Being the gateway to the Internet is not the only purpose that search engines serve. Search engines are also the first tool that potential customers use to find the products, services, and information they need on the internet.

For this reason, link popularity is very imperative. Heres why: If customers do not find your website, your chances of maximizing your online sales are slim to none.

Id bet you are wondering what is the importance of the popularity of a link! Heres your one word answer -plenty-! Link popularity refers to the ranking assigned to your website by the search engines, and it determines the ranking your page gets when keywords are entered into a search engine. So, I am sure you are next question would probably be Well, how do I make my link popular?

Good question. Search engines are discretionary, giving status and ranking to sites that have links to their pages from related, quality sites. It’s a really simple formula, but a very important one. Google created the system, and now virtually all the most popular search engines employ the same formula to rank your web pages in their indexes.

The more commonly used your keyword is, the harder it will be to achieve link popularity. Without achieving this very important step, it is almost certain your site wont ever rank highly on any search engine. However, before you get discouraged, consider the fact that there are tried and true ways of achieving link popularity using only the most competitive keywords.

There are a few things to keep in mind. Link popularity is not achieved by just linking up with a large number of other websites. In fact, it may backfire and have quite the opposite effect.

Most typically this is true when pertaining to websites that contain line after line of indiscriminate links, or “link farms”. It has been the tendency of search engines to aggressively discriminate against your website if you are associated with a link farm, so stay away from them!

The next thing to consider is the quality of the site you are linking to. Do not ever link to a page that you would have reservations about your visitors seeing. That would make your site look cheap and indiscriminate, which I do not think would be the look to go for. Linking to sites of poor quality not only fail to increase your link popularity, it may just destroy it altogether.

So let’s get right to it. Lets discuss what you need to do to achieve supreme link popularity and improve your rankings to stellar status on all the popular search engines.

The first step, and the fastest way to get your foot in the door, is to get a listing in a popular directory, such as Open Directory Project and Yahoo. If your site is business-related, you will want to be listed on Yahoo, and despite the fact that it will cost you around 0 a year, it will be money well spent, and you most assuredly wont regret it.

The listing is free if your site is noncommercial, but it takes time and follow-up to actually get it listed. Open Directory is another popular director. It gives you a free listing whether you are business-related or non-commercial. However, be prepared to make a lot of follow-up inquiries before you see your site listed.

Getting listed on the lightest level of appropriate category takes some common sense. Heres what I mean: Lets say your company ships Alpaca wool from an Alpaca farm located in the middle of Nowhere, Tiny State. Do NOT submit your listing to “Retailers from Nowhere, Tiny State.” HUGE MISTAKE!

You have to look a little deeper and think a little bigger. You would submit your listing to the “Fine Alpaca Wool” category. This is doubly effective because not only will you associate yourself with culture and quality, but you will also be listed in a national category.

The next step after having attained directory listings, is to locate other quality sites that will increase your link popularity and link with them. Finding quality sites that are in some way related to yours increases your link popularity in addition to expanding your customer base. Of course you want to avoid your competitors and look for sites that are useful to your site’s visitors.

Let’s look at the Alpaca Wool site example again. Linking up to a site that sells knitting supplies would be helpful to your visitors, and the chances of the knitting supply site wanting to link up to your site are also greater.

As a result of your linking to a related site thats relevant to your web site’s traffic, you are increasing both companies site’s business prospects – and both companies sites’ link popularity. Teamwork makes the dream work.

Before we all break out and sing We Are The World, lets keep in mind that not all sites want to link to other sites. Proper research is necessary when you are looking for possible linking partners, and theres no better place than Google to start your search. Make sure you enter keywords that you think quality customers will also enter to find your site.

Also remember your criteria are: quality, highly ranked, non-competing websites that have a links or resources page. Go to these sites and objectively assess them. Look at the level of quality of the product, the graphics, and the ease of use. Then check out the other sites they are linked to, and determine how well or if your own site would fit in with the crowd.

Not unlike dating, when you decide you have found a good prospect, you must set out to woo them. The first thing to do is to add a link on your own links page to their site. This is a very important first step; it not only shows good faith, but it also ups your chances significantly of their reciprocity.

After adding their link, contact the webmaster of their site. This is almost always done by email, so you want to make sure it is immediately clear that your message is not junk mail (EVERYBODY hates junk mail). With this in mind, there is a requirement that you tell them right off the bat that you have added a link to their page on your site. A hook like this almost always insures the reader will read on.

Again, not unlike dating, be sure to be flattering and let them know how much you appreciate their website. Emphasize that you have actually visited their site, and that time and consideration went into your picking their site. Give them the address of your links page, and ask them to check out the link for themselves.

Be sure to mention that they will not only benefit from the increased traffic your website will direct their way, but you will also increase their link popularity. Briefly, explain why link popularity is so essential, but do this in a sentence or two or you will come off like a professor! Finally, tell them reciprocally adding your link on their own website would be as appreciated as it would be mutually beneficial.

Repeat this process with as many appropriate sites as you can find, bearing in mind the criteria of quality and non-competitiveness. After emailing all relevant sites, remember to check these website frequently to see if they have added a link to your page. Give it about four weeks, and if no link appears, try another charming email.

Then give it another four weeks, and if your site is still missing from their links page, it’s time to remove their link from your own links page. The only time you want to pursue a link any further than this is if you believe a site is absolutely crucial to your link popularity and your business needs. Remember to keep all your communications professional, complimentary, and cordial.

Set up a consistent schedule to check your ranking in the search engines to see if your link popularity has improved. This is not an over-night process. Just like anything else worth having, it will take some time and a good deal of work. There is no escaping the labor-intensive quality of improving your link popularity, which is why search engines regard it with such importance, and so should you.

I thought this might go without saying, but to be on the safe side – make sure you have a beautiful, streamlined site or you will never persuade anyone to link up to you. Just as you would not link up with a bad looking or poor quality site. Considering that in most cases nothing worth having comes easy, be prepared to keep plugging away at this process until you reach your goals.

I’d be a zillionaire if I earned a dollar each time someone complains that all the great domain names are already taken. It’s just not true, however. Even in a highly competitive industry, you can think up original, appealing domain names for businesses by using naming tactics that few people use, such as these:

1. Focus on results. What is the outcome or end result that people want to have from buying a certain product or service? How do they feel when they have finished the transaction?

2. Look for puns. Make a list of relevant keywords, say each out loud and play around with the sounds. Puns are much less likely than other kinds of names to have been registered because their component parts are not actual words. For instance, the name Sitesfaction, for a web design company, was a finalist in our first naming contest – and an available domain at that time despite tens of thousands of web design firms in the English-speaking world.

3. Think slang. Let your imagination and memory fly around for pleasing-to-the-ear expressions. As of today, the domain WhatABoyToys.com for an online toy store is unregistered, as is a domain for its sister store WhatAGirlToys.com.

4. Go symbolic. Suppose you’re an expert on the horror genre and want to start a paid online community for horror fans. Fearrific.com, feargate.com and Fearrnet.com are all taken, but as of today, the less obvious and more vivid AllTheHorror.com is not.

5. Vary real words. “Google’s name is a play on the word googol, which refers to the number 1 followed by one hundred zeroes,” says the Press Center of the world’s most successful search engine. “The word was coined by the nine-year-old nephew of mathematician Edward Kasner,” it continues – providing another hint for creative naming: consult a kid.

6.  Use a Domain Name Suggestion Tool, such as the one available at Gossimer.com.  This tool will help you find and register good domain names. Enter the word / phrase / domain name that you are looking for in the below search box and click on the “Suggest” Button to generate a list of suggested domain names. To specify multiple words or phrases use a space between words.

Happy Naming!

When your blog or site is on the “right age” by having some decent traffic from your marketing investment, then it’s time for you to be acquainted with affiliate programs which will help you add more bucks to your account and support your growing old needs.

