. Some are even charging $29 a month, but not us.

Our Exclusive Hallway Maker Program We get a lot of traffic from the search engines and the trick is getting your pages seen. One thing we use to do this is Hallway Pages. Hallway Pages are pages that have nothing but links on them. This "exclusive" software that we created crawls any web pages that you have and will make a link list and a web page on the internet. Just put a link on your main site and sit back. Runs on your server.

The Worlds Best Associate Program Everybody claims to have a great Associate Program, but few really do. Some of the characters on TV even charge $1,000 to sell products for them. Not us! Commissions, contests, and so much more. Complete online tracking of your stats (updated by the minute) and the ability to point your advertising at multiple sites. Totally unheard of. 
 Access To New Hot Products You will get the only chance to mrrket any new products that we come out with plus members can offer products for resale to the rest of the group. Talk about a great way to get your first few hundred distributors. 
 Discounts, Steals And Deals Our members are important and we have arranged discounts on everything from domain names to hosting. We don't make a dime off our members getting domain names at only $8.99 each. How come none of the other supposed "Gurus" do this? Because they don't care. 
 12 Months Of "Unlimited" Phone, Email And Fax Consulting With the Staff Of Mazu Publishing. That Even Includes Me, Matt Gagnon (where else are you going to find that). . . You will have 12 full months in which to call my staff and me as often as you like. I will spend as much time with you as needed to ensure that you are going to be successful. Any questions about our materials or what you are working on. I will even critique your web site or sales letter. 

I have charged (and gotten) as much as $1,000 per hour for internet consulting so giving you unlimited consulting for an entire year is pretty incredible. I challenge you to find another guru out there doing this. My staff and I are available 50+ hours a week to help you with anything that you need. 

Priority Mail Shipping All orders within the U.S. are shipped Priority Mail as a standard. Canadian orders are shipped Global Priority and most international orders are sent Air Mail. I could have your products shipped by book class or by some method that is even slower but NO WAY. I'll let the people on TV do that.

Don't take my word for it. Hear what others have to say about me and our mentoring... When I ordered I was thinking, "I hope this is the last package that I order!" I was more than surprised when it showed up. Not only was it the most direct and best internet marketing info I had ever seen but I had a question, picked up the phone and the next thing I knew I was talking to Matt. I was shocked to say the least. He spent 10 minutes with me explaining how one of his search engine strategies worked. He earned a customer for life. Now I make six figures a year marketing products and services! 

-Jeff Kinseth 

I recently purchased your manual after reading about you on-line. I was so pleasantly surprised with how jam-packed with info it was. I am so glad that I don't have to waste any more time or money on other money making programs! Everything I need to know is right in your course, as you promised it would be! For the first time, making money is really within my reach. Your easy to follow course has helped me get through the difficult beginning steps. I will finally be my own boss and look forward to reaping all of the benefits of working hard toward my own future! Thank you for your support and for motivating me to finally do something that has been in me for so long!

Sincerely, Ashleigh Caldwell 

I would like to say thank you. Your book has changed my life for the best. I had most likely bought every single money making course out there and nothing worked, they all seemed to be scams. I passed by your site last March and bought your program and read everything I got, cover to cover as fast as I could. I then realized what I could do for my self and got to work. I have been playing guitar forever and had a dream to work in that field for my entire life, and wanted to get out of the daily grind of being an auto mechanic. I now run my own business on the Internet. I love it, I couldn't ask for more. If it wasn't for your program I would still be buying courses and working for someone and not for myself. Your course was all that you said. I'm in control of what I do day to day now, and have more time to do the things that mean the world to me, so I just want to say thank you.

Sincerely Rick Napolitano 
  I just wanted to take the time to thank you for your course. I used it to earn $1,600 my first month......Even more amazing was the fact that my "day job" had me out of town 4 to 5 days a week. I couldn't have done this without your information. Thanks for everything. 

Sincerely, Reginald Ike 
 Dear Matt, I came across your site while looking up information on one of the "TV Guru's" seen on late night TV. Fortunately for me, your site exposed the truth behind this scam artist, and as a result, I saved myself $4,500! Upon further review of your site, I was amazed that you were willing to expose your exact strategies for making money. This was refreshing! After applying the strategies in your course I quickly raised my income to $2,000+ a Month, and I'm just getting started! I spent 4 years studying business in College, yet I learned more about marketing from studying your course (for a lot less money!) My long-term goal is to become financially independent, while working from home. Thank you Matt for turning this into a short-term goal! -Joe Barrett 

Click here: 1998 NBA All-Star Weekend: All-Star 98 Interview with Saul Holcman and Muggsy Bogues Although I missed the three pointer that what have netted a cool million with one swish, Matt (aka MAZU) will assist me to making a million dollars off the hard floor. His products are a slam dunk. I couldn't believe what value I got for the money. What especially impressed me was how much effort and careful detail is included. I am looking forward to learning a great deal from Matt in the future. We both have love for basketball, our children, making money honestly, and he even answers the phone himself! -Saul Holcman 

Matt Gagnon has an uncanny knack for making money on and off the web. Matt gave me a few amazing ideas that have made me thousands and thousands of dollars. I hihhly recommend both his products and his personal mentoring. Marlon Sanders Author of The "Amazing Formula"

Membership has it's privileges (Hmmm... I heard this somewhere once). What could I charge for a program like this? As you can see, most of you would easily pay $300 - $400 for any two or in some cases just one of the benefits that you are going to be receiving now and for the next 12 months. About a year ago, I charged $695 for a mentoring program that didnt have the phone consulting. Everything was by email and only for 90 days. I didnt have any problem selling a lot of them but I understand that things are tight out there, so here is what I am going to do. You wont pay $695, $595 or $495. 

If you order now, youll only pay $199 (plus s/h). That is like paying $199 for unlimited consulting (which is a great deal) and getting all the other features for free. Incredible. 

Now that I have shown you our incredible offer, what to look for and why we are the perfect match, check out our guarantee. GUARANTEE

I am so confident that you will love your membership (and all the stuff that we send you) I will back everything up with a full 12-month money back guarantee. Order our package. If implementing the D.E.S.K. Principle doesnt make you $200 the first time you do it, Ill give you an RMA number to send your package back. Youll get a refund (minus s/h) just a few days later. 

TALK ABOUT A RISK-FREE WAY TO WEALTH !!!  All I ask is that you not be shocked at the amount of info that we send you. The book alone is over 400 pages. Extra Bonuses For Acting Now: Guaranteed If You Order In The Next 72 Hours. Extremely limited quantities! Ill even throw in 2 extra bonuses if you order within the next 72 hours. 

12 Issues Of My Private Newsletter Delivered To Your Email Box. Having a Members Site is great, but what about new articles and content that I create? Things do change in my industry like any other. Ill deliver a fresh 15-page newsletter to your email box every month if you decide to get a copy of my program right now. More info than most $299 internet newsletters contain. I guarantee that you will be frothing at the mouth for the next issue.

CD3000 With Full Reprint Rights. I have compiled every single hot money making report that I have ever run across in my ten years of research. They include everything from one-page money making reports to entire books on marketing. Five different companies are selling CD's like these for between $65 and $99. The funny part is all but one contain less than 1,200 reports. Mine has over 3,000 reports (7,500+ pages) and is just another membership bonus. 

DON'T WAIT: I will not be offering all I am for such a low price again. You can't afford to wait and not work one on one with me to build your business. Mentoring is the key to any successful venture, especially the Internet.

I don't want you to be kicking yourself in a few months because you didn't do something real to change where you are right now.

I KNOW IT SOUNDS FUNNY BUT: Have you ever been driving home on the freeway and seen those signs over neighborhoods and apartments that say, "You could be home right now". That is how I feel about this package. You could have my package right now and be just a few weeks away from making some real money. Remember, I can't help everybody and this offer will not last forever. . 

There are over 100 million people on the net and another 180 million offline just in the U.S. alone. At least 25% are interested in making money at home. That means I have a market of 70,000,000 people. I can only work one on one with a few thousand people a year. 

You can make money or you can make excuses, but you can't make both. Don't be part of the millions that my information never reaches. 
 I now live my dream. Let me help you live yours. Sincerely, Matt Gagnon President/Founder Mazu Publishing's Mentoring Program matt@mazu.com

503-645-5880 Ext. 202. Call or email me personally if you have any questions. 

Order the Mazu Publishing Mentoring Program now!  Name:  E-mail address  Phone Number  Street Address  City  State/Province  Country  Zip or Postal Code  If you wish to pay by check and live in the U.S., click here. Flex pay and international orders must be paid by credit card. 

P.S. Only $199 (plus shipping) for my 400 page book, 3 hour audio seminar, the ability to call me when you want and so much more. People have paid more than $1,000 just to talk to me for an hour. It is like paying $199 to talk to me all year long and getting all the other bonuses for free. 

P.P.S. Remember you are guaranteed to get my newsletter and CD3000 for no additional charge if you order within the next 72 hours. That is a $299 value just for jumping on board now. 

****(First Month: $69.99 plus shipping and handling, then just two more payments of $69.99)


\2 AOL security

Subj: Your Aol Account is in Danger! Important Read! Date: 4/22/01 10:04:38 AM Central Daylight Time From: Wdjjr200 To: Orcim69

Dear Aol Member it seems that Aol has lost your Aol Billing information as a result of expired Credit Card Number or Stolen Account information as a result of that you have to enter the AOL Billing Site here and fill in the required information (with your new billing information) in order to keep your Aol Account alive you have 24 hours to enter Aol Billing Site and fill out the required information 'correctly' or your account will have to be erased from Aol.

Thank You, AOL Billing Dept. 

- RESOLUTION Subj: Account Security Date: 4/22/01 From: Dexter1335 To: HSavage313, Paige7299, Orcim69

Dear HUGH SAVAGE,

Thank you for calling today to discuss your concerns regarding the security of your account. The security of your AOL account is VERY IMPORTANT. As promised, I have sent you this information to help you control the security of your account. It is VERY IMPORTANT that you read each of the following areas and follow all of the instructions to maximize the security of your account:

1. How do I keep my password safe? 2. How do I check for viruses and trojan horse programs? 3. How do I change my password? 4. How can I tell if my account is safe? 5. Where can I get more information?

Together, we can ensure that AOL is a fun and enjoyable place for all members. 

Sincerely, dexter America Online, Inc.

                    1. HOW DO I KEEP MY PASSWORD SAFE? Keep your password a secret. Never release your password online or give it out to friends. Change it frequently (we recommend changing it monthly). Don't create passwords that are easy to guess. The best passwords are at least 6 characters long and contain a combination of numbers and letters. Remember, AOL will NEVER ask for your password. 

Don't download file attachments if you are unsure of the source. E-mail file attachments can contain hidden password solicitation or password stealing programs called trojan horse programs. If you don't know who sent the e-mail with an attachment OR you are not expecting the e-mail attachment OR you are unsure who created the attachment, DO NOT DOWNLOAD THE ATTACHMENT. Remember, AOL will NEVER send you an e-mail with an attached file.

Be VERY careful when clicking on hyperlinks in Instant Messages or E-mail. Hyperlinks are the blue underlined (usually) words in a message that lead to a web page. These web pages can ask you for personal information or initiate the download of a file to your computer. In AOL version 4.0 and higher you can hover your mouse pointer over the hyperlink to see the destination of the link. If the hyperlink leads to a place in AOL the destination will read "On AOL only". Do NOT click on hyperlinks or ANY hyperlinks in e-mail you receive from strangers.

Protect your computer with anti-virus software. There are many software companies that have created anti-virus software packages that can keep your computer safe from most viruses and trojan horse programs. 

2. HOW DO I CHECK FOR VIRUSES AND TROJAN HORSE PROGRAMS? As stated above, trojan horse pgms are designed to soli- cit personal info or steal passwords. They are sometimes distributed as files attached to e-mail and are usually presented to look like something fun or attractive.

