Scam Types dot Com

Wii Fit Scam?

Here in the UK there has been a lot of hype over the new Wii Fit game.

Large numbers of gamers have been tying to get their hands on a copy of Nintendo’s highly rated exer-game.

Zavvi Direct Ltd

Now, however, police and trading standards officials in Sussex are investigating one Zavvi Direct Ltd over claims that their website - zavvidirect.co.uk - may be a scam.

The Brighton based firm were, allegedly, offering the latest Nintendo title through their website.

Police believe that the company may have been responsible for scamming hundreds of people across the UK by taking payments and not subsequently delivering the game.

The faux site, which has since been closed down by the British authorities, has had over £50,000 in cash seized from it.

Missing Funds

Unfortunately, a further £24,000 taken by the company remains unaccounted for.

It is believed that the website took around 2,500 orders in its month-long lifespan, at a price of £69.99 each.

Initially, buyers were informed, via email, that there would be delays of 4-5 days due to overwhelming demand.

Now though, visitors to the zavvidirect website are greeted with the following message -

Zavvi Entertainment Ltd have no involvement with this website. Due to copyright laws we have had to remove this website.

It would appear that Zavvi Direct Ltd was trading upon the goodwill of a popular and bona fide retail chain known as Zavvi Entertainment Ltd who themselves were the instigators of the legal proceedings against Zavvi Direct.

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Can The Spam

Email spam has to be one of the most infuriating aspects of life on the internet.

Every day I receive dozens of emails about the most bizarre subjects, though most are about enlargement techniques and potions. (These don’t work - my friend told me)

Here, then, are a few simple tips for avoiding or minimising the amount of spam, or junk email, that you receive -

Spam Avoidance

• Always protect your email address and mobile phone number when online
• Delete suspicious emails without opening or replying to them
• Use spam filtering software
• Using protection products that filter junk email
• Carefully reading website terms and conditions that may include clauses that allow the owner and third parties to mail you

Contact Details

If you run a website and need to be contactable then -

• Use an email address which doesn’t identify you, i.e. contact@somedomain.com
• Use a web-based form for visitors - this allows visitors to contact you without ever revealing your email address. Such a technique defeats spammers’ automated mailing systems
• Present your email address as an image which can be viewed by humans but not read by mail harvesting robots

Monavie

Monavie is, according to the official site, a healthy blend of 19 fruits, including the acai berry which they say is one of nature’s ’superfoods’.

Apparently, the monavie drink offers all the phytonutrients (whatever they are) and antioxidants that your body requires to stay healthy.

Monavie also boasts the highest ORAC score (which is a measure of antioxidants) of any fruit or vegetable yet tested.

It is sold and distributed through the multi level marketing method.

What Is In Monavie?

As I mentioned above, monavie contains a blend of 19 different fruits -

• Acai
• Apricot
• Aronia
• Acerola
• Purple Grape
• Passion Fruit
• Camu Camu
• Banana
• Lychee Fruit
• Apple
• Kiwi
• Pomegranate
• Prune
• Wolfberry
• Pear
• Bilberry
• Cranberry
• Blueberry
• White Grape

Commentary

If you search the internet for monavie then you will receive a huge amount of results, ranging from distributor content to blogs to forum posts to detractors.

Obviously, each of these has their own agenda and reason for writing. Therefore, it would be extremely hard to seperate the absolute truth from the hyperbole and downright wrong.

Blogs that allow comments and forum posts may be the best place to try and find a fair discussion on monavie as they allow their visitors to interact and share different viewpoints.

Just be aware that some sites may moderate their comments to present a one-sided view however.

Here though are some of the positive and negative comments you may come accross with regard to monavie -

Positive Comments About Monavie

A quick viewing of some monavie blog posts reveals positive comments about the potential benefits of the drink in terms of aiding, curing or healing of -

• multiple sclerosis
• weight loss
• joint pain
• high blood pressure
• mood swings
• insomnia
• headaches
• stomach aches
• arthritis

Negative Comments About Monavie

The main negative comments about monavie seem to centre around the distribution model, i.e. multi level marketing, and also the cost of the juice itself.

How many of the positive and negative comments about monavie are true is debatable and, more likely, a matter of  opinion and open to interpretation.

What is clear, however, is that searching the internet for comments about monavie will bring up so many that you would probably feel overwhelmed.

Ultimately, then, your views on monavie both as a drink and as a business will be decided by your own feelings on the matter.

That’s not to say that you shouldn’t do your research, it’s just that the sheer volume of information and conflicting stories and accounts mean that it may be impossible to draw definitive conclusions.

The Cost

As mentioned above, one of the negative comments about monavie is it’s cost.

Depending upon where it is sourced from, I have seen monavie priced or quoted at anywhere between $25 and $40 per bottle.

Ouch!

For someone drinking just a few fluid ounces per day, that would mean a 25.35 fl oz bottle would last around a week, leading to a cost of around $100+ per month if you were to drink it regularly.

Do the benefits of monavie justify that expense?

Monavie For Profit

Monavie is sold and distributed via multi level marketing.

Personally, I am no fan of mlm, for a variety of reasons.

That’s not to say that you can’t profit from it, with dedication, determination and a lot of hard work.

I would not question whether people can make money with monavie, however, I would be interested in knowing how many earn good money in return for their efforts.

Your Say On Monavie

What are your views on monavie?

Is it a wonderful health drink or just an expensive juice?

If you are a distributor, are the financial rewards you receive in line with the amount of effort you put into your monavie business?

Identity Theft Facts

It seems like almost every day now that someone, or some company, has become the latest victim of identity theft.

That’s hardly surprising though, as identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes of our time.

Easier Than You May Realise

You may think, with the advent of new technology, that identity theft is not possible.

Unfortunately, however, that is not the case as those behind this type of crime are well versed in the technology themselves.

A growing number of victims are testament to how identity theft is becoming pandemic in our society.

Identity theft crimes are happening every day, often committed by those closest to us, and are very much on the increase.

Once you understand how identity theft can occur, you will be far better equipped to ensure that you don’t become a statistic.

How Do Identity Thieves Operate?

Here are some of the ways in which identity thieves operate -

• They can steal your wallet or handbag which will often contain a huge amount of personal information.
• They may steal your mail which could include sensitive information, such as bank and credit card details. If you ever notice anyone rummaging through your garbage then you should report them immediately.
• They could actually break into your home and search for personal information.
• They can certainly steal information on the internet. Commonly, this would be via a technique known as ‘phishing‘ - an email from your bank, eBay or Paypal, for instance, will state that your account has been compromised and that you need to verify your information.
• They can obtain your credit report information by posing as your employer. This is easily done if the thief is aware of your place of employment.
• They can request a copy of your birth certificate. If they have enough relevant information then this form of identity theft can be particularly devastating.

Protect Yourself From Identity Theft

The above are just a few of the ways that criminals can steal your identity.

Always do all that you can to protect the security of your property, bank accounts and credit card information as best you can.

Also, return here, as there will be several more posts and tips about identity theft over the next couple of weeks.

A Woman’s Prayer

Good evening God

It’s me.

Lailla.

I just wanted to take a moment
to thank you. You know,
for these boobs and all
the other cute girly bits.

They’ve served as tremendous
promotional devices and have
managed to land me with almost
every emotionally crippled man
that has ever crossed my path.

I don’t think I could have
reached anywhere near this
level of `fxxked up’ without
them and I owe that all to you.

Amen.