Choosing an Affiliate Program has never been an easy task for many people, especially to those new in the e-commerce. The Internet is full of scoundrels and scams, and the hype is so tempting that the gullible affiliates become their prey. Be an Affiliate Program “scam filter”. Here are some points you may want to consider before finally saying “I do” to an affiliate program which may already look very appealing to you:

Affiliate Program Love at First Sight is Not Always True

When it comes to online marketing, you need to remember that the first affiliate program you come across is actually not the best. This can be a costly mistake that you can commit in the end. Before deciding to “tie the knot”, the first thing that you need to do in order to determine the legitimacy of the affiliate program is to try out and “date” their product or services. This could mean extra work for you but it sure is the right thing to do. There are still other ways by which you can conduct a research or investigation on the program. Likewise, you need to be wary of scam sites as well.

Find Your Site’s True Match

The product or service should be relevant to your website. It will be impractical to promote a product or service that has no relation to your site at all, since your visitors will just click away the moment they enter your site. If your business is focused on search engine optimization, then do not choose products that focus on pet products and wedding items.

Generally, affiliate programs seem to work better when links to the merchant site are woven into the content and character of your site. Successful affiliate-marketers do that and usually write product reviews and put their affiliate links within the articles or content of their website.

Go for the Rich and Generous

All things being equal, you ought to look for affiliates who offer rich and generous commission. Most Affiliate Programs provide a commission of 5% to 50%.

The commission you earn for the sale of a product is your income. So while choosing an affiliate program, you should study the commission paid out and decide o­n a program that decently pay its partner-marketers. Some of these are Amazon.com (5% and 15%), Drugstore.com (15%) and the whopping 58% commission from KeywordSpy.com.

Check Payment Frequency

How often will you receive your commission payout? This is another important question that should be considered. You should avoid any program that requires too many sales to reach the minimum amount. Most reputable online institutions pay their affiliates monthly, or when they accumulate a minimum commission of or $ 100 and send them via PayPal, check and wired bank transfer.

Affiliate Reports

The Affiliate Program you should be joining should have a web-interface where you can log-in, for you to view the real-time statistics on your affiliate account. This will let you know if you are generating clicks and sales and if you are reaping the fruits of your marketing efforts.

Affiliate Resources

Aside from Affiliate Reports, a good affiliate program assist its affiliates by providing a whole range of tools and resources such as banners, text links, sample articles and other training materials for their affiliates. They don’t just leave their affiliates hanging and do their own stuff, but instead they make affiliate life much easier by providing the necessary promotional tools.

Safe and Secured Programs

It is always logical to join affiliate programs that are secure, safe and have positive reputation in the World Wide Web. This can be easily verified from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) or other similar institutions. It is also advisable to visit forums and do some testimonial research on the quality of affiliate programs you are eyeing.

Tracking System

The Affiliate Program should have advanced tracking system to record all the sales and clicks made through your affiliate links and banners. If possible, a lifetime tracking cookie should be available to trace your affiliate progress on your website, e-mails and other advertisement forms.

Understand their Terms and Agreement

Finally, you must read and understand the Terms and Agreement before you join as an affiliate even if it happens to be the best website in the world. You should be careful of company program loopholes which can be hiding in their contract with you because you are the one to regret if it’s only them can benefit from your hard work.

Choosing an Affiliate Program that is right for you might be a little time consuming but a worthwhile process. Going through the above considerations and tips will also be a learning curve for savvy online marketers who are serious about starting a successful affiliate relationship with “worth it” affiliate programs.

In the end, it all boils down to your decision. Really, you own the online court, and what you need to know is how to give a good shot and let the sweet point fall for the affiliate program that is best for you.

In today world on internet we see many ads almost on all big and small sites targeting anti spam software and anti spam appliances. They force us to purchase and download anti spam appliance and anti spam software to get rid from spamming and spam mails.

But many of us are not aware from spamming, spam mails and what are the bad effects of all these? How to use and choose anti spam software and anti spam appliances to get rid all of these. This is necessary to know first, what is your need, before using anti spam software and anti spam appliance. So here you would get proper information about spamming, spam mail, anti spam appliance and anti spam software.

Spam mails are those mails which you get in your mail box by many marketers, banks, shopping malls etc. These mails consists many exciting offers to attract you. These are the unwanted emails which you get in mail box. Main reason for these kinds of mails is that it is the easiest and cheapest way of internet marketing. Many internet marketers collect the data of email ID’s then they send mails with various offers to these mail ID’s. Every day you get many mails in your mail box. But due to these spam mails you are not able to find and read your personal and important mails by send your relatives, friends and partners. These spam mails make you irritate and you avoid checking your mailbox. Spam mails are also known as junk mails, bulk mails, business mails and unsolicited junk e-mail.

Main drawback of these kinds of mails is that they disturb your computer’s personal information. Some of spam mails contain spyware. These spyware take your IP address and always try to change your personal information and harm your computer security. This is a very serious matter raised by the spam mails.

The unwanted commercial e-mail, known as Spam, is turning out to be an acute threat for the organizations and even individual users. In present time, spam, or the unsolicited junk e-mail, has become one of the biggest hazard intimidating the Web world, and removing this menace from the computers has become a ‘task’ in itself. As per expert researches, worldwide, the cost of spam varies from millions to billions of dollars. All the security companies and researchers are working hard to find out ways to get rid of this ever-increasing giant and integrate spam filters into popular mail systems like Microsoft Exchange Server 2000, 2003 and 2007.

www.itanetworks.com offers many anti spam software and anti spam appliance for more popular mail systems like Microsoft Exchange Server 2000, 2003 and 2007. At www.itanetworks.com you could download all the anti spam software and anti spam appliance for free trial.

visit www.itanetworks.com

A lot of people have decided to become “graphic designers” without the proper training needed to actually succeed. Because of this, companies and their SEO rankings are suffering.

Some web designers build beautiful websites but aren’t functional, and then there are others who find it necessary to use every graphic design tool available – making a website pretty but unusable.

Even though a start-up business may think that they cannot hire a well-known designer, actually there is no correlation between good web design and dollars. It is very much possible to spend lots of money and then not be satisfied with the finished product. Companies should take a look at a designer’s past work or portfolio before committing to their services.

In the Search Engine Optimization and web design world, ugly does not sell! According to Search Engine Optimization for Dummies: 3rd edition, ugly can be the following:

Color combinations that do not work for a website Cutesy backgrounds that look – cutesy, not professional Unorganized page layouts that look very amateur Awful typeface choices that make the pages close to unreadable Combinations of fonts and colors that make the text close to unreadable – such as white text on black backgrounds Clunky, unprofessional images and photos

Companies such as CODANK Charlotte Web Design provide potential clients with a web portfolio of all of their past and present projects. You can view CODANK’s portfolio here. Giving potential clients the opportunity to see their work allows for a fair judgment. View a web designer’s work and then you make the decision of if they are worth hiring.

About CODANK Charlotte Web Design

CODANK is a top Charlotte Web Design and Internet Marketing Company located in Charlotte, NC. The company is dedicated to providing a broad range of web design services. CODANK specializes in Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Graphic Design, Online Marketing, and Web Design and Development.

For more information, visit CODANK Charlotte Web Design and Internet Marketing Company at www.codank.com

You may imagine a world wide web where there is no more spam. That would be wonderful. However, the reality is that the spamming operations of a relatively small number of internet users result in the massive amounts of spam that are being sent on a daily basis. Sad, but true. It takes only one fly in your soup to make you complain to the waiter.

If you want to be free of spam, you should at least use some kind of spam filter for your computer. A spam blocker is a software application that scans and orders your incoming e-mail messages and attempts to filter out unwanted messages. A spam blocker is normally not 100% effective, but it takes a lot of the manual work in reading through and deleting unsolicited e-mails off your hands.

