The e-mail warning me about inadvertently smelling aether cleverly disguised as a free perfume sample has just landed in my inbox again, and that alone is a good enough reason for today's post.
Today I've got a really jazzy little number put together by the Australian government: The Little Black Book of Scams. I don't have any particular details regarding how the government distributes this, but that's okay - this is an incredible resource.
The guide is laid out well, which makes for easy reading, and the information is solid. Also, this is produced for Australians, so there are some references that may not be directly relatable to us over here in the North. However, the specific cases can almost all be abstracted up to the general. Even if you just browse through this one, you're doing yourself a favour!
The guide, in it's entirety, can be found here.
Some things to note: If you start reading this and the first couple of suggestions seem obvious to you, don't switch off. Research and history has shown that even the most intelligent of us are able to fall victim to simple scams and common frauds. Use it as a chance to remind yourself of what to look for.
Some of this advice seems like it would be immediately obvious to you when presented with a scam. "There are no guaranteed get-rich-quick schemes".
"Of course", you exclaim, "Everybody knows that!".
Thing is, it's not always easy to spot a get-rich-quick scheme. I remember going to an Amway meeting and they kept repeating "Make no mistake, this does require work. But [pause] YOU [pause] WILL [pause] GET RICH [applause]". Wrong. Loads of people lose money in Amway annually, a few people get ridiculously rich, and that's all based around the idea that as long as you can put in the initial work to get people involved, you will get rich. Repeat: There's no such thing as a guaranteed get-rich-quick scheme!
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