I scam, therefore I am

Posted by Robert Siciliano on March 18th, 2009

Robert Siciliano is a NextAdvisor.com Expert Guest Blogger

What is going on in the news today that I can use to scam you? Is there a flood? People love to donate to fake charities when there are victims involved.

I don't have a job. I'm essentially unemployed. However, I do have a career. And it involves figuring out ways to get others to pay me. Every day I perform tasks to bring eyeballs to what I'm offering, selling or trying to get. What is this vocation? Scammer.

I work all over the world. I travel and meet interesting people. I like what I do; every day is a new and exciting opportunity.

There's a sucker born every minute. Today I'm looking for you. And I'll find you.

All day, every day my one goal is to get you to part with your hard earned dollars.

Here is just one day's worth of reports of my activities:

Scammers hawk man's house on Craigslist
Man who owns a rental home in Dennisport found scammers offering up his home for rent…

Online scammers create fake local news to attract your clicks

Transferring money for someone else

If you agree to take part, the scammer could use your account details to clean out your savings. It's a great way to steal an identity. But there are ways to protect yourself.

Scammers customize news to deliver you malware
These scammers use IP address geolocation techniques to figure out where the recipient lives. They use that information to localize fake bomb news.

Scammers using Twitter to get your information
The SC Department of Consumer Affairs is warning Twitter users to be on the lookout for scams, particularly phishing scams.

Scammers target animal lovers in classified ads
This time, the scammers lure in their victims with the offer of cute pets to tug at their heartstrings.

Officials say scammers taking advantage of people seeking jobs
State officials are warning about scams affecting those seeking jobs during the current economic downturn.

Stimulus money scammers target families
As soon as the government's big stimulus package was approved, scammers got on the Internet and started trying to get their hands on the money.

Art dealers accused of rigging appraisal
He was the consummate con man. He created the impression that he had a huge collection of wonderful paintings.

Scams abound, costing locals tens of thousands
The victim is approached by the con man holding a wallet or bag containing cash. The con man shows the money to the victim and asks if it belongs to her, a way of breaking the ice to set up the scam.

More than 1000 women conned by rogue marriage agency
One woman was conned into offering her life savings, while another was duped into sleeping with a man by a rogue marriage agency.

Lightning rod scam zaps local elderly couple
Officials fear the lightning rod installer may be scamming other elderly couples.

Residents affected by scammers washing checks
They take that check made out to CPL, with your signature and wash off the name and amount.

I worked hard today. It's a hard way to make an easy living. But it was fun and always funny to see you get all bent out of shape when I read about you in the news. Tomorrow is another day, and another scam.

See Robert Siciliano, identity theft speaker, discussing scams here.

Robert Siciliano is CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com , an identity theft expert, professional speaker, security analyst, published author and television news correspondent. Siciliano works with Fortune 1000 companies and startups as an advisor on product launches, branding, messaging, representation, SEO and media. Siciliano's thoughts and advice on all these matters appear often in both the televised and print news media including CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, FOX, Forbes and USA Today. He has 25 years of security training as a member of the American Society of Industrial Security. He is the author of 2 books, including The Safety Minute: Living on High Alert; How to take control of your personal security and prevent fraud. He's also partnered with Uni-Ball to help raise awareness about the growing threat of identity theft and to provide tips on how you can protect yourself.

• Identity Theft Expert Answers: Robert Siciliano of IDTheftSecurity.com
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