There are numerous free anti spam software that you may consider using. This can help you to clean up your inbox by removing junk mail easily. You may do a search engine search for the keyphrase ‘free anti spam’ and review each of the results until you find a free spam blocker software you like.

An example of a free spam blocker is POPfile. This is a good e-mail POP and NNTP proxy that filters out junk mail while ordering your normal mail.

It is important that you learn the basics concerning how to stop spam. Be sure to install and use a spam filter for all your e-mail addresses. This will help you get closer to no more spam in your inbox.

You probably already know that spam is unwanted, but is it illegal? A big problem with spam law is that the world wide web has grown so quickly. Spam law has been lagging behind and is still a bit confused about what is considered to be spam and what is not. Just remember that junk mail is illegal when unsolicited as well as sent in bulk.

Email spam wastes a lot of time and inbox space. This is true for individuals as well as big companies. Companies and individuals want to deal with junk mail safely and easily. This has created a big need for effective anti-spam software.

Stopping spam is proving to be difficult. If the anti spam law of one country makes it too difficult to work there, the spam gangs simply relocate to a different country with a weaker spam law.

You may need a spam filter if you desire to be free of spam mail. Spam blocker software blocks messages it decides is junk mail and keeps them from appearing in your inbox. It may accidentally block messages you wanted to read, but on the whole it is quite useful.

You can help the fight to eliminate spam by using a spam filter or complaining to your internet service provider about it. Also, never respond to any spam email you receive. Spammers are after all criminals engaging in unlawful behavior. This may help us towards a world wide web with no more spam.

The typical form of newsletter is a one-way communication where you provide information to customers, such as product updates and announcements. Creating a successful newsletter can be extremely rewarding. Subscribers and customers respond with glowing feedback, online sales jump and your customer relationships and brand loyalty deepens. Here are some useful tips that might help in creating a successful newsletter.

Define Success

Ask yourself “What is the purpose of your newsletter?” A newsletter is a substantial investment of company resources in terms of time and energy, and you need to define in as tangible terms as possible the purpose of your Newsletter.

Voice and Personality

Establish a voice or editorial personality–whether newsy, serious, gossipy or funny–that is synergistic with the image you want to portray and connects with your audience. Remember that e-mail newsletters aren’t e-mail promotions designed to stimulate immediate action. Sales and promotional copy don’t suit e-newsletters. Nor does the traditional tone of broadcast corporate communications. Think of your newsletter as a one-on-one conversation. Just imagine sitting in a coffee shop talking informally with a customer. That’s the starting point for your approach–a more personable and appropriate “human” voice will come naturally. Drop the jargon, drop the sales pitch, be as honest as you can, and talk like a human being. You can have as much or as little personality as is appropriate. Consider adding a brief editorial, a comment or two, an editor’s note, a couple of lines of commentary, a touch of opinion; adding a little human element here and there. Sign editorials, give authors a byline, or list some names down in the administrative section of each issue to which your readers can relate to.

“From” Line

Whether it’s a person’s name, name of the newsletter or company name, determine what will resonate best with your readers and stay with it.

“Subject” Line

“Vol. 1, Issue #8″ or “Company News” are not enticing subject lines. They are certainly consistent and simple, but they don’t tell your readers anything that will motivate them to open your e-mail. Your subject line is your calling card–entice your readers with the most interesting or intriguing information in your Newsletter. Use attractive headlines as a means to summarize a section of content.

Style/Format

Establish a format and layout of your Newsletter that is clean and simple, with elements of the Newsletter (table of contents, “Tips”, subscription information, etc. located in the same spot each issue).

Content and Relevancy

Figure out what your readers want and give it to them. Seek continuous improvement by obtaining reader feedback and monitoring click-through rates to determine what types of articles are most popular. Another dilemma that we all confront is too much information and too little time. The newsletter’s job is to keep readers on top of trends and the latest developments in the industry. Aim for articles and feature stories to meet one of the following criteria by including either: major industry occurrences, forward thinking industry ideas, education on issues or new techniques, or business opportunities.

Whether your customers work out of a corporate or home office, or employees need answers to questions and tips for improving business activities, e-newsletters provide you with an opportunity to point out work inefficiencies, and share relevant best practice. When you create a newsletter, try changing your focus from selling products and services to solving your customers’ problems. Think about what they need and give options they don’t know exist.

The greatest thing about the electonic medium is that you can quickly add new hyperlinks and include updates on old material should new information surface without incurring another round of cost for a new issue (that happens in the real world).

Don’t Wait Till the Last Minute

Begin compiling newsletter information in advance. Ask fellow marketers to contribute articles. One great source of information is none other than your inbox where you can quickly search for worthy nuggets from the past week and relay the same essence in your own words.

Quality Sources

Where can you get quality content for your newsletter?

1. Article directories like ezinearticles.com or findarticles.com. Also get articles from yahoogroups. The downside to this is that you need to include the author’s signature or resource box.

2. Forums. One of the most dynamic and updated places on the Internet is where people write off the cuff and in real-time. Thread after thread, reply after reply of the latest information comes off the minds of forum participants. Combine interesting topics and reword them into an original article.

3. Again, your own inbox right under your nose. Whatever other marketers are writing or selling about, use them to your own advantage and recreate them as your own.

4. Your own insights are really your best resources. When you have passion, you will never stop talking about what you know. Be consistent at no. 4 and soon enough you will find a way to mold yourself into an expert. Continue to expand your knowledge database and add value to it.

Graphics

Use graphics that print well on your printer. Using a good mix of photographs and art work makes for interesting copy. Too many graphics can leave the newsletter looking cluttered.

Frequency

Determine how frequently your readers want to hear from you/receive your newsletter–and what you can commit to. As a rule, a weekly newsletter is ideal. However, don’t launch a weekly newsletter if you are not absolutely certain that you can distribute a quality Newsletter every week. A fortnightly newsletter is a good option too.

Length

A newsletter should be a quick read. Readers expect to finish reading it in 4 to 5 minutes. Short articles increase the probability that your reader will find something of interest to them.

Timing

Test and pick a day and time that works best…and stick to it. Readers should almost be able to set their watches by the receipt time of your Newsletter.

Penetration

You have the option of formatting your e-mail by including colorized text and a variety of fonts, but not all e-mail software supports HTML mail. Consider writing your newsletter in plain text or offer two mailing lists–one for plain text mailings and the other for HTML e-mail.

Make it Viral

Provide information readers can act on or that stimulates reaction–forwarding it to friends and peers, stimulating purchases or requests for additional information. Make it easy for readers to forward articles and information to peers and friends. Provide a “Tell a Friend” link that enables readers to forward the Newsletter with a personalized note.

Search

Make it easy to find articles of interest and back issues. Provide a table of contents and links to articles within the newsletter and to resources and past articles on your site.

Printability

If you want to give readers an option to print, consider providing “printer-friendly formats” on your website. Make sure your newsletter is physically readable. Avoid anything less than 12 point fonts for the article text. Fancy fonts may look good but can be hard to read when printed. Heading and text fonts should be consistent throughout the newsletter.

If you lack experience in print media, seek out assistance if you know someone in the field. If not, don’t worry–the abovementioned basic principles apply. Plan to research your material thoroughly and avoid factual or editing errors, as they will make you seem less credible.

Personalize

At the very least, address the reader by name. The most successful newsletters have a human being associated with them…and a personality. If possible, your Newsletter should be “written by a person” at your company…not the company.

Language

Not everyone has the range and depth of vocabulary as teachers and linguists do. Use words that are easy to understand, and if you do use technical terms, provide a definition that people can relate to. There is nothing more frustrating then a definition that makes less sense than the word itself. Just write in layman terms and keep it short, simple and straightforward.

Spelling and Grammar Check

Sending out copy with numerous errors creates a negative image to your readers. Aside from using a spell checker, have an outsider edit your final copy for readability, grammar and content.

