Greed. Some people are inclined to do anything to earn easy money by spamming, scamming or selling fake products. On the other hand, some people are willing victims since they believe they are getting a good deal on a product or believe that a rich relative left them a fortune in a Nigerian escrow account. 

Spam consists of unsolicited invitations to click on links in your email(s) or in a comment thread. Gmail pretty much weeds these out, Yahoo does not. Never click on a link in your email from someone you do not know. As far as comments go in your social media threads, avoid these like you would a prolonged toothache. 

Since the onset of the pandemic spammers have stepped up their game. As of this writing, some 15 billion emails that are marked as spam are sent to individuals on a daily basis. Odds dictate that you have a spam email in your account right now. Clicking on a link can result in two damaging consequences: 1. Your identity being stolen and hence your bank account being hacked; and 2. Your receiving device (laptop, smartphone, etc) becoming a bot controlled by scammers.

Scams

Scams proliferate the Internet. Get rich schemes predominate, such as pyramid clubs. The folks at the top get the bucks and you get little to nothing. Avoid these enthralling, seducing scams and their amassing, deceitful pep talk. A friend of mine from high school attempted to get me to join one of these pyramid schemes in the Philippines. I was already aware of their fraudulent practices but wanted to amuse her. I accepted her invitation to listen to the spiel from one of the founders.

After about 10 minutes of wasting my time and laughing at the hyperbole and salacious fabrications, I clicked the video off. It promised overseas vacations, fancy cars, luxurious living and much more. The blatant disregard for the truth was readily apparent. My friend asked me, "Well, what do you think?

I replied, "I believe you're in for a rude awakening in due time." She blocked me on Facebook. Three months later she sent me a Messenger apologizing. She had bought a "starter kit" for 10,000 pesos and lost all of her savings.

Counterfeit products

Recently Amazon.com deleted 10 billion (yes, billion) counterfeit products from its popular website. The vast majority of those knockoffs were from China. An Amazon team was launched to remove fake products because of the outrage from customers who had been duped. But Amazon is not the only place where fake products live, there is eBay, too.

In the Philippines, we are bombarded with spam, scams and counterfeit product inducements daily. Facebook is a major culprit, especially on the buy and sell groups. Bogus buyers are one thing, but cheap products from China and overpriced smart phones make these groups a menace to society. Unfortunately, the DTI does nothing to stop the lawbreakers on Facebook.

I like Lazada but there are multiple fake products on the site. The first thing I do when considering an item to order is where it originates from. If it's China, I pass. I then read the reviews. If there are none, I pass. If and when I receive an item and it is not what it is supposed to be, I decline it when the delivery man shows up. That is, I inspect it before accepting it. Many of the items on Lazada and Shopee are China made. Again, the DTI and other government agencies do nothing to stop counterfeiting.

Doing your part

Report all fraud. Don't be gullible and buy something without first checking it. Do not fall for scams (marketing affiliate groups), spam in links and anyone asking for your bank information. Think critically rather than irrationally. If it sounds too good to be true, it most likely is. Greed works both ways: the seller or scammer looking to make a quick dollar or peso, and the buyer thinking s/he can profit handsomely or is getting a fantastic deal.

Yes, the pandemic has provided spammers, scammers and counterfeiters with an increased opportunity to rob people of their hard-earned money. Don't become a victim. The old adage "caveat emptor" (buyer beware) holds true today. Instead of throwing your money away, shop locally. In this manner you can see, touch and examine any product closely and make a rational decision to buy it or not.