Nigerian Online Advertising Scam

Nigerian Online Advertising Scam

A new scam is hitting the online community. It looks like a new take on the Nigerian Email Scam is being resurrected with a new spin. The scammers are approaching site owners with an offer to buy text or display advertising on their site. This is how the scam goes down.

They will offer to buy text or display advertising on your website or blog. They will send you a (bad) check as payment (unbeknown to you). The check amount, however, will be higher than what was agreed upon. They will then state, "Gee, I'm sorry. I overpaid you. Could you please give me a refund of the overpayment." The site owner, thinking this was a legitimate mistake, pays the over payment to the scammer. The scammer makes the profit and the site owner is out the money.

When you are dealing with someone you do not know, it is wise to do the following:

1. Get background information-where is the business located, is there a contact number, physical address. (Check it out!)
2. Do they have a website or blog
3. How long has the site been on the Internet
4. Wait til the check clears - but since this can take time,
I would request that they pay through paypal and not by check. This alone, may help kill the deal.

The amount they offer is usually a huge amount. What other kind would catch your attention, right? Never throw caution to the wind. Be aware-and if it seems to good to be true-it probably is!