Test and Track

Test the Newsletter on few e-mail addresses to check for errors and other issues before sending to the entire distribution list. Keep track of results and reactions to your newsletter to come to an understanding for further tweaks and corrections.

Lastly, to summarise the key fundamental features of an e-newsletter, make sure you include:

* Table of Contents

* Hyperlinks for customers who want more information for a featured topic

* Exciting secrets or tips related to your product or service

* Contact information

E-newsletters can take up a good amount of time if not managed correctly. The use of a list server (a piece of software that runs on your Internet provider’s computer or on your own web server) is a good option. It will automatically manage a list of e-mail addresses. Once you send your newsletter to the list server, it distributes the letter to the stored addresses. For more information on list servers, contact your Internet service provider. If you opt to use another method, make sure you have a plan for handling incoming and outgoing mail when your customer base increases.

In conclusion, your newsletter can serve as an extension of your business that will reach out to your customers. It will allow you to maintain regular contact with them and serve as an effective and rewarding addition to your marketing arsenal. These tips should help you put it all together and help you create an exceptional newsletter.

Companies spend billions of dollars each year combating spam. Billions more is spent with the loss of productivity, having to purchase additional equipment, software, and man hours filtering through unwanted spam, and fixing problems directly related from spam. Direct effects of spam are the consumption of network and computer resources, data and intellectual property theft, identity theft, infection from virus and malware infection, and more.

When most people think of spam, they are thinking of the unsolicited emails sitting in their inbox that is time consuming to clean up. However, there are many more different types of spam; instant messaging spam, chat spam, newsgroup and forum spam, even cell phone spam, blogs and guestbook spam, video sharing spam, video gaming spam, mail bombing, and non-commercial spam. Email and Internet spam is frustrating and sometimes embarrassing when pornography pops up in front of grandma.

Why would someone want to send out so many annoying messages or pop-ups and what is the benefit for a spammer? A spammer expects total profit and if even only small percentages of people respond or make a purchase from the spam message, the spammer stands to make a bunch of money. Other non-commercial spammers are criminals seeking banking information, committing fraud, and have even lured people to their own kidnappings and murders. Competitors might use spam as a denial of service to your website to flood the viewer of your website with a ton of pop-ups and make it impossible to view the site. This is another malicious way spammers attack.

So what can you do to protect your email and be able to surf the Internet without the unwanted pop-ups and phishing sites stealing your information? There are two solutions; Mozilla Firefox for your web browser and Anti-Spam Software for your email. These two solutions will provide the protection you need without having to worry anymore.

Having a positive Internet and email experience is what everyone wants. Mozilla wants this for everyone too. Mozilla is a non-profit organization who is dedicated to making your online experience incredible. They offer their web browser Firefox free of charge. Firefox is available to all Windows, Mac, and Linux platforms, in over 35 different languages. This web browser has integrated protection from spam, pop-ups, and phishing protection that tells you when you have accessed a website that is looking for information.

Mozilla Firefox is the leading web browser because they care about what the user wants. This browser allows you to personalize it the way you want it. Firefox includes a spell checker and search engine suggestions. It also includes a session restore so when you lose your Internet connection and have to sign online again, Firefox will take you back to the exact webpage from where your session terminated. That way, you don’t have to spend hours finding where you were before. Firefox even has accessibility features that integrate with Microsoft’s accessibility features in Windows for people with physical impairments to easily surf the web without having too many keystrokes to get to the site they want.
The best quality of Mozilla’s Firefox is the protection. Unlike Internet Explorer, Firefox has a button to clear private data so the browser doesn’t keep personal information. It also automatically updates itself. This is much better than having to go to Microsoft’s website to install the latest security updates and patches.
Anti-Spam Software can be found at www.antispampage.com. This useful tool provides the email protection you need with a user-friendly interface, which makes it simple to setup. Anti-spam software is learning software. This means, you teach it what is spam and what is not. Eventually, you will not be receiving anymore spam in your inbox. This software will block incoming spam before it even reaches your inbox and automatically delete malicious viruses. Anti-spam is compatible with Windows platforms 98, ME, 2000, and XP. 24-hour technical support is provided and 100% satisfaction or you are entitled to a full refund. Millions of users worldwide are using Anti-spam software and they couldn’t be happier.
Don’t allow unwanted spam, pop-ups, and phishing sites ruin your computing experience. Using a smart web browser like Mozilla Firefox and Anti-spam Software are the best ingredient for total protection on your computer.

Putting the axe to spam, viruses, malware, and other unwanted annoyances are only a couple steps away if you have the right tools. But until then you join millions of others fighting a losing war.

The Internet has improved the lives of millions if not billions of people around the world in a number of ways in the few short years that it has existed. In addition to lower prices on a vast array of consumer products as well as greater choice in terms of what we buy, it has also connected businesses and potential clients in ways that were unimaginable only a few years ago. Naturally, this has also led to remarkable innovation in outsourcing and the efficient delegation and division of labour across borders. However, in some cases working with business partners in the same locale, such as Hertford, makes more sense in the long run than with one half a world away. The following will explain why working with a local, Hertford based, web design company will add more value to your online presence than working with one based overseas.

In many cases, outsourcing certain aspects of your online business and e-commerce ventures saves money on mundane, unsophisticated tasks that nevertheless need to be taken care of. As we all can attest, technical support over the telephone has only benefited from moving overseas. In all seriousness however, a long distance web design company will not always deliver the attention to detail, workmanship and knowledgeable advice that a local design company can provide. When it comes to top-notch web design, Search Engine Optimisation and Public Relations work, web professionals with a local perspective and edge are the better bet as far as return on investment is concerned.

Often times, support from afar can be adequate on paper, but for some reason this never pans out when you actually need it. When is the last time you called customer support for anything and have actually been helped within 10 minutes? A local web design company can often be called upon at any time and you can get face-to-face meetings if need be. It’s more responsive, timely and an overall better idea to rely on web designers that aren’t located far from home. The importance of face-to-face communication and working together with a design company in the same room when it comes to getting the design just right etc means working with a local design company, based in Hertford for example, can work out to be very beneficial to your online business.

Establishing a thriving web presence for your off-line business storefront involves an immense amount of promotion and effort. Despite having nearly the sum total of human knowledge available to me through one avenue or another via the World Wide Web, there are certain intangible aspects of other cultures and communities I’ll never be able to fully absorb by surfing the Internet alone. A local web design company will have local web design experts and they will have better success with tweaking advertisement campaigns and obtaining the best conversion ratios for your promotional efforts, turning prospective clients into actual ones.

A locally based web design company and locally based marketing firms, such as those based in Hertford, will have a far better grasp of what it will take to grow and improve your business in a specific niche market. In the rush to cut corners and shave off unnecessary costs, many businesses make the mistake of being penny-wise and pound-foolish. Just because you can save money in the short run by cutting costs doesn’t mean you’re making the right choice in the long run. Marketing, positive public relations and brand awareness for whatever business you run are more important than ever on a level playing field where customers can choose from a wide variety of service providers anywhere in the world.

Incoming search terms for the article:

• copyright © 2012 all trademarks are the property of the respective trademark owners

Do you receive lots of junk email messages from people you don’t know? It’s no surprise if you do. As more people use email, marketers are increasingly using email messages to pitch their products and services. Some consumers find unsolicited commercial email – also known as “spam” – annoying and time consuming; others have lost money to bogus offers that arrived in their email in-box.

Chamber of Commerce.com has information about the Federal Trade Commission’s recent law enforcement actions against deceptive commercial email and spammers’ responsibilities under the CAN-SPAM law. In the “For Consumers” section, you’ll find tips on how to reduce the amount of spam email in your in-box.

If you get spam email that you think is deceptive, forward it to spam@uce.gov. The FTC uses the spam stored in this database to pursue law enforcement actions against people who send deceptive email.

