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Authors-Publishers Avoid Internet Scams
Published: Mon, 8 Aug 2005, 05:52 EDT
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By Bob Miller
Contributing Writer, PubNewswire.com
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Own An Internet Business? Beware: You are at the epicenter; you're the bull's eye
Besides some of the latest reports about on-line scams by the IFCC (www.ifccfbi.gov/strategy/pressroom.asp) and the obvious scams that only a person too greedy for their own good would fall for, ie: "I'm a Christian. I have twenty-one million dollars to invest. Can you help me?" there are some very sophisticated stings directed at the small on-line business owner.
Bob Miller, the owner of bobmillerwrites.com, an outlet for books written by Miller, reports that he has received emails and telephone calls from people claiming to represent venture capital organizations who said they had a strong interest in marketing his books.
"I'm not angry about this attempt to rip me off; I'm embarrassed and broken hearted. It was not the $5,000 advance they promised that made me put aside common sense; it was the fact that finally, someone had seen promise in my writing. I don't know if this guy knew that my book sales had dropped off or if he just got lucky, but his timing was perfect. As it turned out, all I lost was the time and gas money to get from one side of the state to the other to attend a meeting that I should have never even considered." Miller said, and then added, "I did three very dumb and dangerous things that day. I agreed to meet with a guy who I suspected was up to no good, I confronted him face-to-face, and then I tried to follow him after the meeting came to an unexpected end.
"I cannot suggest strongly enough that if you are approached by someone who expresses interested in funding your product, ideas and/or dreams that you consider the information that the authorities shared with me: Ask questions, lots of questions, and listen to the answers. One of the very best ways to expose all but the most sophisticated con artist is to get specific. Ask basically the same questions a second time and listen. If you get any different answers, try not to look surprised, just excuse yourself as soon as possible. Your garden-variety crook is simply not up to the task of in-depth research and planning. Getting an attorney involved is not failsafe, but a good attorney will be needed if you decide to finalize the deal, so why not get them involved for the start? Make sure that the attorney is one you know and trust. There is a really good chance that con artist's attorney may not even be an attorney, just another member of the gang.
Authors-Publishers Avoid Internet Scams, by Bob Miller, author of Angel Named Zabar, Taciturn, Toto Coelo - Bob Miller is one of America's most controversial writers. He has traveled the world over as a golf instructor and golf ambassador and worked as the golf professional on Holland America's ms Westerdam. Bob served as a pilot in Vietnam in 1969. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal. He challenged Richard Shelby for a seat in the U.S. Senate in 1992.
Copr © 2005 by Bob Miller - (www.bobmillerwrites.com)
Published with permission of the author.
Editor's Note: All opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not PublishersNewswire.com or Neotrope® (the publisher of this website). All trademarks acknowledged.
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