You will need to complete the following 4 steps: a. Download the VirusScan installation software. b. Find and run the VirusScan installation software. c. Run the VirusScan software. d. Change your America Online password.

a. Download the VirusScan installation software 1. Sign on to America Online and go to keyword: Computer Protection. 2. Click the Anti-Virus Center button, then click on
 Download the VirusScan free demo right now.
 This will bring you to the Tools and Solutions window. 3. Click on DEMO VERSION. (You can also download the full version) 4. Select VirusScan v4.03. 5. Click on the "Download Now" button - then click on SAVE. 6. After the file has finished downloading click on OK. 7. Exit America Online. (This will automatically unzip the file just downloaded)

b. Find and run the VirusScan installation software

 1. From the Windows Desktop click on START.
 2. Select FIND. Select FILES OR FOLDERS.
 3. In the NAMED: box, type 3V98 
 4. In the LOOK IN box, select (C:) (or the drive AOL is installed on) from the list.
 5. Make sure there is a check mark in the INCLUDE SUBFOLDERS check box.
 6. Click FIND NOW.
 7. This will find a folder and a pgm called 3V98i403.
 8. Double-click on the folder called 3V98i403.
 9. Double click on SETUP.EXE. (This will automatically install the VirusScan software) 10. Follow the on-screen prompts. c. Run the VirusScan software.

1. From the Windows Desktop double-click on the "McAfee VirusScan" icon. 2. Select SCAN from the VirusScan console. 3. When the scan is finished click the X in the top right corner of the console.

d. Change your America Online password

1. See 3. HOW DO I CHANGE MY PASSWORD (below for details).

You should regularly return to the Computer Protection area to download and install McAfee's latest Free Driver Update. As new Trojan Horses are developed, new detection mechanisms are added to the anti-virus software. Downloading the Free Driver Update file makes these improvements available to the McAfee software you have installed on your computer.

To install the Free Driver Update:

 1. Sign on to America Online and go to keyword: Computer Protection.
 2. Click the icon for Anti-Virus Center
 3. Click on the Download link in "Download the VirusScan free demo right now."
 4. Click on FREE DRIVER UPDATE.
 5. Click on the "Download Now" button - then click on SAVE.
 6. After the file has finished downloading click on OK. 
 7. Exit America Online.
 8. From the Windows Desktop click on START.
 9. Select FIND. Select FILES OR FOLDERS.
 10 . In the NAMED: box, type EXTRA.DAT 
 11. In the LOOK IN box, select (C:) (or the drive AOL is installed on) 
 from the list.
 12. Make sure there is a check mark in the INCLUDE SUBFOLDERS 
 check box.
 13. Click FIND NOW.
 14. This will find the file called EXTRA.DAT.
 15. Right-click on the EXTRA.DAT file and select COPY from the popup menu.
 16. Close the Find: window.
 17. From the Windows Desktop click on START.
 18. Select PROGRAMS. Select WINDOWS EXPLORER.
 19. In the left-hand (All Folders) column click on the "+" 
 before the Program Files folder.
 20. Click on the "+" before the Network Associates folder.
 21. Double-click the McAfee VirusScan Folder.
 22. Right-click the McAfee VirusScan Folder - Select PASTE.
 23. Close WINDOWS EXPLORER.
 24. Run the McAfee VirusScan software.

If you need further assistance with the McAfee software, you can contact their website (Network Associates, Inc.) or call McAfee technical support department at 1-801-492-2700.

3. HOW DO I CHANGE MY PASSWORD?

Selecting a Password Before you change your password, let's discuss what makes a good password. A good password is one that is not easily guessed. Here are some guidelines on how to keep the password from being easily guessed.

1. Don't use your name, your screen name or any personal information (This includes any names, words, or numbers associated with you or included in your profile). 2. The password should be a combination of letters AND numbers (It should definitely NOT be just a word, just a name, or just numbers). 3. The password should be 6 to 8 characters in length.

Changing a Password To change a screen name's password, you must be signed on to the screen name. Once online:
 1. Go to Keyword: password.
 2. Click the CHANGE PASSWORD button.
 3. Enter your current password in the box labeled "old password." (If you were issued a temporary password over the phone, that's the one you will use.)
 4. Enter your new password in the two boxes labeled "new password." 
 5. Click the CHANGE PASSWORD button and you're finished!

Repeat this process with each screen name on your account. Each screen name should have it's own unique password.

Storing/Unstoring a Password America Online offers a feature called "stored passwords" which enables you to sign on without entering your password every time. However, we recommend that you do not utilize this feature if anyone else has access to your computer or if the computer can leave your presence (Rental return, temporary loan, or while computer is being repaired).
 1. Go to Keyword Preferences.
 2. Click on PASSWORDS
 3. To Unstore - Remove the stars next to your screen name. To Store - Type your new password next to your screen name
 4. Click on OK

4. HOW CAN I TELL IF MY ACCOUNT IS SAFE?

If you suspect someone has gained unauthorized access to your AOL account, there are several measures you can take to be sure it is now secure. You'll also want to be sure that your personal information has not been altered. Here are some tips we think you'll find useful that will help you take charge of your account.

Check the screen names on your account While signed on to a master screen name, go to Keyword: Names. There you will see the current list of screen names. If you see a screen name you do not recognize, select Delete a Screen Name "delete. If you are missing a screen name that you formerly had on your account, you can restore it by selecting "Restore a Screen Name" from the main Screen Names menu.

Check each screen name's profile to see if it has been altered. To read the profiles on your account type "Ctrl-G," then enter the appropriate screen name into the pop-up box. If a profile has been altered, sign on to that screen name, go to Keyword: Profile, click on "My Profile," and make all the necessary changes. Be sure to check all the screen names on your account.

Check the detailed bill for unauthorized access The detail bill that can be viewed at Keyword: Billing displays every time the account was accessed, with date, time (EST), screen name, signed on minutes, and charges incurred. Communication surcharges could be incurred if your account was used to access AOL through one of AOL's 800 numbers or International access numbers. If you have questions about your detailed bill, you can talk with a billing consultant online in the Billing Help Interactive area, available at Keyword Billing. NOTE: Even if someone gains unauthorized access to your account, your specific payment method is not viewable. 

Check "Mail Sent" under each screen name on your account Click "Mail Center" on your toolbar and select "Mail Sent." Look for mail that you don't remember sending, particularly mail to screen names you do not recognize. If possible "unsend" the mail. If unfamiliar mail was sent from your screen name, you may want to delete the screen name and create a new one. This will ensure you do not receive unwanted responses. If you do not wish to delete the screen name, you can block unwanted mail using the features available at Keyword: Mail Controls.

5. WHERE CAN I GET MORE INFORMATION?

Remember, taking a few minutes to check the security of your computer and AOL account now can save you time and inconvenience later. Please take the time to visit these other online areas, which will give you the tools and tips you need to ensure a safe and fun online experience for you and your family:

AOL Member Services: Contains everything you need to familiarize yourself with our online service.

AOL Neighborhood Watch: Learn all about account security with AOL's Neighborhood Watch Program

AOL Parental Controls: Allows parents to designate different levels of access for each child.Create/Delete Screen Names : Delete unfamiliar screen names or create additional names for your family members. 

Password Protection Tips: Reset your password on a monthly basis making it an alphanumeric combination.
 AOL Billing Center :  Keep track of all charges to your account, 
    
 and report any suspicious usage or changes.
 Mail Controls :  
 Learn how to block unsolicited, unwanted, and "junk" email. 
 Notify AOL :   
 Know how and when to immediately Notify 
    
 AOL about online violations.
 AOL Telephone Support : Gives you a list of current, AOL Customer 
    
 Service phone numbers. 

Please print and/or save this e-mail for future reference To print this letter just click on PRINT icon in the tool bar. To save this letter as a Favorite Place just click on the "red heart" favorite icon in the upper right hand corner of this e-mail then click on "Save to Favorites". 


\3 False Digital Signatures

By JOHN MARKOFF Mar 23 2001 SFO, The MS Corp warned PC users today that someone posing electronically as a company exec had fooled VeriSign Inc, a provider of digital signatures, into issuing fraudulent electronic certs in MS's name.

The false docs could potentially be used by sw virus writers or other vandals trying to trick unsuspecting users into running hostile pgms on their computers.

Digital certs are issued by VeriSign, as well as other companies, to prove identity in a digital era where commerce is increasingly transacted anonymously over PC networks. They are intended to ensure computer users that Web sites and software are what they appear to be. 

The flawed digital certs in the MS case are used only for checking the authenticity of the name of the developer of a sw pgm. The pgms can be delivered as e-mail attachments er be received on visits to Web pages. Similar certs, however, issued by companies like VeriSign are also used in creating secure Internet transactions with commercial Web sites, sending secure and authentic e-mail and in related appns.

Officials of VeriSign, which is based in Mountain View, Calif., took responsibility for issuing two fraudulent digital certs on Jan 30 and 31 via an automatic Inet- based system. The company said today that this was the first time that it had detected such a fraud attempt among the more than 500,000 certs that it has dist.

"To be forthcoming, this was a failure of the human part of our verification process," said Mahi Desilva, vice president and general manager for applied trust services at VeriSign. He said that the company discovered the fraud at a later point in its verification process and then notified both Microsoft and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which has since started an investigation.

In a 12-page security bulletin on its Web site, Microsoft urged customers to be on the alert for programs that displayed a security warning on the user's screen asking if they wanted to install and run a particular program distributed by Microsoft and verified by VeriSign. The company said that users should look for programs that had digital signatures that were dated Jan. 29 and 30, because no bona fide Microsoft certificates were issued on those dates.

Based on a digital time-stamping process used to complete the certification, Mr. Desilva said the company did not believe that the false certificates had been used, but he added that VeriSign could not be certain of that because of a particular procedure that allowed the certificates to be employed in a test mode. 

Data on the VeriSign Web site show that one of the certificates was revoked on March 9 and the second one was revoked on March 12. The company said the delay came from waiting for Microsoft to respond to a second step in the verification process.

Security experts said today that the incident highlights the tricky nature of ensuring trust on the Internet.

"Digital identity theft is the crime of the decade," said Mark Seiden, a fellow at Securify, a computer security consulting firm in Palo Alto, Calif.

"Here's a case where Microsoft trusted VeriSign," he said. "These trust issues are slippery because you, the consumer, don't realize when you're trusting Microsoft you're actually trusting VeriSign's certification procedures." 

Both companies stressed that they had no evidence that the illicit certifications had been used to date. They cautioned, however, that they had a limited ability to be certain of that.

Indeed, an automatic procedure for revoking digital certificates that has been added to certain versions of Microsoft's software has been turned off by the company because of compatibility issues that are currently not resolved, officials at both companies said. 

Microsoft executives said the company was working on a security patch that would detect the illicit certificates, but that it would not issue it until next week or the week after because it was still being tested.

A Microsoft security official said the company had decided to publicize the potential threat to allow computer users to be vigilant for an attack.

"One of the reasons we went public was to reduce the value of these certificates," said Steve Lipner, manager of the MS Security Response Center in Redmond, WA


\4 

It had to happen, with the rise of popularity of the internet, there were bound to be people claiming to be "internet marketing experts." 

Most of these people are just direct marketing experts that are smelling new profits for students online. The big problem with most of them is the fact that they tell you how to market your product. What if you don't have a product? What if you don't know how to get started? Most of them already assume that you have a business. 
  The few "gurus" that will help you (even though you don't have a business) will usually have you market from a list of really tired products that nobody is going to make any money from anyway. 

This is an old trick that Don Lapre and Brad Richdale use. They give you a list of "HOT PRODUCTS" but none of them are really hot anymore and some were never hot. Most of them have been sold for ten years and are tired (from a direct marketing standpoint.) 

Another problem with most of the internet marketing experts is the fact that most of them really don't understand internet marketing. 

They are just using the internet as a way to draw you in and buy the product that they are selling. They, in fact, are really selling direct marketing. Most often it is a piece of software or a newsletter that they want to sell you advertising in. 

My favorite part of internet marketing (online marketing) is the low cost and the responsiveness of the buyers. Remember that most everybody has spent over $800 on a computer, which means the average income of your buyers is much higher than the same offline sources. 

Most have credit cards and many have incomes over $50,000 per year. 

A direct marketing guru that I used to follow said that the internet is only for porn freaks and a bunch of kids clicking around. Although I respect this guy a lot, he is wrong, dead wrong. 

That is just not the case. I make thousands each month and I don't market to kids or perverts. 

My advice on Internet marketing (online marketing) is simple: It can be the pot of gold that everybody claims it is but you are going to have to learn from someone that really understands marketing and what the heck is going on (marketing wise.)