E-mail spam is not just unwanted-it can be offensive. Pornographic spam provokes many consumer complaints. Decrease the number of spam e-mails you receive by making it difficult for spammers to get and use your e-mail address.

  Don’t use an obvious-mail – like “JaneDoe@isp.com.” Instead use one with numbers or other digits such as Jane4oe6@isp.com
  Use one e-mail address for close friends and family and another for everyone else. – Free addresses are available from Hotmail and Yahoo! You can also get a disposable forwarding address from www.spammotel.com. If an address attracts too much spam, get rid of it and establish a new one.
  Don’t post your e-mail address on a public web page. – Spammers use software that harvests text addresses. Substitute “janedoe at isp.com” for the “janedoe@isp.com.” Or display your address as a graphic image, not text.
  Don’t enter your address on a web site before you check its privacy policy.
  Uncheck any check boxes. – These often grant the site or its partners permission to contact you.
  Don’t click on an e-mail’s “unsubscribe” link – unless you trust the sender. This action tells the sender you’re there.
  Never forward chain letters, petitions, or virus warnings. – All could be a spammer’s trick to collect addresses.
  Disable your e-mail “preview pane.” – This stops spam from reporting to its sender that you’ve received it.
  Choose an Internet Service Provider (ISP) that filters e-mail. – If you get lots of spam, your ISP may not be filtering effectively.
  Use spam-blocking software. – Web browser software often includes free filtering options. You can also purchase special software that will accomplish this task.
  Report spam. – Notify your ISP so it is aware what kind of spam is slipping through its filters. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) also wants to know about “unsolicited commercial email.” Forward spam to uce@ftc.gov.

You’ve Got Spam: How to “Can” Unwanted Email

Do you receive lots of junk email messages from people you don’t know? It’s no surprise if you do. As more people use email, marketers are increasingly using email messages to pitch their products and services. Some consumers find unsolicited commercial email – also known as “spam” – annoying and time consuming; others have lost money to bogus offers that arrived in their email in-box.

Typically, an email spammer buys a list of email addresses from a list broker, who compiles it by “harvesting” addresses from the Internet. If your email address appears in a newsgroup posting, on a website, in a chat room, or in an online service’s membership directory, it may find its way onto these lists. The marketer then uses special software that can send hundreds of thousands – even millions – of email messages to the addresses at the click of a mouse.

How Can I Reduce the Amount of Spam that I Receive?

Try not to display your email address in public. That includes newsgroup postings, chat rooms, websites or in an online service’s membership directory. You may want to opt out of member directories for your online services; spammers may use them to harvest addresses.

Check the privacy policy when you submit your address to a website. See if it allows the company to sell your address. You may want to opt out of this provision, if possible, or not submit your address at all to websites that won’t protect it.

Read and understand the entire form before you transmit personal information through a website. Some websites allow you to opt out of receiving email from their “partners” – but you may have to uncheck a preselected box if you want to opt out .

Decide if you want to use two email addresses – one for personal messages and one for newsgroups and chat rooms. You also might consider using a disposable email address service that creates a separate email address that forwards to your permanent account. If one of the disposable addresses begins to receive spam, you can shut it off without affecting your permanent address.

Use a unique email address. Your choice of email addresses may affect the amount of spam you receive. Spammers use “dictionary attacks” to sort through possible name combinations at large ISPs or email services, hoping to find a valid address. Thus, a common name such as jdoe may get more spam than a more unique name like jd51x02oe. Of course, there is a downside – it’s harder to remember an unusual email address.

Use an email filter. Check your email account to see if it provides a tool to filter out potential spam or a way to channel spam into a bulk email folder. You might want to consider these options when you’re choosing which Internet Service Provider (ISP) to use.

What Can I Do With the Spam in my In-Box?

Report it to the Federal Trade Commission. Send a copy of unwanted or deceptive messages to spam@uce.gov. The FTC uses the unsolicited emails stored in this database to pursue law enforcement actions against people who send deceptive spam email.

Let the FTC know if a “remove me” request is not honored. If you want to complain about a removal link that doesn’t work or not being able to unsubcribe from a list, you can fill out the FTC’s online complaint form at www.ftc.gov. Your complaint will be added to the FTC’s Consumer Sentinel database and made available to hundreds of law enforcement and consumer protection agencies.

Whenever you complain about spam, it’s important to include the full email header. The information in the header makes it possible for consumer protection agencies to follow up on your complaint.

Send a copy of the spam to your ISP’s abuse desk. Often the email address is abuse@yourispname.com or postmaster@yourispname.com. By doing this, you can let the ISP know about the spam problem on their system and help them to stop it in the future. Make sure to include a copy of the spam, along with the full email header. At the top of the message, state that you’re complaining about being spammed.

Complain to the sender’s ISP. Most ISPs want to cut off spammers who abuse their system. Again, make sure to include a copy of the message and header information and state that you’re complaining about spam.

How Can I Avoid Spam Scams?

The FTC suggests that you treat commercial email solicitations the same way you would treat an unsolicited telemarketing sales call. Don’t believe promises from strangers. Greet money making opportunities that arrive at your in box with skepticism. Most of the time, these are old fashioned scams delivered via the newest technology.

Here are some of the most common scam offers likely to arrive by email:

  Chain letters. Chain letters that involve money or valuable items and promise big returns are illegal. If you start one or send one on, you are breaking the law. Chances are you will receive little or no money back on your “investment.” Despite the claims, a chain letter will never make you rich.
  Work-At-Home Schemes. Not all work at home opportunities deliver on their promises. Many ads omit the fact that you may have to work many hours without pay. Or they don’t disclose all the costs you will have to pay. Countless work at home schemes require you to spend your own money to place newspaper ads; make photocopies; or buy the envelopes, paper, stamps, and other supplies or equipment you need to do the job. The companies sponsoring the ads also may demand that you pay for instructions or “tutorial” software. Consumers deceived by these ads have lost thousands of dollars, in addition to their time and energy.
  Weight Loss Claims. Programs or products that promote easy or effortless long term weight loss don’t work. Taking off weight, and keeping it off, requires exercise and permanent changes in your diet. All the testimonials and guarantees in your email are not worth the space they take up on your hard drive.
  Credit Repair Offers. Ignore offers to erase accurate negative information from your credit record. There’s no legal way to do that.
  Advance Fee Loan Scams. Be wary of promises to provide a loan for a fee, regardless of your past credit history. Remember, legitimate banks don’t issue credit cards without first checking your credit.
  Adult Entertainment. You may get an email from an adult entertainment site that claims to offer content for “free” and doesn’t require a credit card number for access. All you have to do is download a “viewer” or “dialer” program. However, once the program is downloaded onto your computer, it may disconnect your Internet connection and reconnect to an international long distance phone number, at rates between and a minute. Be skeptical when you see opportunities to view “free” content on the web.

Ready to Pop Your Top Over “Pop Up Spam?” Here’s How to Make it Stop

Are you interrupted by a stream of “pop up” messages that stop you from using your home computer until you close them?

Are you tired of seeing one message invariably morph into more – even when you’re not using your Web browser?

Are you frustrated by the fact that many pop up spammers are advertising software to block the exact type of messages they’re sending? It’s a high-tech variation on a classic scam: Pop up spammers want your money to fix the very problem they created.

Persistent and annoying, pop up spam also is a signal that your home computer is open to hackers. They could use this vulnerability to take over your computer and install new programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts that give them full access to your machine.

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, you can block unwanted pop up messages and better protect your computer from hackers. It’s as simple as turning off the Microsoft Windows feature that allows pop up messages, or installing and running a firewall. The advantage of a firewall is that it prevents other types of unauthorized access to your computer, beyond pop up spam. Neither approach will stop pop up advertisements sent to your browser by a Web page you are visiting.

