We frequently hear news of people being scammed in both the real and the virtual world of the internet. Savvy people would have avoided the traps immediately but why are there still victims being scammed over and over again. The common news like “get rich quick schemes”, “magical stones with healing properties”, “huge inheritance schemes that require you to be their middleman”...etc are heard of all the time, but yet there are still victims falling for the same traps over and over again. Is it due to greed? Or is it out of desperation for material needs? The problem seems to lie with ignorance. In reality, we can't be bothered with such issues until we are hit by them. But again, it will be too late by the time you discovered that you had parted with your hard earned money to some stranger who gave you empty promises. Do yourself a big favor by educating yourself and your loved ones. It is very sad to see old people being scammed of their life savings, don't ever allow yourself or your kin to end up like them.

So what are the tell tale signs that you should take note of? Here are 7 tips to deal with the common scamming tricks. While the ways of scamming that scammers used keep changing and becoming more complex, these tips offered here should provide a safety net against the common tricks these evil people used to repeatedly scam innocent people.

Tip #1 – Irregularity and capitalizing of fonts in message

Look out for irregular fonts and capitalizing of fonts in the message, be it emails, letters...etc Look out for these especially when you received them on line as scammers tend to copy, cut and paste from somewhere to create and make their message sound legitimate.

Tip #2 – Typo and grammatical errors

When there is an error, it can be due to carelessness on the clerk who typed that letter or email. However, business people are very prudent with what they sent out in their letters and emails as it can become a legal issue if there are misunderstandings, and also it does not reflect well on the company image and professionalism. Look out for language inconsistency and grammatical errors in the message you received.

Tip #3 – Business email addresses V.S personal email addresses

Check the email address of that person who sent you that mail. Established business have a business email, they will not send you messages through free private email accounts. Common sense should have told you that when you register your particulars for your business, you can't scammed or you will be traced back when there is a legal complain lodged against you since you are required by law to provide your particulars when you register a company for tax and other purposes.

Tip #4 – Check for proof of claim

What ever the text of message is about, always be sure to check the proof of their claims on no matter what topics or items they are telling you. Are the claims of the message backed by any proof? Did the claim appear in the media? If nothing is found, do not fall for such tricks as there is always a higher probability of being cheated if it is not released by the media and most are plain scams out there to con your money away.

Tip #5 – Check for any complains or scam history pertaining to the message you received

One of the simplest way is to check the internet or media for any history regarding the suspected scam message you received. If there is a history of scam relating to the message you received, victims would have posted warnings to prevent other innocent people from falling into the trap.

Tip #6 – Company reputation and length of establishment

If the company is a major brand name that has been established for years, chances of scamming are minimal. However, be careful as scammers love to make use of such brand names to hide their identities and use it to their advantage to cheat. To ensure that you are safe from these despicable people, always check with the company by contacting them personally. If the company is established only for a very short period of time, exercise common sense and discretion to the company claims.

Tip #7 – Be wary of messages that ask you to send money before providing any goods or services

Red alert! Never ever send money over when you have not worked with, purchased anything previously from or know anything about the company or party who sent you the message. These people stand a higher chance of cheating you of your hard earned money. Unless they have a history of proven track record for their reliability and business ethics, these companies will normally request payments by a credit card, cheque or other modes of payment instead of cash payment for the goods and services they provide on the internet. Unless they are some brokerage companies or trading companies that you opened an account with for investing purposes, they will not ask for a bank transfer to the company account.

Bearing the above tips in mind, it would be much easier to spot a scammer and prevent yourself or loved ones from being cheated ever again.