Matt Gagnon Mazu Publishing. Matt Gagnon is America's #1 Auth on Bus Opportunities, An Expert in Internet/Direct Marketing and Mentor. www.mazu.net | www.infogurus.com | www.stopscams.com |www.millionsfromhome.com

----------------------------------- Internet Trading By Leslie Wright Whatever business you operate or wherever your company is, the Internet can help you meet your clients easily and comfortably. (At least, so long as your phone lines work and you can get connected to your service provider in less than fourteen attempts.) Internet trading - also referred to as Electronic Commerce (e-commerce) - is increasing in popularity in Thailand. The arrival of this new technology has changed the face of trading. 

Competition in the e-commerce business is getting more serious day by day and has become an increasingly important factor in all bus activities. Ever-increasing access to advanced technology has even given small investors the opportunity to play the stock markets on the Internet. 

This is in fact fast becoming a growth area of the global financial services industry, and already widely used in the United States and Europe. If you are investing in the Thai stock market, you may already know that securities trading through the Internet is available - though it is not widely in use, as the decision to buy stocks must take many factors into account, particularly the risk factor. Carefully screening the securities companies with whom you deal is important too. 

How it works Securities trading through the Internet can be categorised into two types. The first is direct on-line securities trading outside the stock exchange. This type is called the Electronic Communication Networks (ECNs). Buyers and sellers can send orders to each other through a computer network. With the second type, trading is carried out either directly on the stock market through the stock market or - more popularly - via a broker.

What comes to the mind of a prospective investor, in either case, are the regulations. Here in Thailand regulation of on-line securities trading has been strictly implemented by authorised agencies such as the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET). This is to try to prevent potential damage from Internet trading.

The rules If you want to make on-line transactions, knowledge of SET rules is a must. Investors should be aware of four important points: 1. On-line securities trading may be done only through licensed, registered brokers. 

Your local broker can help you with your trading application. As soon as your request is approved, you will receive a Username and password to send orders through the Internet. 2. Volume of orders, buying and selling prices must be clearly identified. 3. On-line securities trading can be carried out only on a cash basis. Investors have to open an Internet account and brokers will control the amount of money for trading. 4. Investors must provide enough cash as guarantee before sending buying orders, and can buy stocks not exceeding their account credit balance. 

To sell a security, investors must complete the securities transfers and send this to their broker. They can sell only their stock balance - (i.e., they cannot speculate with short selling.) To have a clear picture one must be aware of the advantages and disadvantages of on-line securities trading. 

The first advantage is convenience: it saves time and enhances the channel of stock trading. Second, it makes it easy to access both foreign and local markets. Additionally, investors are able to use other complementary services in the website provided by brokers - such as investment analysis, for example. 

The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) is also taking necessary steps to develop its trading system to meet international standards. On the downside, investors have to take full risk for sending buy and sell orders. Second, because of the full cash guarantee required, investors may also lose the opportunity to use this money for gaining a return from other investments. One major concern following widespread on-line stock trading is illegal stock trading, stock manipulation, and the use of inside information for unfair trade. 

The regulatory authorities need to find ways to prevent this misconduct. Investors should therefore be very careful in making their investments, while brokers need to have high standards, strict ethics and be morally strong to perform their duties properly. Securities trading through the Internet will inevitably increase in popularity due to the convenience and cost-efficiency. Investors are able to trade stocks from their living room rather than going to the trading room. 

Many brokers are preparing to launch this service to maintain their client base amid tough competition in the brokerage industry. Currently, a total of six brokerage firms* have obtained approval from the SET to operate on-line securities trading service. Philip Securities (Thailand) is the first Thai securities firm providing on-line service. Investors can visit their website at <www.poems.co.th>. 

The other five companies are Capital Nomura Securities <www.cns.co.th>, Semico Securities <www.semico.com>, Kimeng Securities <www.kimeng.co.th>, National Securities <www.natsec.co.th>, and ABN Amro Asia Securities <www.ast.co.th>. Additionally, Yuanta Securities (Thailand) in collaboration with Internet provider KSC recently launched an Intranet trading service called Yuanta Profit Program to serve investors. To enter this program, investors must register to be a member of Internet KSC, pay the monthly fee, as well as be clients of Yuanta Securities. Clients can then trade securities without a cash guarantee. Under this program, the system requires clients to connect to Internet KSC centre for making transactions.

 If you are interested in direct securities trading through the Internet or the Intranet, try checking out the websites of brokers mentioned* above. They may help you reach a decision - but look before you leap. *The firms listed are for information purposes only, and should not be taken as support or endorsement for any one of them, either singly or collectively. Investors should be aware of the risks involved and remember that the value of securities held may go down as well as up. 

Leslie Wright is Managing Director of Westminster Portfolio Services (Thailand) Ltd., a firm of independent financial advisors providing advice to expatriate residents of the Eastern Seaboard on personal financial planning and international investments. 

If you have any comments or queries on this article, or about other topics concerning investment matters, contact Leslie directly by fax on (038) 232522 or e-mail westport@loxinfo.co.th. Further details and back articles can be accessed on his firms website on www.westminsterthailand.com. Editors note: Leslie sometimes receives e-mails to which he is unable to respond due to the senders automatic return address being incorrect. If you have sent him an e-mail to which you have not received a reply, this may be why. To ensure his prompt response to your enquiry, please include your complete return e-mail address, or a contact phone/fax number. 


\5 Network Marketing

I am sure that most of you are familiar with network marketing (also called multi level marketing and MLM.) Probably half or more of the money making opportunities out there are network marketing opportunities.

I love network marketing (in theory).

People can start with a small investment (less than $1,000) and have the potential of making $1,000 a week or more being distributors for a company that makes products that they really like. It's also a great way for the network marketing company to get their products out into the market place. The network marketing company doesn't have to spend $1,000,000 on advertising. They can recruit a network of paid distributors to do the marketing for them. The distributors are happy to do this because they love the products and they are being paid commissions on more than one level (hence the term multi level marketing.) 

Then reality sets in... You spend $199 to get signed up and you start bugging your friends about joining your new network marketing company. Most of your friends are sick of network marketing (since you hit them with your last MLM opportunity) and your end up losing your friends and family over a vitamin that you think is working but you really aren't sure. You are living off the hype of the multi-level pay plan as opposed to really looking at what you are doing. 

Here is what is wrong with network marketing (multi level marketing, MLM.)

1.More than 99% of the "network marketing gurus" out there don't know anything about direct marketing. I mean, think about it, break down the work network marketing.  You are selling something (marketing) through a group of people that you have a relationship with (your network.) Is this really the best way to recruit (or sell things for that matter?) 

It is the worst. You are not going to find any "super salesman" with a group of your friends or family. 

IF you are going to make any money in network marketing (which is doubtful), you had better plan on becoming an expert direct marketer because that is what it is going to take to succeed.

2.Most of the products are overpriced. I am not saying every single one but most of the products that are sold through network marketing (multi level marketing, MLM) are way overpriced. 

Most of the network marketing companies would have you believe that this is not the case. Their vitamin is cold pressed, manufactured differently, contains special herbs, has been shown to cure aids or whatever. They don't really use medical or scientific facts for any of these claims. They know that most people will buy the multi-level hype and not really look at the non-networking facts. 

I know for a fact that the most successful supplement company to come around in a long time isn't even multi-level. The owner came up with a hot product and sold it through mail order and in retail stores. Why would he want to give up some of those dollars for that? He wouldn't and didn't. 

Some network marketing company don't stress the product, they just stress that they have the greatest pay plan since MLM's got started. This is a sure warning sign that their products are poor.

3.THE 2 BIGGEST KILLERS OF ALL  Only 30 out of 30,000 network marketing companies have lasted over five years. 

Only 1 in 1,000 people involved in network marketing make over $1,000 per month (or more.) 

These two facts alone are never disclosed when you are reading about any new network marketing (multilevel marketing, MLM) plan. No offense to anyone earning $1,000 or less per month but I need more than that for my mortgage payments. Heck, I need more than that for utilities and food each month. How am I going to live off that? 

Do you think that you are the next multi level superstar? I don't think I am. I know more about direct marketing than anybody that I know but I don't think that I am a superstar at anything. How do you honestly get people involved when you know that they aren't going to make any money? I can't and I don't. 

That is why I don't market any product multi level or get involved in network marketing, PERIOD.... 

My advice is simple. Network marketing (multi level marketing, MLM) only works for two types of people. The master marketer and the companies that start network marketing pgms. I think you should look for something with a bigger income potential that doesn't involve bugging your friends. 

Matt Gagnon Mazu Publishing


\6 Get-rich-quick offers, pyramid schemes that promise easy money

Miracle med cures - for a fee-con artists are taking to the Internet with a vengeance. Don't let them take you

DANIEL DEANE HAS HAD a rough couple of years. Laid off from his job as an aircraft welder, the 42-year-old Chattanooga resident gave up hope of returning to his trade when he learned he had degenerative arthritis of the spine.

Down but not out, Deane turned to the Internet in search of new opportunities. There he discovered ad after ad for Computer Business Services Inc.'s "turnkey" home businesses. CBSI claimed Deane could buy into a "proven business" and earn up to $4000 a month from home using a computer. It sounded like just what he needed.

It wasn't. By his reckoning, Deane invested more than $16,000 and a year of his life in the venture. He ended up with little more than $2000 worth of outdated PC equipment. Deane isn't alone. The Federal Trade Commission filed a complaint against the company for false advertising and came away with $5 million to distribute to 15,000 former CBSI "Business Center owners" like Deane.

It's not the first big recovery for the FTC, and the way fraud is growing on the Internet, it won't be the last. People like to think of the Net as a glittering highway to personal enrichment and financial reward. Unfortunately, the bad guys are just as enthusiastic, but they like to think of it as Dodge City--before Marshal Dillon.

Would-be Net crooks roam the Internet, running various confidence games off Web pages, e-mail lists, and online services. Some of the scams were hatched in the online world, but most are simply old scams in new clothing. Small-time crooks may be after your password to America Online. They might send Instant Messages claiming they work for AOL and need your account information. Or they may send e-mail offering free pornography. When you download the attached file, it grabs your password and ships it to the crook. Or the free porn requires you to download a special "viewer," which hijacks your phone line, disconnects your modem, and dials a foreign country. A federal judge in New York shut down such an operation in February after victims discovered long-distance charges on their phone bills for calls to Moldova, a small country in the former Soviet Union--at $3 a minute.

Bigger operators are looking for more than a free tour of AOL or a $50 phone call--they're looking to empty your bank account. They'll lure you in with work-at-home schemes, pyramids, charities, fake securities, or miracle cures. 

"The Internet is just a new medium for advertising," says FTC Senior Attorney Randy Brook. Even the laws are the same. The crime in the majority of fraud cases--perpetrated by mail, by phone, or over the Net--is false advertising. But false advertising isn't covered by a single jurisdiction. Depending on the case, each state has various business, criminal, and civil codes that may apply. On the federal level, the FTC has a set of regulations, the Securities and Exchange Commission has another, and the Justice Department yet another. A crime perpetrated over the Internet is particularly difficult to prosecute because--without a geographical location--it's harder to determine who has jurisdiction.

The FTC, along with other federal and state regulatory organizations, considers early detection of unsavory business ventures on the Internet absolutely necessary. This is no easy task, though; the Net offers huge advantages to swindlers. And its sheer size makes monitoring a nightmare. The number of users flocking online in recent years lets scammers reach a lot more people with a lot less effort. Operating a fraud on the World Wide Web is also cheap. "It's clearly the wave of the future in terms of fraud," says Bill McDonald, chief of enforcement for the California Department of Corporations, a securities regulator. Fraud not only looks legit for less on the Internet but it gains a certain technological mystique. People expect a degree of truth from advertising. That ex- pectation of truth extends to advertising on the Internet. A slick, well-produced Web page can win the trust of an unwary consumer.

And plenty of folks fall prey to that ad. Although no data aboutInternet fraud is available, a Harris Poll commissioned by the National Consumer League in 1992 (when Internet travel was rare) found that 9 out of 10 Americans had been approached by a fraudulent operator at some point in their lives, and that 29 percent of those had expressed interest in the scheme.

No-Place-Like-Home Scams As with many scams, common sense should have warned Daniel Deane that CBSI's promise was too good to be true: "Earn Potentially Up To $4,000 Per Month From Your Home With A Computer!" But he wanted to believe. For $16,000, Deane got a 486 PC, a 1200-bps modem, a small monitor, and several proprietary software packages. Then he and his family spent a year trying to make a go of CBSI's automated time/weather service and phone reminder business. They mailed out business cards and put flyers on cars. They spent $150 a month from Deane's $750 Social Security check.