Disabling Windows Messenger Service

Pop up spammers are exploiting a feature of the Microsoft Windows operating systems known as Messenger Service. Despite the name, Windows Messenger Service doesn’t have anything to do with instant messaging. It is designed to provide users on a local- or wide-area computer network with messages from the network administrator. For example, a company’s network administrator might send a message to all its users that the company’s network will be shutting down in five minutes. If your home computer is connected only to the Internet, you may not have any practical uses for Windows Messenger Service. If your computer is on a business or home network, however, shutting off Messenger Service might not be the best approach. Your network should be protected by a firewall.

Disabling the messenger service will prevent the possibility of pop up spam. To disable the messenger service:

  Click Start, and then click Control Panel (or point to Settings, and then click Control Panel).
  Double-click Administrative Tools. Double-click Services. Double-click Messenger.
  In the Startup type list, click Disabled. Click Stop, and then click OK.

Installing and Running a Firewall

Another way to cut off pop up spam is to run a firewall – software or hardware designed to block hackers from accessing your computer and getting into your programs and files.

A firewall is different from anti-virus protection: Anti-virus software scans incoming communications and files for troublesome files; a firewall helps make you invisible on the Internet and blocks all communications from unauthorized sources. It’s especially important to run a firewall if you have high-speed Internet access through a cable modem or a DSL (digital subscriber line) connection.

Some recently released operating system software (including Windows XP) comes with a built-in firewall. Because it may be shipped in the “off” mode, check your online “Help” feature for specifics on turning it on and setting it up properly. If your operating system doesn’t include a firewall, you can install separate firewall software that runs in the background while you use your computer and surf the Internet. Several free firewall software programs are available on the Internet. (You can find one by typing “free firewall” into your favorite search engine.) Or you can buy a hardware firewall – an external device that includes firewall software. Like anti-virus software, a firewall needs to be updated regularly to stay effective.

If you want to complain about a deceptive pop up spam message, use the FTC’s online complaint form at www.ftc.gov. Your complaint will be added to the FTC’s Consumer Sentinel database and made available to hundreds of law enforcement and consumer protection agencies. Be sure your complaint includes the name of the company or Web site advertised in the pop up spam.

How Not to Get Hooked by a ‘Phishing’ Scam

Spam and Telemarketing

Telephone Calls
Spam

How To ‘Can’ Spam
Stopping ‘Pop Up’ Spam
» ’Phishing’ Scams
Wireless Phones & Mobile Devices
Spam Disaster Scams
The ‘Nigerian’ Scam
Top 12 Scams Arriving in Spam

“We suspect an unauthorized transaction on your account. To ensure that your account is not compromised, please click the link below and confirm your identity.”

“During our regular verification of accounts, we couldn’t verify your information. Please click here to update and verify your information.”

Have you received email with a similar message? It’s a scam called “phishing” – and it involves Internet fraudsters who send spam or pop-up messages to lure personal information (credit card numbers, bank account information, Social Security number, passwords, or other sensitive information) from unsuspecting victims.

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, phishers send an email or pop-up message that claims to be from a business or organization that you may deal with – for example, an Internet service provider (ISP), bank, online payment service, or even a government agency. The message may ask you to “update,” “validate,” or “confirm” your account information. Some phishing emails threaten a dire consequence if you don’t respond. The messages direct you to a website that looks just like a legitimate organization’s site. But it isn’t. It’s a bogus site whose sole purpose is to trick you into divulging your personal information so the operators can steal your identity and run up bills or commit crimes in your name.

The FTC suggests these tips to help you avoid getting hooked by a phishing scam: If you get an email or pop-up message that asks for personal or financial information, do not reply. And don’t click on the link in the message, either. Legitimate companies don’t ask for this information via email. If you are concerned about your account, contact the organization mentioned in the email using a telephone number you know to be genuine, or open a new Internet browser session and type in the company’s correct Web address yourself. In any case, don’t cut and paste the link from the message into your Internet browser – phishers can make links look like they go to one place, but that actually send you to a different site.

  Use anti-virus software and a firewall, and keep them up to date. Some phishing emails contain software that can harm your computer or track your activities on the Internet without your knowledge.
  Anti-virus software and a firewall can protect you from inadvertently accepting such unwanted files. Anti-virus software scans incoming communications for troublesome files. Look for anti-virus software that recognizes current viruses as well as older ones; that can effectively reverse the damage; and that updates automatically.
  A firewall helps make you invisible on the Internet and blocks all communications from unauthorized sources. It’s especially important to run a firewall if you have a broadband connection. Operating systems (like Windows or Linux) or browsers (like Internet Explorer or Netscape) also may offer free software “patches” to close holes in the system that hackers or phishers could exploit.
  Don’t email personal or financial information. Email is not a secure method of transmitting personal information. If you initiate a transaction and want to provide your personal or financial information through an organization’s website, look for indicators that the site is secure, like a lock icon on the browser’s status bar or a URL for a website that begins “https:” (the “s” stands for “secure”). Unfortunately, no indicator is foolproof; some phishers have forged security icons.
  Review credit card and bank account statements as soon as you receive them to check for unauthorized charges. If your statement is late by more than a couple of days, call your credit card company or bank to confirm your billing address and account balances.
  Be cautious about opening any attachment or downloading any files from emails you receive, regardless of who sent them. These files can contain viruses or other software that can weaken your computer’s security.
  Forward spam that is phishing for information to spam@uce.gov and to the company, bank, or organization impersonated in the phishing email. Most organizations have information on their websites about where to report problems.
  If you believe you’ve been scammed, file your complaint at ftc.gov. Victims of phishing can become victims of identity theft. While you can’t entirely control whether you will become a victim of identity theft, you can take some steps to minimize your risk. If an identity thief is opening credit accounts in your name, these new accounts are likely to show up on your credit report. You may catch an incident early if you order a free copy of your credit report periodically from any of the three major credit bureaus. See www.annualcreditreport.com for details on ordering a free annual credit report.

Unwanted Text Messages and E-Mail on Wireless Phones and Other Mobile Devices

Many consumers find unsolicited e-mail – also known as “spam” – annoying and time-consuming. In addition, unwanted messages sent to wireless phones and other devices can be intrusive and costly. In 2003, Congress enacted the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing (CAN-SPAM) Act to curb spam. As required by the Act, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted rules that prohibit sending unwanted commercial e-mail messages to wireless devices without prior permission. This ban took effect in March 2005. In addition, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) adopted detailed rules that restrict sending unwanted commercial e-mail messages to computers.

FCC’s CAN-SPAM Rules

The FCC’s ban on sending unwanted e-mail messages to wireless devices applies to all “commercial messages.” The CAN-SPAM Act defines commercial messages as those for which the primary purpose is to advertise or promote a commercial product or service. The FCC’s ban does not cover “transactional or relationship” messages, or notices to facilitate a transaction you have already agreed to. These messages would include statements about an existing account or warranty information about a product you’ve purchased. The FCC’s ban also does not cover non-commercial messages, such as messages about candidates for public office.

The FCC’s ban covers messages sent to cell phones and pagers, if the message uses an Internet address that includes an Internet domain name (usually the part of the address after the individual or electronic mailbox name and the “@” symbol). The FCC’s ban does not cover “short messages,” typically sent from one mobile phone to another, that do not use an Internet address. Also, the FCC’s ban does not cover e-mail messages that you have forwarded from your computer to your wireless device (but the FTC’s rules may restrict such messages).

TCPA and CAN-SPAM

The CAN-SPAM Act supplements some consumer protections already put into place by the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). Under the TCPA the FCC established the National Do-Not-Call Registry. This Registry lists telephone numbers that telemarketers are prohibited from calling unless they have an established business relationship with the called party or are otherwise exempt. FCC rules prohibit sending unwanted text messages to your wireless phone number if they are sent using an autodialer, or if you have placed that number on the National Do-Not-Call Registry.

