One of the most popular posts I have ever written here at Scam types dot Com is one that asks, “Is Monavie A Scam?”.
In addition to having received a colossal number of visitors, that post has also attracted well over 100 comments too. These comments can, predominantly, be categorised as either pro- or anti- monavie.
One of the main criticisms I had when I wrote the post, that has been mentioned by several commentators too, is that Monavie is simply very expensive.
The following picture may help to explain why drinking Monavie could, potentially, cost you hundreds of dollars per month -
So, as some of the pro-monavie commentators have said, the reason it is so expensive may be because you are drinking far more than you need to each day.
Do you drink too much monavie?
Previously, I wrote about the 10 cities in the United States where you are most likely to have your identity stolen. One of my readers, Carol, asked if I knew where the id theft hotspots were in the UK.
Finally, I have found a report that gives the information she was asking for.
CIFAS, a fraud fighting industry body, has compiled a list of the 20 worst areas in the UK for identity theft, based upon the postal code for those areas -
1. Greenwich
2. Croydon
3. Barking
4. Maidenhead
5. Lewisham
6. Newham
7. Battersea
8. Walthamstow
9. Southgate
10. Stoke Newington/Harringay
11. Stoke Newington
12. Leyton/Wanstead
13. Cricklewood/Willesden
14. Beckhenham
15. Wealdstone
16. Wandsworth
17. Bethnal Green
18. Willesden/Harlesden
19. Hampstead
20. Wood Green
I recommend reading the report as it goes into much more detail. The part I found most interesting was the fact that 19 out of the 20 areas above are within the M25, meaning they are close to London.
Mobile phones were a brilliant invention and I certainly couldn’t do without mine these days. However, just like my email account, my mobile also appears to be a magnet for Spam SMS messages.
The content of these spam messages can be quite varied, ranging from love to ringtones, Java games to screensavers, or jokes to Bible verses, believe it or not!
Of course the text message will end by telling me that I need to send a SMS to some number in order to get my ringtone, play the game, etc. Should I do so, it is likely to be a premium rate SMS number that I am messaging. The natural solution, then, is to quit receiving these SMS messages via the unsubscribe number that the sender asks me to use. Or is it?
STOP!
These SMS spammers are frequently trying to make money out of people who do not want to receive these ‘promotions’ anymore in addition to those who actually do. The original message will state that you must reply with the word STOP to some number that the spammer gives, only it is the same number to which you would send a SMS if you really did want to download their content - A premium rate SMS number.
In order to try and confuse, some spammers will offer an alternative number to which you must reply with STOP to. Of course this is also a premium number.
If you receive SMS message spam then you should never reply. Instead, just delete the message.
Certainly do not pay the spammer - replying will not only cost you money but it will also confirm that your mobile phone is used and that you are the sort of person who may well fall for this type of ruse again in the future, thereby seriously increasing the chances of you receiving even more spam messages.
If you ever find yourself confronted by the Windows activation window (the one you see immediately after installing Windows for the first time), at any point after that initial installation, then this may be why.
Trojan.Kardphisher
If a system becomes infected with a trojan virus called Trojan.Kardphisher then a message window will pop-up on your screen. This message will look identical to the activation window seen straight after a fresh install of the Windows operating system.
You will be issued with a warning that another person activated your copy of Windows -
“To help reduce software piracy, please re-activate your copy of Windows now. We will ask you for your billing details, but your credit card will NOT be charged. You must activate Windows to continue to use it. Microsoft is committed to your privacy. For more information, visit www.microsoft.com/privacy. Do you want to activate Windows now?”
The purpose of this little ruse should be obvious - any credit card details you may entered will be diverted to a scammer who can then commit fraud by taking funds from your credit card. He may also be able to use your details to more devastating effect by then stealing your identity too.
Removal
Ideally, you should have a good anti-virus program installed to prevent such a Trojan from entering your system in the first place.
If you already have Kardphisher on your system then it can be removed, though it is not a simple process. Instructions for removal of this virus can be found on the Semantec site.
Hoodia is a stem succulent that can grow up to 1m high, displaying beautiful flowers and offering a noticeable aroma. Found in areas from Namibia to Angola, the native peoples have long known of hoodia gordonii’s medicinal benefits.
Appetite suppressor
Within the last few years pharmaceutical companies discovered hoodia’s qualities as an appetite suppressor as well as a tool for lowering blood pressure.
Following exposure on the Oprah show, prime time US news and the BBC, the demand for hoodia gordonii became so large that the cactus now enjoys protected status in most of the areas in which it grows.
Naturally this kind of attention led to a huge demand for pills based on hoodia gordonii. And…as I am sure you are beginning to learn… where there’s demand there’s often a scam!
Hoodia scams
Either driven by pure greed or by the realities of production - hoodia gordonii takes between 5 and 7 years to grow - some producers, especially in South Africa, decided to find alternative ways to meet the spiralling demand.
- Like drug dealers sometimes do, they mixed “fillers” in with the hoodia in order to bulk it out. Items such as sawdust, leaves and silica would allow greater quantities to be yielded. Obviously the effectiveness of the hoodia was much lesser though.
- Mixing the roots in with the active parts of hoodia gordonii even though they are not active in any way
- Supplying look-a-like species that would pass a visual testing.
When pharmaceutical companies asked for samples then pure hoodia would be provided in order to con them. As soon as orders were placed, however, the less than pure hoodia would be shipped instead.
Not all companies selling the end product are blameless either. More than likely, many knew that the product they were/are selling is far from pure and hardly likely to convey the advertised effects. There have also been cases of firm’s blatantly selling capsules that are underweight!
Salvation
Hoodia would appear to offer salvation to those looking to lose weight - almost completely negating the urge to eat or drink is a tempting proposition for those who are desperate to lose weight. However many suppliers are not providing a product capable of these claims.
If you are looking to buy Hoodia then search out a well established supplier and do your homework. Research their company name through the internet - if there’s any hint of a scam about them then it will stick to them like mud!
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Monday, October 29, 2007
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