Deane is exactly the kind of guy that purveyors of get-rich-quick and work-at-home schemes look for--vulnerable but motivated, looking for a better life, undergoing a change in circumstances. "CBSI advertised on their Web page that they had thousands of people earning $4000 a month," says Catherine R. Fuller, lead attorney in the FTC's Chicago office. "Few people made enough money to even recoup their investment."

Fuller won $5 million in the FTC's suit against CBSI, and CBSI president Andy Douglass faces yet another suit brought by the Indiana attorney general on similar grounds. Douglass hasn't shut down operations at "CBSI Plaza" in downtown Sheridan, Indiana, though. The $4000-a-month promise is gone, but a glossy Web page remains.
 Douglass disputes the FTC's accusation and insists that the FTC ismaking CBSI a scapegoat.
 

The Council of Better Business Bureaus received more than 215,000 inquiries about work-at-home ads in 1995. Data for 1996 isn't available yet, but with the burgeoning of the Internet, no one anticipates a decline. Unlike some frauds, though, these businesses themselves aren't illegitimate, explains Fuller. It's only the deceptive advertising claims that are illegal.

More insidious--and more prevalent--is the pyramid scheme, says the National Fraud Information Council. Helping Others Help You Pyramid schemes seem innocuous enough. You get a letter asking for a small investment and promising huge returns when your name gets to the top of the distribution list. Recast this exercise as a business venture in which you recruit investors and they recruit more, and you could be on the wrong side of the law.

That's just what happened to Chuck Humphrey and about 25,000 others who got an e-mail promising $5250 a month for each $250 invested. The offer came from a New Age "personal co-op" called the Fortuna Alliance. Returns were supposed to flow from the mystical wonders of Fortuna's "Explosive Mathematical Formula." Fortuna even offered a double-your-money-back guarantee. The Bellingham, Washington company amassed nearly $12 million in $250 to $1750 chunks from unsuspecting investors. Humphrey expected to do better than most because he got in shortly after Fortuna's November 1995 debut. "But I could never get information on just where I was in their matrix," reports the Denver resident. After a couple of months of double-talk about "the unending ratio," 

Fortuna's principals simply quit returning Humphrey's calls. A short time later, the FTC sued Fortuna's principals for "false and misleading" advertising. Senior Attorney Brook obtained federal injunctions freezing Fortuna's assets and putting the company under control of a court-appointed receiver. The FTC has since won a settlement in which Fortuna must reimburse all participants. What is remarkable about this scheme, says Brook, is how little time it took to fleece so many people. The FTC closed down Fortuna about six months after it opened its doors. But Fortuna grew so quickly that the group didn't even have time to bank all its proceeds. The FTC found about $2 million in money orders lying around Fortuna's offices, and another $5.6 million in a bank in Antigua, West Indies.

Pyramids are banned under most state business codes because the math never works out. An FTC economist followed Fortuna's complicated "Fibonacci Sequence" to its mathematical conclusion and found that at best, Fortuna would leave 95% of participants with a loss and the other 5% with a profit of about $6 for every $250 invested.

Feel-Good Fleecing A lofty philosophy often ensures victims' loyalty even after the Feds unmask a scam, says Brook, who reports receiving hundreds of letters from people mad at him for busting Fortuna. "The most successful operations create a following of true believers, [who are convinced] that this is somehow different," says Brook.

Such was the case with Mentor Network. The FTC describes the Newport Beach, California, company as another hit-and-run pyramid. The agency went to court and shut down Mentor in November 1996 after an estimated 2300 subscribers contributed more than $1 million. But don't tell Mike Stauffenberg that Mentor's a sham. The Knoxville, Tennessee, contractor has a photo of Yeng Moonsaena, the 5-year-old Thai girl his contribution was supposed to be supporting. He let Mentor debit his credit card $30 a month for seven months, and he says he is still glad he did.

Stauffenberg noticed when he received Mentor's e-mail solicitation that its investor compensation plan wasn't as lucrative as most. That actually sold him, he says. "They promoted it as a charity venture where you could help people and, maybe, make a little bit of money," says Stauffenberg. Such loyalty is typical, say FTC prosecutors, who add that many charity scams, including Mentor, often do give some money to charity. What they don't do is make good on their advertised promise of huge returns for investors. What Stauffenberg didn't know was that Mentor founder Parviz Firouzgar had previously paid more than $724,000 to settle a charge by the U.S. attorney's office that he had committed mail and wire fraud in another similar scheme. By Firouzgar's own admission, each subscriber to Mentor would need to recruit 8190 others to realize the financial promises made by the company.

Robbing Peter to Pay Paul Of course, nothing guarantees loyalty to a business venture like paying off investors. That's the key distinction of Ponzi schemes, which in fact do little more than take one investor's money and give it to another. They're named after post-World War I financier Charles Ponzi, who got behind in his bookkeeping for legitimate investments and began paying off early investors with money from newcomers.

Today's Ponzis often use Web pages to spread the word. One Web pitch by Western Executive Group of Mesa, Arizona, peddled franchises for automatic teller machines in convenience stores. According to James A. Howell, regional trial counsel for the SEC's Pacific Regional Office, the company promised ATM service charges would pay 100 percent returns on the $25,000 entry fee. Western Executive sold about 200 ATMs to 141 investors, mostly seniors. At least 40 machines were installed, and money was even paid to early investors. Not good enough, says Howell: "We halted the operation because there was no financial basis for the return they were paying to people, other than newcomers' money. It was a Ponzi." Howell got the court to put the company into receivership in October 1996 and freeze its assets. But by January, the ATM Web page had shifted routines and, under the name Bountiful Living, promised that the ownership of an ATM offered investors the potential to "Tax Shelter Over $18,000 in Income This Year." The principals of the organization were not available for comment. Like a pyramid, a Ponzi is a mathematically impossible proposition whose collapse is inevitable. But the large payouts to early investors often complicate the job of prosecution and redistribution of refunds to victims.

Insecure Investments Investing in securities is a tempting and usually legal way to make a buck. But it's not legal to hawk shares in something that doesn't exist. Some of the biggest Internet rackets involve imaginary securities investments that sound like the real thing.

Many who saw the Web page and newsgroup postings of Renata Haag of Haag and Partner of Egelsback, Germany, took her up on her offer to double their money in four months. The investment? "Prime bank securities" from some of the world's "top 50 prime banks." Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a prime bank, much less a prime bank security. This is just another scam, says Richard Jacobson, a branch chief in the SEC's Boston office. Haag and various U.S. distributors collected more than $3.5 million from victims until the SEC stopped them in late 1995 by freezing as much of their money as could be found in the United States. Thus far, Haag has avoided reimbursing her victims by staying offshore. Stock, bond, and other securities markets are highly regulated, and legitimate offerings require considerable record keeping. Con artists avoid this inconvenience by selling air. They love to string together financial terms that often hook even sophisticated investors.

The SEC has broken up Internet scams selling fake shares in everything from Costa Rican coconut chips to a Dominican Republic ethanol plant. Investors should be particularly wary of securities that claim to be custom-made for the deregulation of the telecommunications industry. The SEC, state securities administrators, and the FTC have brought numerous cases against companies offering fraudulent securities in wireless cable, interactive video, and other ventures. Promoters often claim their investment deals are not subject to securities registration requirements or are somehow approved by the IRS--both false statements.

Such schemes have been unmasked frequently over the years. Nonetheless, John Stark, SEC special counsel for Internet projects, reports that his office gets about 40 consumer complaints every day. Pump and Dump Even if a security is real, you can still be bilked; and here's where the line between fraud and legitimacy becomes particularly blurred. Forums such as The Motley Fool on America Online and the misc.invest.* newsgroups are hotbeds of tips and information where rising stars such as Iomega Corporation have been discovered. But online forums can also be a happy hunting ground for promoters and corporate insiders who seed rumors to inflate the price of a security.

Mary L. Schapiro, president of the National Association of Security Dealers Regulation, says her organization pursues stock manipulation aggressively. "It's absolutely critical for investors to understand that information in messages posted online should be viewed with caution and a healthy dose of skepticism," she says. In one case, NASDR temporarily suspended trading in Comparator Systems when its share price jumped from 3 cents to $1.67 in one week, and its daily volume went from 10 million shares to 180 million. The movements coincided with online chat activity and with sales of securities by several insiders at the Newport Beach, California, fingerprint technology developer. The SEC filed a lawsuit against Comparator and three officers, freezing their assets and alleging that they "sold tens of millions of shares of Comparator stock to investors while making material misrepresentations concerning the financial status of the company." Several sections of the Securities Act make clear that it is illegal to lie, cheat, or steal when it comes to the sale of securities. The case is still pending, and restitution and penalties have yet to be decided. Company representatives declined to comment.

NASDR has enlisted the help of online sysops in its campaign to warn chat-room visitors about the dangers of listening to nameless, faceless online promoters. But swapping stock tips is what these forums are all about, and the government's ability to regulate online speech is limited both by the First Amendment and practicality. Drop in on any chat room, and you'll find a bewildering debate over stocks raging among anonymous users. It's impossible to tell the quality of the information without research; a stock is just as likely to be the target of short sellers trying to drive its price down as touters trying to inflate it.

The Internet makes research easier than ever. But always be mindful of the source, says John Stark. The latest wrinkle in fraudulent stock promotions is the referencing of online newsletters run by the very people trying to drive up the value of a stock. The Securities Act states clearly that if you discuss a stock and are being paid by its issuer, you must disclose that you are being compensated. The SEC claims that Charles O. Huttoe, former chairman and chief executive officer of Systems of Excellence, made $12 million by employing others to tout his stock. The SEC alleges that Huttoe distributed millions of shares in the McLean, Virginia, video equipment manufacturer among family members and other corporations he controlled. Then he enlisted the help of SGA Goldstar Whisper Stocks, a Nashville-based Internet newsletter, to spread glowing (but false) reports about the company. Afterwards, all these parties sold their shares into an inflated market. Huttoe pled guilty in federal court in February, was sentenced to nearly four years in prison, and is cooperating with authorities in the prosecution of others involved in the scheme.

Picking on the Sick You can find a cure on the Internet for whatever ails you--cancer, AIDS, or the heartbreak of psoriasis. But some cures are worse than the disease. These touted potions have about as much benefit as a cheeseburger, claims Dr. Stephen Barrett, cofounder of the 1300-member National Council Against Health Fraud. Barrett has spent 15 years investigating the health claims of companies on and off the Internet. His conclusion: Health products are not marketed honestly. Most of them simply don't work. Regulators tend to agree. For example, the Illinois attorney general has filed a case against Westar Nutrition and its pyramid marketing arm, Viva America, both of Costa Mesa, California. The attorney general alleges that neither company can substantiate its online claims that Germanium Sesquioxide will lower cholesterol, reduce arthritic joint pain, or help treat AIDS and cancer. In fact, the FDA banned the import of Germanium after it was linked to irreversible kidney damage, coma, and death.

Of course, stopping fraudulent advertising isn't the same as putting the purveyors out of business. No Hard Time Once the law draws a bead on a scam, it rarely misses. But cybercrooks generally risk little more than civil penalties, which don't result in jail time, and it's not hard for them to reemerge if their "corporate headquarters" is a mail drop.

"Very few states have criminal penalties associated with consumer fraud statutes," explains Illinois assistant Attorney General Lorena Merklin. Fraud has always been a tough knot for law enforcement, says California regulator Bill McDonald, but the Net makes it even tougher to decide jurisdiction and prove guilt. Con artists operate easily across state and national boundaries. That's not to say they're likely to run amok. Law enforcement agencies make good use of search engines, e-mail, reverse phone directories, and other tools. For example, the SEC equips its lawyers with state-of-the-art hardware and fast T-1 Net connections and, warns Stark, "We have no problem tracking people down any more."

But, historically, law enforcement has never done more than slow crime down. Cyberspace is no different. "We have all the laws we need," says the SEC's James A. Howell. "The problem is resources. 

You can't be everywhere at once." Some in law enforcement, McDonald says, think consumer education and participation might be the ultimate tools for combating fraud. While Stark feels that vigorous prosecution is still the cornerstone of deterrence, he is surprised at how much help he gets from Internet surfers like Mark Taylor, who publishes Fraud Watch, a bimonthly online publication that reports on Internet scams (http://www.silverquick.com). From his vantage point, Taylor can see that law enforcement is making it more difficult to run a scam. "The marshal hasn't exactly arrived in Dodge City," says Taylor, "but he is definitely riding over the horizon." Ultimately though, the marshal may just turn out to be you.