Even if you have placed your wireless phone number on the National Do-Not-Call Registry, the TCPA does not protect you from receiving commercial messages sent to that number if:

  You have given your prior consent to the sender, or;
  You have an established business relationship with the sender.

For more information on the TCPA and Do-Not-Call Registry, visit http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/tcpa.html.

Express Prior Authorization

Under the FCC’s rules, commercial e-mail messages may only be sent to your wireless device via the Internet if you have provided your “express prior authorization.” Commercial e-mail senders may request that you provide this authorization orally or in writing (e-mail or letter). They must tell you the name of the entity that will be sending the messages and, if different, the name of the entity advertising products or services. All commercial e-mail messages sent to you after you’ve given your authorization must allow you to revoke your authorization, or “opt out” of receiving future messages. You must be allowed to opt out the same way you “opted in,” including by dialing a short code. Senders have 10 days to honor requests to opt out.

Wireless Domain Name List

To help enforce its ban, the FCC required all wireless service providers to provide all Internet domain names used to transmit electronic messages to wireless devices. The FCC published this list on its Web site at www.fcc.gov/cgb/policy/DomainNameDownload.html. Senders are prohibited from sending commercial e-mail messages to any Internet domain name on this list without the recipient’s express prior authorization. Senders have 30 days from the date the domain name is posted on the FCC site to stop sending unauthorized commercial e-mail to Internet addresses containing the domain name. Wireless service providers must add new domain names to the FCC’s list within 30 days of activating them.

FTC Rules/FCC Enforcement

The FCC can enforce the FTC’s restrictions on any commercial e-mail message sent to a non-wireless device, such as a desktop computer, if:

  The sender is a telecommunications company (telephone, radio, paging, cable, or television company), or;
  The message advertises or promotes a product or service of a telecommunications company.

The FTC’s rules require:

  Identification – Unsolicited commercial e-mail sent to non-wireless accounts must be clearly identified as a solicitation or advertisement for products or services.
  Offering a Way to Reject Future Messages – Commercial e-mail senders must provide easily-accessible, legitimate ways for recipients to reject future messages from that sender.
  Return Address – All commercial e-mail, and e-mail considered transactional and relationship messages (about existing transactions), must contain legitimate return e-mail addresses, as well as the sender’s postal address.
  Subject Lines – Commercial e-mail senders must use subject lines that are accurate. Using misleading or bogus subject lines to trick readers into opening messages is prohibited.

State Anti-Spam Laws

The CAN-SPAM Act is intended to preempt – or replace – state anti-spam laws, but states are allowed to enforce the parts of the CAN-SPAM Act restricting non-wireless SPAM. Also state laws prohibiting fraudulent or deceptive acts and computer crimes remain in effect. What to Do If You Receive an Unwanted Commercial Message on Your Cell Phone

You may file a complaint with the FCC if you receive:

  an unwanted commercial message sent to a wireless device; or
  a telephone solicitation made to a wireless device for which the phone number is registered on the National Do-Not-Call Registry; or
  any autodialed text message on your wireless device, or an unwanted commercial message to a non-wireless device from a telecommunications company or advertising a telecommunications company’s products or services.

You may file a complaint with the FCC by e-mail (fccinfo@fcc.gov); the Internet (www.fcc.gov/cgb/complaints.html); telephone 1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322) voice; or 1-888-TELL-FCC (1-888-835-5322) TTY; or mail:

Federal Communications Commission
Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau
Consumer Inquiries and Complaint Division
445 12th Street, S.W.
Washington, DC 20554.

Include the following in your complaint:

  your name, address, and daytime telephone number;
  the telephone number or e-mail address at which you received an unsolicited commercial message or call, or an autodialed call;
  as much specific information about the message as possible, including:

  the date and time you received the message;
  the identity of the company that sent the message to you;
  the products or services that were promoted in the message;
  the sender’s e-mail address and any other e-mail addresses, street addresses, or telephone numbers that may be referenced in the message;
  a description of any contact you may have had with the entity that sent the message, including whether you have done business with that entity before receiving the message/call and any steps you may have taken to reject future messages.

What Should You Do About Commercial E-Mail You Receive on Non-Wireless Devices, Such as Your Computer at Home?

For commercial e-mail you receive on your non-wireless devices, you may file a complaint with the FTC. To file a complaint with the FTC or to get free information on e-mail issues in general, visit www.ftc.gov/spam or call 1-877-382-4357 voice; or 1-866-653-4261 TTY.

What Can I Do to Prevent SPAM to My Wireless Device in Particular and SPAM in General

You can reduce the amount of SPAM you receive by doing the following:

  Put your wireless phone number on the Do-Not-Call Registry, and distribute it sparingly.
  Don’t display your wireless phone number or e-mail address in public. This includes newsgroups, chat rooms, Web sites, or membership directories.
  If you open an unwanted message, send a stop or opt out message in response.
  Check the privacy policy when submitting your wireless phone number or e-mail address to any Web site. Find out if the policy allows the company to sell your information.
  Contact your wireless service or Internet service provider about unwanted messages.
  Before you transmit personal information through a Web site, make sure you read through and understand the entire transmitting form. Some Web sites allow you to opt out of receiving e-mail from partners – but you may have to uncheck a preselected box if you want to do so.
  You may want to use two e-mail addresses – one for personal messages and one for newsgroups and chat rooms. Also, consider using a disposable e-mail address service that creates a separate e-mail address that forwards messages to your permanent account. If one of the disposable addresses starts to receive spam, you can turn it off without affecting your permanent address.
  Try using a longer and unique e-mail address. Your choice of e-mail addresses may affect the amount of spam that you receive. A common name like “mjones” may get more spam that a more unique name like da110x110. Of course, it’s harder to remember an unusual e-mail address.
  Use an e-mail filter. Some service providers offer a tool that filters out potential spam or channels spam into a bulk e-mail folder. You may also want to consider filtering capabilities when choosing which Internet Service Provider (ISP) to use.

Nigerian advance-fee fraud has been around for decades, but now seems to have reached epidemic proportions: Some consumers have told the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) they are receiving dozens of offers a day from supposed Nigerians politely promising big profits in exchange for help moving large sums of money out of their country. And apparently, many compassionate consumers are continuing to fall for the convincing sob stories, the unfailingly polite language, and the unequivocal promises of money. These advance-fee solicitations are scams. And according to the FTC, the scam artists are playing each and every consumer for a fool. Here’s the play book:

Claiming to be Nigerian officials, businesspeople or the surviving spouses of former government honchos, con artists offer to transfer millions of dollars into your bank account in exchange for a small fee. If you respond to the initial offer, you may receive “official looking” documents. Typically, you’re then asked to provide blank letterhead and your bank account numbers, as well as some money to cover transaction and transfer costs and attorney’s fees.

You may even be encouraged to travel to Nigeria or a border country to complete the transaction. Sometimes, the fraudsters will produce trunks of dyed or stamped money to verify their claims. Inevitably, though, emergencies come up, requiring more of your money and delaying the “transfer” of funds to your account; in the end, there aren’t any profits for you to share, and the scam artist has vanished with your money.

If You Receive an Offer

If you’re tempted to respond to an offer, the FTC suggests you stop and ask yourself two important questions: Why would a perfect stranger pick you – also a perfect stranger – to share a fortune with, and why would you share your personal or business information, including your bank account numbers or your company letterhead, with someone you don’t know? And the U.S. Department of State cautions against traveling to the destination mentioned in the letters. According to State Department reports, people who have responded to these “advance-fee” solicitations have been beaten, subjected to threats and extortion, and in some cases, murdered.

If you receive an offer via email from someone claiming to need your help getting money out of Nigeria – or any other country, for that matter – forward it to the FTC at spam@uce.gov.

If you have lost money to one of these schemes, call your local Secret Service field office. Local field offices are listed in the Blue Pages of your telephone directory.