COMPUTER BUSINESS SERVICES INC. CHANGED TACTICS: In addition to paying out $5 million in redress to failed business owners like Daniel Deane, CBSI had to modify its advertising. Gone are the guarantees of $4000 a month. In fact, you'll find very few promises here. Rather, you're encouraged to submit your name and address, so CBSI can send you information by mail.

FORTUNA ALLIANCE FORTUNA ALLIANCE'S New Age Internet marketing spiel froze its victims in the headlights just long enough for the company to pick their pockets. The FTC shut the company down, and won a settlement in Feb that ordered the Alliance to refund money to those who invested.

BOUNTIFUL LIVING FEDERAL REGULATORS said that Western Executive's ATM ownership plan was an illegal Ponzi scheme. The company now operates as Bountiful Living and has toned down its pitch, but it still makes unrealistic promises.

By Mike Hogan, a freelance writer living in Carlsbad, California.

--------------------------------------------------------- A QUICK LOOK AT INTERNET FRAUD - A lineup of common online scams, and ways you can avoid them. 

WORK-AT-HOME SCHEMES You're promised fantastic returns from proven businesses anyone can ply. Up-front fees range from a few bucks to thousands. Work-at-home busin- esses are not illegal, but making false claims about how much money they can bring in is.

PYRAMIDS The most common type of online scam, a pyramid makes money principally by recruiting others into a venture with unclear business goals and a confusing compensation plan. Watch out for any venture whose focus is signing up new distributors who kick in an entry fee.

CHARITY PYRAMIDS A noble cause diverts attention from the mathematical mumbo-jumbo of a run-of-the-mill pyramid. Participants seem more willing to be fleeced if the cause is noble.

PONZIS Much like pyramids, except early entrants are actually paid fantastic returns--supposedly from some innovative investment. In reality, the money comes from newcomers.

BOGUS SECURITIES Don't know the difference between an inter-American hard-currency bond and a prime bank security? No one does, because they don't exist. Rule of thumb: If your broker has never heard of it, it probably doesn't exist.

ILLEGAL STOCK MANIPULATION Don't bite on anything you pick up in an online chat room or newsgroup until you know what's in it for your source. There are a lot of phonies on the Net--some want to push a price up, others want to bat it down.

TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE SICK Desperate people often throw common sense and caution to the wind when they read about a "miracle cure" on the Internet. Scammers have repackaged classic snake-oil pitches to be Web savvy. Stick to proven methods of treatment that are available in pharmacies, and that have clinical research to back up their claims.

LONG-DISTANCE SCAM Be careful when downloading software from strangers. Promising free pornography, fraudulent Web sites instruct you to download viewing software. Once you download the file, the pgm silently disconnects you from your Internet service provider, then dials in to an offshore site, racking up enormous long-distance fees.
 By Mike Hogan, PC WORLD; May 01 1997The Web and You CYBER SCAMS



\7 paid to surf

It's true! Believe it or not there are companies that will pay you to surf the web, search the web, and read e-mails, among other things. After only one month on the Net, you will be able to retire, buy your own yacht, and spend your life cruising the Greek Isles.

Okay, so we're kidding about the last part. Though there are some exorbitant claims out there regarding the income potential from Paid To Programs, you should not let these discourage you from investigating them and pursuing the quality programs that are out there. Some of these programs are paying, and if you have the right strategy it is possible to make extra money with minimal extra effort. Many people are making enough to pay for their Internet connection, many are making more.

Drill down further into the Paid To Section below to learn more about what you should do, what you shouldn't do, and what the potential benefits are.
 Recommended Pay To Surf Programs This list just gets smaller and smaller. Here are the Pay To Surf programs you should definitely sign up for:

Moveabout.com (Other than the low rates, we are absolutely in love with this program. It is browser-based, which means there is no software to install and you can use it on any computer. Sign up now! Maybe the rates will pick up.) Cashsurfers.com More coming soon! We hope :-)

Other Pay To Surf Programs This is a list of Pay To Surf Programs that we do not recommend. There is a brief commentary on what we know about each program, as well as links to the programs themselves. Just in case you're feeling rambunctious. For more go to IMT's Other Pay To Surf Programs.
 PTS Programs To Avoid Getting ready to get involved with Pay To Surf. These are the companies that our research and/or experience shows you should avoid. Pay To Surf Programs To Avoid.
 R.I.P. With the dot.com slaughter continuing, PTS programs are dropping like flies. Curious to see who the most recent casualties are? Take a stroll through The Pay to Surf Graveyard. 

 -- Paid To: A Guide For Newbies Nov 26, 2000
 Paid to surf the Net? You're kidding, right? Actually getting paid to surf the Net is one of the many different ways that companies have found to reward surfers for their attention and their personal information. There are a variety of Pay To programs on the Net. You can get paid for surfing, for reading email, for searching -- in fact, for a number of activities. 

Though no longer the rage they once were, Pay To programs are still quite popular. The real question is why? At $0.18 or so an hour, what's in it for anybody? The attraction in all of these programs in the tiered-payout structure. Like a Multi-Level Marketing organization, Pay To programs pay you not only for your own efforts but for the efforts of those you recruit. It will not make you rich, but if you have enough referrals that use the program you might get a check every month.

What follows is a quick overview of the major Pay To mechanisms on the Net. This article is geared towards Newbies, people unfamiliar with the Pay To world. 

Paid To Surf: The basic operating principle behind the Pay To Surf concept is banner ads. Generally, you download a program or open a browser that rests on your desktop. This small horizontal window serves ads while you surf the web. You get paid for the amount of time that this this window is open.

Different companies pay differently. Most companies have some sort of validation procedure -- you must move your mouse every minute, you must change URLs once a minute, you must click a validation message -- to avoid paying you when you are away from your computer. Some companies pay per the number of ads served, some for the amount of time your ad bar is active. Some require you to click on ads, others don't care. 

Paid To Read Email: The basic principle here is that companies pay you to read email they send you. Usually, the email contains a hyperlink to a web site that you must visit to get credit for reading the mail. In our view, Paid For Email has been an industry-wide flop. As far as we can tell, no one has made any money of note for reading emails. 

The problem with the email programs is simple -- they don't have the emails to send. Complaints are overwhelming of services that send only 3 or 4 emails in a month. Even at a high $0.05 per email, it will take you a long time to reach that $25 minimum payout. It is our recommendation at Internet Money Times that you pass on any Paid To Read Email program unless it is adjoined to another program where you can make some money. 

Paid To Search: In the case of Pay To Search, companies such as NetFlip pay you to go to their site and search for items. The responses that come up usually have an amount on them. If you go to the site you are credited for the amount shown. NetFlip is a successful site where you can earn money for signing up for programs as well as for searching. You won't get rich doing it, but unlike Paid for Email, they are actually performing the service they promote.

Paid To Listen: This is similar to Pay To Surf. You get paid to listen to the radio over your computer, obviously, with advertisements. Many of the same Pay To Surf variables -- validation, referrals, and so forth -- apply here as well. 

Paid To Opine: (That's our own title.) But yes, you can actually get paid to give your opinion. There are a number of consumer opinion sites where you can rate and review products and services. The process is simple. You write a review, post it to the site, and then every time someone reads the review you will earn a small amount of cash. 

 -- Ready To Sign Up: Keep These Items In Mind Nov 26, 2000
 Ready to get paid for surfing the web? Of course, you are. However, the Pay To Surf industry is no picnic, and as such, there are a number of aspects you may wish to consider before giving your life story away to every fly-by-night Pay To Surf company that you stumble across.
 

The Environment: Back in Late 1999 to Early 2000, when Pay To Surf companies were all the rage, it seemed like a new one popped up every few weeks. With Alladvantage building a huge database of customers and venture capitalists handing out millions to any sixteen year old with a web site, inspired your entrepreneurs just could not help but jump on the Pay To Surf wagon. Unfortunately for many entrepreneurs and surfers, the wagon, which was hitched to a single horse, could not bear the load; it slowed down tremendously and dumped many of its newer passengers in an effort to keep moving forward. That single horse's name: Advertising. 

The Pay To Surf story goes something like this: A Internet-fixated stock market overvalues everything with a dot.com in its name. As a result, thousands of fledgling companies have millions in free money to spend on online advertising. Pay To Surf companies pop up everywhere, taking advantage of the millions of dollars being thrown into online advertising. Then, the technology bubble bursts, stock prices plummet, and thousands of companies are forced to survive on revenue alone (perish the thought). Without the free liquidity given to them by their inflated stock prices, most companies begin to severely curtail their online advertising. Many shut down completely. Without advertisers, the Pay To Surf companies are starved for revenue, however, their popularity and the sophistication of cheaters presents them with more an more hours and layers of revenue to shell out. Many of these companies shut down as well. Many change their business model. The survivors are forced to cut payout rates just to stay viable.

And now, here we are - Nov 2000 - rates are at an all time low and a number of companies look as if they will never pay the hrs accumulated to them: is Pay To Surf still worth your time? Before we answer that, let's look at some characteristics of the genre.

Characteristics Of Pay To Surf: There are a few things that you should be aware of before venturing into the Pay To Surf world. The laws may not be absolute, but they're pretty darn close.
 Advertising rates on the web continue to fall. Unless the trend reverses (and their is no reason to believe it will), Pay To Surf companies will find it increasingly more difficult to stay viable. Payout rates will continue to drop. 

Most people in your downline will not use the program. Why? Because the attraction of Pay To Surf is the multi-level implications. Most people will not bother with Pay To Surf just for the return on their own efforts. Even in Pay to Surf, it is the nature of pyramids to crash. Some companies simply never pay. It seems criminal, but it is a fact of life. Many people sign up with new companies hoping to "get in on the ground floor." Accordingly, many people sign up with companies that are not proven, wasting their time and their opportunity to use a legitimate service. 

No one pays their advertised rate. Every Pay To Surf company bases their "actual" payout on a percentage of advertising revenues. At the end of the month, they take the amount they brought in and apply their payout percentage to that. It is usually never close to the advertised or the "hope to pay" rates. 

Much Pay To Surf SW is inefficient at tracking or simply does not work. The industry is notorious for crashed systems, quirky bugs, and inability to access servers. We hope these facts help you to make an educated decision about joining a PTS program. Though this article presents the negatives of PTS rather forcefully, all is not gloom and doom. There is still money to be made. 

 -- Caveat Surfer: The Downside of Pay To Surf Pgms Nov 27, 2000
 Like everything, Pay To Surf has its downsides. On the surface, it seems benign enough. You simply download an unobtrusive piece of software that sits on your desktop while you surf the web, ask your friends and your site visitors to do the same thing, and then watch the money roll in. If only it were that simple. There are numerous risks one assumes when embarking upon the Pay To Surf odyssey, and though they are not particularly menacing, they are risks one should be aware of. So, before joining a Pay To Surf program, please realize that...

The software can be a nightmare. Complaints of software that crashes whole systems, software that inaccurately tracks hours, and software that shuts down are frequent. 

Industry-wide, customer service is nothing short of a joke. For many companies, it simply does not exist; for others, it is woefully inadequate. The Pay To Surf company where you can actually speak to a real person is a gem. Some PTS companies that you sign up with will never even deliver their software. Certainly, it is in the best interest of the company to begin signing up subscribers and allowing people to build their downline before the software is even ready. But is it in your best interest to give your name away to an inoperative program just with the hope that you will "get in early." With these companies, it usually takes months before you see any software. Often the software is never ready, the company folds, and you have given your name away for free. No matter how many fancy games you play with spreadsheets or calculators, you will never make as much money in the real world as your theoretical model says you can. For the reasons why, check out our article: Ready To Sign Up: Keep These Items In Mind. Your time and attention are worth money. Your name and permission are too. That is why companies are paying you for them. Are you in the habit of giving away your most precious commodities for free? Getting involved with a bad PTS programs can eat your time. If you lose two hours trying to fix bad software and you normally make about $10 an hour, how long does it take you to make that up surfing at $0.18 an hour. Okay, so the downsides are there. What can you do to minimize them? 
 Here are a few tips that might help you as you venture into the world of Pay To Surf. Understand the industry and its characteristics. For more on this, check out our article: Ready To Sign Up: Keep These Items In Mind. Understand the real income potential of PTS and determine whether that amount of money is worth your effort and time. For more on this, check out our article: Pay to Surf: A Realistic Look. Do your research. Only sign up with companies that are recommended by web sites or people you trust. Quantity will always give you more headaches, but only rarely will it give you more money. In keeping with Rule #3, don't sign up for every program under the sun. Pick the best ones and work them. 

Do not sign up for a pgm until that pgm is operational. Giving your personal info away to who knows who is not worth it. Only a few people ever get in early enough; numerically, the chances are it won't be you. 

Make sure you operate your PTS program in a way that will give you the greatest amount of money for the least amount of effort. For more on this, check out our article Pay To Surf: Ways To Maximize Your Profits. Remember, like anything, PTS has its downsides. Keep them in mind before you act. You can always make more money; you can never make more time. 

 -- Pay To Surf: A Realistic Look Nov 27, 2000
 So, how much can you really make surfing the web? This really depends on a number of factors that we will look at more closely with in our article Pay To Surf: Ways To Maximize Your Profits. For now, let's investigate a few PTS scenarios and see if there is some money in your future. 

Scenario 1: Big Bucks. Is it possible? Yes. It it likely? Not really.

We've seen copies of Alladvantage checks on the net for over a thousand dollars (that's for a month!), yet almost all of these checks are date early 2000. We have also seen a listing of Alladvantage's (also early 2000) top referrer; he or she had 37,000 direct and indirect referrals under him or her. They probably made a lot of money. The fact is, what ever they were making, with Alladvantage, we guarantee you they are making a lot less now. With payout rates being halved and then halved again and with the tendency of pyraminds to crash upwards, even the big money is getting smaller.

Scenario 2: A Big Monthly Check It is still possible to get a big monthly check (over $100) from a Pay To Surf program, but it is certainly more difficult nowadays. Let's look at what you would have to do. Let's use this example. You sign up ten people, who sign up five people, who sign up three people, who sign up two people. Everyone surfs the maximum amount of hours each month. Using the Epipo double banner structure (as of November 2000) for an example, the maximum hours are 35 and the pay rates are :

Level 1: $0.35/hour Level 2: $0.06/hour Level 3: $0.06/hour Level 4: $0.06/hour Now, you have a network of 210 people making money for you. How much does it add up to? 
 Level 1 = $12.25 Level 2 = $21.00 Level 3 = $105.00 Level 4 = $315.00 That's a check for $453.25. Pretty good for keeping a piece of software open on your desktop while you surf. Yet, this level of income will not happen for most. Why? A pyramid can fail at the bottom or the top. 

You may never get ten people under you. If you do, they may not use the program or may not recruit anyone. On the other, hand you may build a big downline, but sooner or later you hit a point where people are no longer able or willing to recruit people under them. This level doesn't make much money, and eventually they quit using the program. When they do, the money dries up for the level above them. Eventually, they quit and then the money dries up for the people above them and so on up the pyramid. Even if you do make a big monthly check, the chances are in the current environment that it will not last forever. the law of exponents which works in your favor at first will eventually turn on you. 

Scenario 3: A Nice Monthly Check This is the most realistic scenario for someone entering the Pay To Surf realm nowadays. Let's look at a more plausible example using the Epipo numbers above. (We'll keep the levels smaller to make up for attrition and people not using the max number of hours.) Let's say you and your wife sign up three friends each, and each friend signs up an average of 1.5 people under them. Everyone uses the program to the maximum amount of hours. Your money would be:

Level 1 = $12.25 Level 2 = $12.60 Level 3 = $18.90 This puts your monthly check at $43.75. Enough to cover your ISP costs probably. This scenario is not too far off. It can be done. You need to find people who surf the web a lot to sign up under you. And hope they will sign up people themselves.

Scenario 4: A Check Once In A While This concept is easy. You surf the maximum number of hours yourself, you sign up no one below you, and once every two or three months you make enough money to cash out. With the Epipo example above, you could cash out for $25.00 every two months. This is what many people do.

In the end, you will probably find yourself in a messier real world versions of scenarios 3 & 4. But hey, you're still getting paid for surfing the web. What's wrong with that?

For tips on making more with Pay To Surf check out our article: Pay To Surf: Ways Maximize Your Profits. 

 -- Pay To Surf: Ways To Maximize Your Profits Nov 27, 2000
 If you have read the previous articles in this series, then you have doubtless deduced that you are not going to get rich with a Pay To Surf program. Nonetheless, at this point, PTS is still a viable way to put a few bucks in the bank with minimal effort. This article will show you how to get the most buck for your browsing. 

This article is not about ways to cheat the system. Cheaters have severely curtailed the profits of many PTS companies and participants by attempting to defraud an already fragile system. This article will show you tricks and tips to get the most for your surfing at the least inconvenience. 

If you have a web site, talk about the PTS program and proved links with you referral number. You can build a much bigger downline with a web site than you can with just your friends. Use a referral network to build your downlines. If you have more than one computer, sign up your spouse under you. This way, you are both getting paid to surf and one of you is getting a commission on the other one's time. If you follow Tip 2 above, sign up all of you referrals under the spouse at the 2nd level. If you do you will both earn commissions on your new referrals, as they will be on the first spouse's second tier and the second spouse's first tier. Play with the numbers, you'll see how this works. Determine the best methodology for keeping your view bar running without interfering with your life. Most companies require some type of validation -- clicking on a test link, moving your mouse, changing URLs -- to keep you in money earning mode. Figure out the best methodology for each view bar and implement a system that keeps you earning consistently. Keep as many view bars running as practical (notice we did not say as many as possible). Many people load up their system with four or five different PTS programs at a time, performing their work in a box the size of a pack of cigarettes. If you have a life, at some point the disadvantages -- tying up of system resources, lack of screen space, etc. -- begins to seriously outweigh the benefits. What do we do? Currently, we only run two programs at a time. However, keep in mind, some programs have a monthly limit on hours. Once you have reached your limit on one program, you can drop it until the next month and begin using another. Share these tips and any other legal tricks of the trade you've discovered with the people in your downline. Remember, the more they make, the more you make. Good luck.


\8 urban legends

The San Fernando Valley Folklore Society's Urban Legends Reference Pages www.snopes.com Current Urban Legends and Netlore 

The following urban legends and bits of netlore are currently getting dumped into people's inboxes. If you're looking for a quick yes/no about one of them or are wondering if we've seen it yet, this is the page for you. If your interest lies in knowing what other new pages we've added to the site (we write about older stuff, too -- this page represents just the tip of the iceberg), scoot over to our What's New page once you're done here. 

If you'd like to be added to our mailing list for automatic notification of "What's New" updates, please use the Update option at the bottom of this page. An update mailing takes place every couple of weeks. Those looking to discuss a particular aspect of these (or other) stories are welcome to visit our message board to ask our motley crew of regulars about it by clicking on the "Message Board" icon found at the bottom of this page or drop us an e-mail by clicking the "Send Comments" icon (also found at the bottom of this page). If, however, you're interested in obtaining information about a purported computer virus, may we suggest you visit Rob Rosenberger's Computer Virus Myths page?  

Current Urban Legends and Netlore Scads of Cash from Intel/AOL Free Ericsson Phones Free Nokia Phones $50 Gift Certificates from Victoria's Secret $35 Gift Certificates from The Gap Scads of Cash from The Newell Co. Free Coca-Cola for a Month Forwarding a particular e-mail will enrich you by any one of the goodies listed above Status: False. All of the above, plus an almost unimaginable number of similar hoaxes, are debunked on our famed Thousand Dollar Bill page. Forget about getting something for nothing just for forwarding an e-mail -- it ain't gonna happen, not in this life or the next. Governor Bush Declares Jesus Day Texas Governor George W. Bush declared 10 June 2000 as "Jesus Day." Status: True. Yep, Bush did indeed declare a Jesus Day. Governors of other states did as well. 

Petition Against Bear Farms in China Bears in China are being milked for their bile for use in patent medicines. Status: True. Our bear farms page discusses the situation. 5 Surcharge on E-mail Congress or the Canadian government is about to impose a 5 surcharge per e-mail. Status: False. No, this is not happening. There is no Bill 602P, and no public-minded lawyer named Richard Stepp. Visit our Post No Bills page for the e-mail tax version of this leg-pull and our A Long Pay From Home page for the "you'll be charged long distance rates for accessing the Internet" version of the scare.

Syringes on Gas Pump Handles HIV-infected syringes are being found taped to gas pump handles. Status: False. Another hoax is on the loose. Our Gas Trick Upset page explains why you shouldn't be worried by this latest scare. 

Mel Gibson Reconstructed A young Mel Gibson was involved in a horrendous fight, and only the intervention of a priest transformed this then hideous remnant of a young man into the handsome actor known today. Status: False. The e-mail claims Paul Harvey passed this tale along on one of his recent shows. We doubt even he could be taken in by this egregiously fanciful rewriting of Mel Gibson's life. N.O.F.E.A.R. Decals Folks who display "No Fear" decals are announcing they're members of a white supremacist group. Status: False. No Fear, Inc. a popular retailer, is being confused with the National Organization For European American Rights (N.O.F.E.A.R.), a White rights organization. Our N.O.F.E.A.R. page will show you which decal is which.

Petition to Save the Amazon Rain Forest The Brazilian Congress about to vote on a bill to reduce the size of the Amazon rain forest by 50%. Status: False. A draft law proposing that the minimum protected area be reduced from 80% to 50% was shelved by Brazil's Congress on May 18. Similar legislation could be introduced in the future, though. The Amazon rain forest page explains all.

Anaconda Eats Child Photos A sliced-open anaconda revealed a child swallowed whole. Status: False. Two of the pictures in this three-photo series are real, but the last one showing an ingested youngster is fake. Our Snake Food page explains the hoax. (Warning: this page isn't for the young, impressionable, or easily-upset.) 

Great News for Girl Watchers A study published in The New England Journal of Medicine stated that "ogling women's breasts is good for a man's health." Status: False. According to this giggler, "Just ten minutes of staring at the charms of a well-endowed female is roughly equivalent to a 30-minute aerobics work-out." Yeah, and celery is fattening, too. Those who still need disabusing of this pipe dream are directed to our Ogle and Out page.
 

The Rescuing Hug A struggling newborn was helped by her twin sister's hug. Status: True. This famous photo was taken in 1995 when the girls were only a few weeks old. See our Rescuing Hug page for more about this touching story. 

 Deadly Virus Mailed on Sponge Someone is sending sponges carrying a deadly "Klingerman virus" to victims via U.S. Mail. Status: False. *sigh* Another hoax. There is no Klingerman virus, nobody has died from receiving virus-bearing sponges in the mail, and neither the United States Postal Service nor the Centers for Disease Control is currently investigating anything like what is described here.

Instanticide AOL is about to start charging users for its Instant Message service unless an online petition attracts 100,000 e-signatures. Status: False. This was a hoax last summer, and it's still a hoax this summer, even if someone thought to change the dates. See our Instanticide page for more information. 

 Hotmail Account Cancellation Hotmail plans to cancel the accounts of all those who don't forward a particular e-mail to other Hotmail users. Status: False. What can one say other than this is a hoax? If you have a Hotmail account and access it at least every 60 days, it will remain active.

Cyanide-Laced Deposit Envelopes The glue on ATM deposit envelopes is being laced with cyanide. Status: False. This bit of scarelore is a year old and was first told about a Canadian bank. A later version changed this to a Bank of America, with the e-mail writer supposedly hearing about it on the radio.

Roach Eggs in Envelope Glue A woman who'd licked an envelope flap ingested cockroach eggs, and the eggs later hatched in her mouth. Status: False. This is just another version of the "roach eggs in Taco Bell burrito" legend; there's nothing to it. This particular envelope story has been around for at least a year. Madalyn Murray O'Hair - FCC Petition 2493 Madalyn Murray O'Hair is out to get religious broadcasting banned from American airwaves. Status: False. This one is so old it has whiskers on it. RM-2493 was defeated in 1975, never had anything to do with O'Hair, and was never about getting religion off the air. Your "Touched By An Angel" is safe.
 