For More Information

More information about Nigerian Advance-Fee Loan scams is available from the U.S. Secret Service (www.secretservice.gov/alert419.shtml) and the U.S. Department of State (www.state.gov/www/regions/africa/naffpub.pdf).

Email boxes are filling up with more offers for business opportunities than any other kind of unsolicited commercial email. That’s a problem, according to the Federal Trade Commission, because many of these offers are scams.

In response to requests from consumers, the FTC asked email users to forward their unsolicited commercial email to the agency for an inside look at the bulk email business. FTC staff found that more often than not, bulk email offers appeared to be fraudulent, and if pursued, could have ripped-off unsuspecting consumers to the tune of billions of dollars.

The Dirty Dozen:12 Scams Most Likely to Arrive Via Bulk Email

Here are 12 scams that are most likely to arrive in consumers’ email boxes. The “dirty dozen” are:

  Business opportunities

These business opportunities make it sound easy to start a business that will bring lots of income without much work or cash outlay. The solicitations trumpet unbelievable earnings claims of 0 a day, ,000 a day, or more, and claim that the business doesn’t involve selling, meetings, or personal contact with others, or that someone else will do all the work. Many business opportunity solicitations claim to offer a way to make money in an Internet-related business. Short on details but long on promises, these messages usually offer a telephone number to call for more information. In many cases, you’ll be told to leave your name and telephone number so that a salesperson can call you back with the sales pitch.

The scam: Many of these are illegal pyramid schemes masquerading as legitimate opportunities to earn money.

  Bulk email

Bulk email solicitations offer to sell you lists of email addresses, by the millions, to which you can send your own bulk solicitations. Some offer software that automates the sending of email messages to thousands or millions of recipients. Others offer the service of sending bulk email solicitations on your behalf. Some of these offers say, or imply, that you can make a lot of money using this marketing method.

The problem: Sending bulk email violates the terms of service of most Internet service providers. If you use one of the automated email programs, your ISP may shut you down. In addition, inserting a false return address into your solicitations, as some of the automated programs allow you to do, may land you in legal hot water with the owner of the address’s domain name. Several states have laws regulating the sending of unsolicited commercial email, which you may unwittingly violate by sending bulk email. Few legitimate businesses, if any, engage in bulk email marketing for fear of offending potential customers.

  Chain letters

You’re asked to send a small amount of money ( to ) to each of four or five names on a list, replace one of the names on the list with your own, and then forward the revised message via bulk email. The letter may claim that the scheme is legal, that it’s been reviewed or approved by the government; or it may refer to sections of U.S. law that legitimize the scheme. Don’t believe it.

The scam: Chain letters-traditional or high-tech-are almost always illegal, and nearly all of the people who participate in them lose their money. The fact that a “product” such as a report on how to make money fast, a mailing list, or a recipe may be changing hands in the transaction does not change the legality of these schemes.

  Work-at-home schemes

Envelope-stuffing solicitations promise steady income for minimal labor-for example, you’ll earn each time you fold a brochure and seal it in an envelope. Craft assembly work schemes often require an investment of hundreds of dollars in equipment or supplies, and many hours of your time producing goods for a company that has promised to buy them.

The scam: You’ll pay a small fee to get started in the envelope-stuffing business. Then, you’ll learn that the email sender never had real employment to offer. Instead, you’ll get instructions on how to send the same envelope-stuffing ad in your own bulk emailings. If you earn any money, it will be from others who fall for the scheme you’re perpetuating. And after spending the money and putting in the time on the craft assembly work, you are likely to find promoters who refuse to pay you, claiming that your work isn’t up to their “quality standards.”

  Health and diet scams

Pills that let you lose weight without exercising or changing your diet, herbal formulas that liquefy your fat cells so that they are absorbed by your body, and cures for impotence and hair loss are among the scams flooding email boxes.

The scam: These gimmicks don’t work. The fact is that successful weight loss requires a reduction in calories and an increase in physical activity. Beware of case histories from “cured” consumers claiming amazing results; testimonials from “famous” medical experts you’ve never heard of; claims that the product is available from only one source or for a limited time; and ads that use phrases like “scientific breakthrough,” “miraculous cure,” “exclusive product,” “secret formula,” and “ancient ingredient.”

  Effortless income

The trendiest get-rich-quick schemes offer unlimited profits exchanging money on world currency markets; newsletters describing a variety of easy-money opportunities; the perfect sales letter; and the secret to making ,000 in one day.

The scam: If these systems worked, wouldn’t everyone be using them? The thought of easy money may be appealing, but success generally requires hard work.

  Free goods

Some email messages offer valuable goods-for example, computers, other electronic items, and long-distance phone cards-for free. You’re asked to pay a fee to join a club, then told that to earn the offered goods, you have to bring in a certain number of participants. You’re paying for the right to earn income by recruiting other participants, but your payoff is in goods, not money.

The scam: Most of these messages are covering up pyramid schemes, operations that inevitably collapse. Almost all of the payoff goes to the promoters and little or none to consumers who pay to participate.

  Investment opportunities

Investment schemes promise outrageously high rates of return with no risk. One version seeks investors to help form an offshore bank. Others are vague about the nature of the investment, stressing the rates of return. Many are Ponzi schemes, in which early investors are paid off with money contributed by later investors. This makes the early investors believe that the system actually works, and encourages them to invest even more.

Promoters of fraudulent investments often operate a particular scam for a short time, quickly spend the money they take in, then close down before they can be detected. Often, they reopen under another name, selling another investment scam. In their sales pitch, they’ll say that they have high-level financial connections; that they’re privy to inside information; that they’ll guarantee the investment; or that they’ll buy back the investment after a certain time. To close the deal, they often serve up phony statistics, misrepresent the significance of a current event, or stress the unique quality of their offering-anything to deter you from verifying their story.

The scam: Ponzi schemes eventually collapse because there isn’t enough money coming in to continue simulating earnings. Other schemes are a good investment for the promoters, but no for participants.

  Cable descrambler kits

For a small sum of money, you can buy a kit to assemble a cable descrambler that supposedly allows you to receive cable television transmissions without paying any subscription fee.

The scam: The device that you build probably won’t work. Most of the cable TV systems in the U.S. use technology that these devices can’t crack. What’s more, even if it worked, stealing service from a cable television company is illegal.

  Guaranteed loans or credit, on easy terms

Some email messages offer home-equity loans that don’t require equity in your home, as well as solicitations for guaranteed, unsecured credit cards, regardless of your credit history. Usually, these are said to be offered by offshore banks. Sometimes they are combined with pyramid schemes, which offer you an opportunity to make money by attracting new participants to the scheme.

The scams: The home equity loans turn out to be useless lists of lenders who will turn you down if you don’t meet their qualifications. The promised credit cards never come through, and the pyramid money-making schemes always collapse.

  Credit repair

Credit repair scams offer to erase accurate negative information from your credit file so you can qualify for a credit card, auto loan, home mortgage, or a job.

The scam: The scam artists who promote these services can’t deliver. Only time, a deliberate effort, and a personal debt repayment plan will improve your credit. The companies that advertise credit repair services appeal to consumers with poor credit histories. Not only can’t they provide you with a clean credit record, but they also may be encouraging you to violate federal law. If you follow their advice by lying on a loan or credit application, misrepresenting your Social Security number, or getting an Employer Identification Number from the Internal Revenue Service under false pretenses, you will be committing fraud.

  Vacation prize promotions

Electronic certificates congratulating you on “winning” a fabulous vacation for a very attractive price are among the scams arriving in your email. Some say you have been “specially selected” for this opportunity.

The scam: Most unsolicited commercial email goes to thousands or millions of recipients at a time. Often, the cruise ship you’re booked on may look more like a tug boat. The hotel accommodations likely are shabby, and you may be required to pay more for an upgrade. Scheduling the vacation at the time you want it also may require an additional fee.

The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues, visit www.ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.

Incoming search terms for the article:

• restaurant marketing plr videos