Killer in the Back Seat As a rite of initiation, prospective gang members cut body parts from women they attack at gas stations or abduct women for the purposes of rape. Status: False. A legend dating back to 1967 has been updated into another baseless "gang initiation" scare. See The Killer in the Back Seat for the history of the original legend and The Unkindest Cut for a related legend about slashers hiding under cars. 9-0-# Calls Scammers are duping folks into placing long distance calls for them by posing as phone company employees and asking customers to press the 9, 0, and # keys and then hang up. Status: True, but not a problem for residential customers. Though this could happen at a few businesses whose phones are configured a certain way, residential customers are at no risk from this. Our Jail Call page explains it all. Last updated: 30 July 2000 The URL for this page is http://www.snopes.com/info/current.htm Please use this URL in all links or references to this page Click here to e-mail this page to a friend 

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Frequently Asked Questions 

Content Q: Is everything on this site about 'urban legends'? A: In a strict folkloric sense, no. Urban legends are a specific type of folklore, and many of the items discussed on this site do not fall under the folkloric definition of "urban legend." We are following the more expansive popular (if inaccurate) use of "urban legend" as a term that embraces not only urban legends but also misinformation, old wives' tales, strange news stories, rumors, and celebrity gossip.

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Miscellany Q: What are 'snopes'? A: Snopes is the name of a family of characters who appear throughout the works of American writer William Faulkner. snopes.com


\9 How to Hoax-Proof Yourself.

The Inet and the Web that make communications around the world so easy is a rich ground for hoaxes, lies, jokes, and tall tales. It can sometimes be very difficult to tell when a story passed on the nets is true or not. Some very ingenious people take pride in creating a believable tale and getting others to accept it and pass it along in chain letters. There is currently a fload of missing children hoaxes, which some idiots take pride in creating. Who can resist passing along a missing children report? We tell you in our section on Appeals to Sympathy and Warm Fuzzy Stories how to sort the real ones from the hoaxes. 

Or how about the dreaded Modem Tax hoax, or the threat to charge 5 cents postage on all e-mail. See the Government Hoaxes page for more on these. 

Should you warn everyone about the dreaded blush spider found under toilet seats? Or cars without headlights on driven by gang members? Read lots like these in our collection of Tall Tales from the horrible to the funny. 

A major trend, inspired by the commercialization of the nets, is the money-making hoax. Pyramid schemes where people are asked to send money to those higher on the pyramid in promise of future riches have been with us for a long time. They are getting more ingenious, though. What about the summer '98 story about an 18-year-old couple, just out of High School, who claimed they were virgins and were going to give up their virginity in front of web cameras on August 4th? What happened? Read on! Another one that is terribly persistent is that Microsoft will pay you to test their software.

Fake viruses make good stories, too. Some of them are pretty amusing. The hoax warnings outnumber real virus warnings by a large magnitude. We maintain a list here of the hoaxes taken from a number of sources on the nets. Check it when you are in doubt.

Appeals to sympathy are fodder for many stories, too. Some ask for cards; some ask for money. Always suspect a hoax if you get one of these appeals, and real or not, NEVER spread them by chain letters. Similar to them are the Warm Fuzzy Stories that make you feel good about human nature and ask you to pass them along to lots of people for good luck. While they aren't necessarily hoaxes, they are just as bad in clogging the nets as the hoaxes. Don't spread these either. 
 In this six-page article, we'll review some of the classic hoaxes, which have come to be known as Urban Legends, and tell you how to avoid getting caught in the traps. 
 The most common hoaxes on the nets are Virus hoaxes. If you get a message warning you about a terrible virus, and the message tells you to pass the warning to all your friends, it is almost always a hoax. Don't spread the warning without checking the facts first. Most of the virus hoaxes claim that you can be infected just by receiving e-mail, which is impossible. Or some claim that by just reading the e-mail message, you are already infected. A virus can be spread by a runnable program or by macro files for word processors and spreadsheets, but never by e-mail itself. It can be spread by attachments to e-mail, though, so always run virus checking software before opening an e-mail attachment from an unknown source. If your e-mail software can automatically open a Microsoft Word or Excel document, be sure to disable this feature, since that action can activate a macro virus. 

Personal Note: I use Norton Anti-Virus and I have had it warn me as e-mail was received of a virus in an attachment, most recently the HAPPY99.EXE virus in early May. This isn't intended as a plug for Norton software, but to show how important it is to have up-to-date anti-virus software on your system. The person who sent me the virus did not know it was there. 

Some of the warnings are parodies of all those that went before. Read this warning for the FREE MONEY Virus: 

There is a computer virus that is being sent across the Internet. If you receive an e-mail message with the subject line "Free Money," DO NOT read the message. DELETE it immediately, UNPLUG your computer, then BURN IT to ASHES in a government-approved toxic waste disposal INCINERATOR. Be sure to destroy your modem, too. 

Once a computer is infected, it will be TOO LATE. Your PC will begin to emit a vile ODOR. Then it will secrete a foul, milky DISCHARGE. Verily, it shall SCREECH with the tortured, monitor-shattering SCREAM of 1,000 hell- scorched souls, drawing unwanted attention to your cubicle from co-workers and supervisors alike. After violently ripping itself from the wall, it will infect the office water cooler, and then your computer will punch through your office window as it STREAKS into the night, HOWLING like a BANSHEE. Once free, it will spend the rest of its days CRUSHING household PETS and MOCKING the POPE. 

Here are the names of the most common hoaxes: 

AIDS, AltaVista or Londhouse, AOL4Free, AOL 4.0 Cookie Baby, New Year, Bad Times, Bloat, Blue Mountain, BUDDYLST.ZIP, BUDSAVER.EXE (Budweiser frogs screen saver) BUGGLST, Cat Colonic, Dear Friends, Death69, Deeyenda, E-Flu, Evil the Cat, FatCat, Free Money, Ghost Screen Saver, Good Times, Guts to Say Jesus, Hairy Palms, Irina Join the Crew, Make Money Fast, Millenium Time Bomb, Norton Anti-Virus, v5 Penpal Greetings, PluPerfect, Red Alert, Returned, Strunkenwhite, Time Bomb, Unable to Deliver, Win a Holiday, World Domination, Yellow Teletubbies. 

Another indication that a virus warning is a hoax is any reference to the FCC issuing the warning. The FCC is not in the virus warning business! The govt agency that does issue virus warnings (and hoax warnings) is the Computer Incident Advisory Committee (CIAC) of the US Dept. of Energy. An excellent commercial source to check is the Symantec Anti-Virus Research Center. 

 Sympathy Hoaxes and Warm Fuzzy Stories. Missing Children Hoaxes. An unfortunate current trend in hoaxes is to fabricate missing children reports. It is hard to resist passing them along. Legitimate reports appear on milk cartons and show up in the mail daily, giving this type of hoax a lot of credibility. Like others in this category, people tend to pass them along blindly, figuring it can't hurt and it might help. Please take the time to check them out before passing them along. For missing children, search to see if a report is legitimate at The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. If the child's name does not appear in their list, it is almost certainly a hoax. Even if it is a real listing, we do not encourage this means of spreading the news. Chain letters clog bandwidth, reduce the credibility of real causes, violate the terms of service of most Internet providers, and divert resources from real problems. 

Craig Shergold. Among the more unfortunate types of hoaxes is the story that appeals to sympathy and a good cause. The first and best known of these occurred in the late 1980's when 9-year old Craig Shergold was ill with a brain tumor. He asked to receive enough get-well cards to break a Guinness record, and it was spread in all forms of media, including e-mail chain letters. The post office near where he was hospitalized was swamped with cards, and he soon broke existing records. Today, after successful surgery, Craig Shergold is a healthy young man, but the story persists and thousands of cards still arrive every day. As the story changed over the years, get well cards became business cards, and the Children's Make-A-Wish Foundation was incorrectly worked into the story. The appeals still regularly appear on the nets, and lot of energy is wasted by well-meaning people sending cards and tying up resources that could be used much more usefully. The Children's Make-A-Wish Foundation has even set up a web page with the facts. If you run into this 

Jessica Mydek. The story of Jessica Mydek appears to be a modern attempt to create a chain letter hoax story to rival Craig Shergold. The story reads something like this: Little Jessica Mydek is dying of a rare form of cancer. She wants to make everyone aware of her disease and urge everyone to live life to the fullest. The American Cancer Society (ACS) will donate 3 cents to cancer research for everyone you send this message to. Send a copy to the ACS of your messages so they will know how much to contribute. 

The American Cancer Society states on their web page, "As far as the American Cancer Society can determine, the story of Jessica Mydek is completely unsubstantiated. No fund raising efforts are being made by the American Cancer Society using chain letters of any kind." 

Other Appeals. Here are some things to consider when you see one of these appeals, which come in a lot of guises. No charitable organization sponsors fund-raising efforts using chain letter e-mail. Hospitals do not give money to national charitable organizations, particularly not for chain letter signatures. Hospitals ask for money; they don't give it. There is no such disease as ostriopliosis. There is no such thing as the National Diesese Society by any spelling. 

Chain e-mail letters of all kinds violate most Internet Providers user agreements, and can lead to account cancellation. No matter how realistic and sympathetic a charitable appeal seems, be suspicious about it and check the facts before taking any action. 

Pull Tabs for Charity. Another frequent legend that makes the rounds in various forms is that you can collect pull tabs from soft drink cans and turn them in to purchase kidney dialysis, wheel chairs, or various other medical services. This is apparently not entirely a hoax, because the scrap tabs have some recycle value, and some have made the effort to collect and redeem them. If you collect enough of them and can find out how to recycle them, they can be turned into cash and applied to your favorite cause. It takes a huge volume of tabs to build any value, and you would probably do much better by collecting recyclable cans and bottles, if you are in a state that requires deposits, or just collect pennies. Don't support any pull tab collection scheme without researching it first. 

Warm Fuzzy Stories for Good Luck. Another category of story that may or may not be a true hoax, but certainly can be classified as an Urban Legend, is the Warm Fuzzy Story that makes you feel good to read it. These are often distributed with an appeal to pass it along to as many people as you can for good luck, thus achieving the same mail-clogging affect that the other types do. 

A current true story going around is the one about a schoolteacher nun, Sister Helen Mrosla, who had an eighth grade class write good things about their classmates on paper. One unforgettable student, Mark Eklund, kept the paper with things his classmates wrote about him for years, and when he later died in Vietnam, the paper was found on him. At his funeral, the paper was returned to Sister Mrosla, and other former classmates at the funeral revealed that they still had theirs, too. The story was published in Proteus Magazine and Readers Digest. A heart-warming story in its full three-page length, but it is being distributed with instructions to pass it along to as many people as possible for good luck, along with warnings that breaking the chain will bring bad luck. 

An embellished version of the story has Mark Eklund returning from Vietnam, alive and embittered, and his life falls apart. Years later, while walking the streets in despair, he hears the sounds of a party going on in a building, enters it, and finds his old classmates celebrating a reunion and honoring Sister Mrosla on her 90th birthday. She sees him and hands him the paper of complimentary sayings she has preserved for years in hopes of seeing him again. His faith in life is restored.

Why someone felt the story needed to be embellished to the point of absurdity is hard to say, but it is going around the nets, too. If you receive either version-- or any other feel-good story, please stop it right there. Break the chain, or the curse of a thousand camel fleas will fall upon you. Honest! 

 Money Making Hoaxes, $$$ MAKE MONEY FAST $$$ This get-rich quick scheme and its many variants appears every day in many newsgroups and in e-mail, posted by newbies who are taken in by it. If you will send $5 (or some other amount) to the top name on a list of 5 or so, make 5 or 10 copies of it erasing the top name and adding your own at the bottom, in a few weeks, you will receive $50,000 or so, says the message. The author of the scheme tells how he got rich with it and how it is perfectly legal to do so, usually under the guise that you are selling business advice. The typical person who posts this figures that they can't lose, particularly if they don't bother to send the $10 to the first name, but they add their names and post it everywhere they can think of. Noone else sends the $10 either, and noone gets rich, but the message continues to clutter up newsgroups and e-mail every day. It is an illegal pyramid scheme, of course. 

Pyramid or Ponzi schemes that depend on large numbers of people providing small amounts of money to the few at the top are completely illegal. Even if large numbers of people are taken in and send money to strangers, the supply of gullible people is sonn exhausted, and the scheme falls apart, leaving the late comers completely out of money. Some of these schemes claim they are legitimate multi-level marketing enterprises, and perhaps a few are. If you think you have a chance to make money based on a pyramidal sales organization, investigate it carefully with Better Business Bureaus and state Attorney General's ofices before you spend a cent. If its success depends on spamming large numbers with appeal by e-mail, think twice! Then think again! 

The 18-year-old virgins! The most recent money-making scam was the event, widely announced on the net, that two 18-year old virgins just out of high school, inspired by the recent birth of a baby, were going to lose their virginity on August 4th live on their web site. They "argued" that the launch of a baby is just as beautiful and educational as the birth of a baby. They stated that there are no commercial motives at all, and no one would make any money from their experience! Do you believe it? 

When you first visited their website in July at http://www.ourfirsttime.com, you would see slick professional pictures of a beautiful couple (it has now degenerated into a come-on for porn). If you look up ourfirsttime.com in InterNIC's WhoIs registry, you will find that it is registered to First Time Productions in Toluca Lake, CA. Toluca Lake is located halfway between Warner Bros. and Universal Studios in Hollywood, CA. Coincidence? 

The street address is shared by several other media related companies. The Administrative Contact is Oscar Wells. Consider that the War of the Worlds radio hoax, introduced by Orson Welles happened just 60 years ago. Phone book searches reveal that no Oscar Wells is listed in that part of California. Apparently Oscar Wells is a take-off of Orson Welles and perhaps Oscar Wilde. According to Mark Egan's Reuters report (no longer online), Oscar Wells is really Ken Tipton, who organized the whole event. Planned follow-up was to reveal AIDS tests for the couple and introduce the couple's commercial search for the best condom. Viewers were going to be asked to verify their ages and then pay $5 for the "privilege" of viewing the event. 

The event itself never took place; it was never intended to. The media finally caught on that it was a commercial hoax from the beginning, and debunked the whole thing. Still, the hoaxers got enormous publicity and millions of hits on the site--which is what they wanted from the beginning. 

 A lot of the hoaxes that spread around the net are nothing more than tall tales or jokes. Most of them are pretty obvious, but occasionally they get taken seriously. 

Infected bananas. A recent and rather realistic sounding hoax reports bananas infected by the horrid necrotizing fascitis and warns everyone to avoid bananas for the next three weeks. The report purports to be from the UC Riverside College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences. It lists real names and phone numbers at the College. It is a total fabrication, and the College denies it and asks everyone not to spread it. 

The Deadly Blush Spider Under the Toilet Seat. According to this story now making the rounds, a number of people died after visiting a restaurant near Chicago's Blare (!) Airport. It was traced to the deadly blush spider (a name for varicose veins, not spiders) which had taken up residence under the toilet seat in the rest room. It was verified by the nonexistent Journal of the United Medical Assoc (JUMA) and the Civil Aeronautics Board (abolished in 1984). 

Drug needles in coin return slots or theater seats. Making the rounds actively now is the tale that drug users are getting their kicks by putting their used needles in tele or vending machine coin return slots, putting everyone at risk of AIDS or hepatitis who checks for change. The warning is coming from a personal friend of a friend who was warned by an EMT conducting classes or who posted it on a company bulletin board. It sounds vaguely plausible until you investigate the story. There is never any docs of it actually happening. And the EMT is variously described as working for GE or the phone company or the fed govt. The warning started in SEA, NYC, or Wash, DC. An older variation of the story has drug users leaving their needles on theatre seats or even injecting theatre-goers. The inconsistencies are typical of net hoaxes, where those spreading the tale personalize it to give it more credibility. Perhaps this one was started by soneone who opposed govt issue of sterile needles to drug users. Don't spread this one, and if you receive it, straighten out the person who sent it to you.

Cars with Headlights Off are Murderous Gang Members. A hoax initiated in 1993 and thoroughly debunked then is going around again. It seems that new gang members must pass an initiation ritual by driving their car around with the headlights off. The first person who blinks their lights at them must be chased and shot at to pass the initiation. See the Urban Legends Reference Pages for doc on this one. 

Inet Clean-Up Day. On the lighter side, one of the most persistent tales through the years is annual Internet Clean-Up Day, usually on April 1st. According to the legend, once a year, all servers and terminals are shut down for a day while all stray files and data are cleaned out of the nets. Recipients of the notice are asked to shut down for that day so that they won't lose any data. One variation even asks people to cover their computers, modems, and phones with cloth or paper bags so that dirt won't spread around when they blow the lines clean. It's a good gag for newbies, and no one reading this would ever be taken in by it--or would they? 

The PluPerfect Virus. Wash Post columnist Bob Hirschfeld created a very funny gag on May 2, 1999 called the Pluperfect Virus or the Strunkenwhite Virus. This one supposedly would block all e-mail with grammatical or spelling errors in it, and it therefore had the potential to destroy the Internet. 

Stolen Kidneys. Another common legend is the guy who wakes up after a heavy night on the town in a bathtub filled with ice. There is a cellular phone alongside and a note telling him to dial 911 for help immediately. As he takes inventory of himself, he discovers there is a major incision on his backside. He had, according to the legend, one or both of his kidneys stolen. There is no truth to this legend. Donor kidneys are tracked very carefully, and there is no black market for kidneys. 

Lovers Lane Killer. Another legend that typically pops up around Halloween time is the couple who go parking in the local Lovers' Lane. As they snuggle together, they hear a report on the car radio that a Lover's Lane killer is active in the area. They don't know who he is, but he has a hook where his hand used to be, and he loves to sneak up and torture his victims with the hook. Scared by the report, they start up the car and drive home at high speed. Only when they stop the car do they discover the bloody hook affixed to the car door handle! Don't worry! This story is only true when Halloween occurs on Friday the 13th! Any other Halloween, you just have to worry about guys in hockey masks.

The $250 Cookie Recipe. Another Urban Legend is the tale of the $250 Neiman-Marcus cookie recipe, sometimes told about Mrs Fields or other cookie makers instead. As the story goes, the teller bought some wonderful cookies at Neiman-Marcus. He was so impressed that he called the company to ask if the recipe was for sale. The response over the phone was, "Yes, and we will sell it to you for two-fifty." Thinking that quite fair, the caller instructed them to put it on his credit card. To his horror, the next month's bill arrived with a charge for $250, not $2.50 as the caller assumed. Therefore, the storyteller is putting the recipe on the Internet and encouraging everyone to pass it along so no one else will get caught by the outrageous charge. It makes a good story, but it never happened. Neiman-Marcus doesn't sell cookies or recipes. Perhaps that is why the story has migrated to Mrs Fields and other cookie makers. 

Kurt Vonnegut Commencement Speech. A recent urban legend is that Kurt Vonnegut gave a speech to the 97 graduating class at MIT, advising them to wear sunscreen. The sunscreen tale was actually written by CHI Trib columnist Mary Schmich, but the MIT/Vonnegut version made the newswires, and was often reported as fact. It is worth reading, but it was not written by Kurt Vonnegut. 
 Bill Gates Stories. There are a number of tall tales told about Bill Gates. In various stories, he has bought the Catholic Church and the Vatican, he has bought the US Govt, and so on. These are pretty obviously jokes, but what about the chain letter going around that MS and Gates are testing a new e-mail system, and everyone who participates by following the instructions in the letter will receive $1000 for their help when the test is over? A lot of people have passed that one along, just in case. Microsoft denies it. 

GAP Giveaway. Similarly, the GAP is not giving away free clothes when you spread the word about a new order tracking system. 

Gerber Baby Foods Paying Off. Gerber Baby Foods is not distributing $500 savings bonds or any other amount to every child under 12 in settlement of a false advertising suit. But this rumor keeps making the rounds anyway. Gerber offers a possible explanation of the origin of this legend on their web site. 

Shampoos Cause Cancer. A chain letter is going around warning about shampoos containing the foaming agent sodium laureth sulfate, claimed to be a carcinogen. Its pseudo-scientific text claims that cancer rates have increased from 1 in 8000 to 1 in 3 in 10 years, which is not true, and it refers to stopping the nonexistent "cancer virus". It concludes with the usual entreaty to tell everyone. The letter was apparently started by a multi-level marketing company, warning people away from commercial shampoos, to help them sell their "safe" shampoos. 

Anti-Perspirants Cause Cancer. Similar to the shampoo scare, a chain letter is going around urging women to avoid anti-perspirants, because they cause cancer. It is full of pseudo-science that is easily refuted, and there is no research to support a relationahip. let alone, cause-and-effect. Not surprisingly, the primary web sites posting it are those that sell organic deodorants, and those that see a conspiracy in everything. 

AOL Riots. Reports of an AOL riot and virus infection due to occur on June 1, 2000--or is it May 1, 2000?--are a hoax, too. This one pops up every year. 

 The Federal Government provides a rich breeding ground for hoaxes. We are willing to believe all sorts of things about the government, and the hoaxers take full advantage of it. 

Postage for E-Mail. The notorious bill 602P going through Congress, sponsored by Congressman Schnell, will impose 5 cent postage on every e-mail message. The US Postal Service, seeing diminishing returns as a result of e-mail is lobbying to impose this tax to balance their budget. Or at least that is what a frequently circulated chain letter is claiming. 

There is no bill 602P (Congressional bills are not numbered that way) and there is no Congressman Schnell. But the chain letter pops up so often that there is a USPS disclaimer on their own web site. There is also a Canadian version of the same hoax. 

The Modem Tax. Warnings are often issued that the FCC is about to impose a modem tax on individuals. Variations of this have been circulated for years, always urging you to write the FCC or your congressman and tell everyone you know. Surprisingly, this was partially true for a while in 1997. The FCC did consider per minute modem charges on Internet Service Providers (ISPs), and entertained comments by e-mail. The issue was concluded in May 1997 with no new charges. It popped up again in 1998 and 1999 when someone apparently changed a date asking for comments by February 1997 and sent it around again with a current date instead. The FCC responded by posting the correct information in their THE FCC, INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS, AND ACCESS CHARGES page. 

Taxes on E-Commerce. The subject of taxes on Internet commerce does repeatedly come up in Congress. Before you spread rumors, realize that most of them are false. Inform yourself before spreading any stories. One of the giveaways that it is a hoax is the frequently used address http://www.house.gov/writerep/ or similar addresses in Congress. This is a legitimate address to communicate with your representative in Congress, but the hoaxes usually imply that the address was set up for you to communicate on that issue alone. 

The lesson to be learned here is to never pass along a scare story without checking the facts first. 

Veterans Benefit Payments. Another hoax that goes back about 30 years, but refuses to die is that Congress "recently" passed a bill authorizing cash payments for dividends on military insurance (SGLI or VGLI), and all veterans are eligible to apply for it. The truth is that a special dividend was voted in 1948 for WW II veterans who held National Service Life Insurance, but it does not apply to anyone today. Congress formally killed that program in 1970. SGLI and VGLI are group policies and pay no dividends. There are some VA active policies of other types that do pay dividends, but those are automatic, and no application is necessary. [see source] 

 Hoax Detection. This is the last of a series of seven pages on Hoaxes and Urban Legends. It summarizes the things you should do to spot hoaxes and stop them from spreading further. If you have not read the six preceding pages, go to the Beginning. 

In summary, if you receive a message that asks you to tell all your friends or comes to you with the appearance of a chain letter (lots of addresses and multiple quoted headers), it should be viewed with suspicion. Take the time to check the facts. 

For virus warnings, it only takes a minute to check out Computer Incident Advisory Committee or Symantec Anti-Virus Research Center. Remember that the FCC does not issue virus warnings. 

If a charitable organization is mentioned like the American Cancer Society or the Children's Make-A-Wish Foundation, check their web sites first. Use a search engine, if necessary, to find their sites. 

If missing children are mentioned, check The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. 

Chain letters in general violate the rules of most Internet Providers. Pyramid money-making schemes are usually illegal. If they make a point of assuring you that they are legitimate, they probably are not. 

Resist passing along second-hand information to mailing lists and newsgroups unless they are substantiated and on target for the purpose of the list or newsgroup. Do virus warnings, even if legitimate, really belong in most mailing lists or newsgroups? Do they belong in chain letters? When you do uncover a hoax, send the facts back to the person who "informed" you. 

If you want to read a lot more about hoaxes and urban legends, visit the alt.folklore.urban and urban legends archive or tour the Urban Legends and Folklore Web Ring. 

So when you receive a chain letter asking you to send a get well cookie recipe to every congressman on Internet Clean-Up Day or a message that tells you to send a virus to everyone you know to support making money fast for stolen kidney research, think twice. Check the facts, and avoid making an April Fool of yourself. 

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