The Best Frauds, Scams, and Big Company Cons in America Today

THIS SITE IS NOT ABOUT INTERNET FRAUD! TO DIVERT YOU FROM THE TRUTH, THE NEWS MEDIA AND GOVERNMENT WANT YOU TO BELIEVE THAT FRAUD TODAY IS ONLY HAPPENING ON THE INTERNET.

The best Consumer Fraud is going on right under their noses, in the largest Companies in America.  And they are totally ignoring it, while consumers are ripped off by Companies uninterested in doing business fairly with the public, or by scammers out for as much profit as possible, before they're caught.

This site is dedicated to doing what our inept government should be doing, but who can't be bothered, or who won't (maybe they have been bought out by big industries?) That mission is to: 1.  Expose the BEST FRAUDS going on in America today. 2.  Warn consumers to be wary of these scams and frauds. 3.  Post your experiences on this site so others can learn. 4.  Show how inept our Government is at fixing the scams. 5.  Encourage your input or protests to help fix the problem.		This is a freedom-of-speech site. Any person, or organization, has the right to warn people about unjust or fraudulent activities that may affect them, while holding no malice toward the companies or individuals involved -- exactly the case with this site. We are not trying to impair their businesses, just ask them to play fair and not try to scam customers.

Read the Best Frauds and scams below, including companies lying to the public, and intricate corporate scams:

HOT NEW MINI-FRAUDS! SMALL BUT IMPORTANT WAYS COMPANIES ARE SCAMMING YOU Make sure you read these interesting reader submissions! This new area lists "quickies" to be aware of. They may not be major issues, but readers took time to send in their complaints so you won't suffer the same fate. Because many are smaller issues, we have not verified them all -- but it's clear that readers are trying to help you avoid the same traps!

CitiCard is not worth having -- Citibank Harasses Customers Citibank has taken to harassing customers with outrageous late fees and harassing calls in the morning to wake you up and annoy you the most. They won't remove exorbitant late fees, and once they have your phone number, they will harass you until they drive you to paying their extortion fees, just to get rid of their harassment. Citibank used to be a good company years ago. Now that they are so big, they think they can harasss and intimidate customers, without any comeback. But if they have harassed you like they have this person (Read about it here), we suggest you report them to the FTC for harassment. Enough people do this, they will soon change their tune. If no one does it, they will continue to incite "Credit Card Rage" endlessly. Article posted August 17, 2005.
NIGERIAN SCAM UPDATE -- Has the Government woken up? We found a choice article on IDG.NET (the parent to Ziff Davis and PC Magazine). It is so interesting that we reproduced it here -- in case it "disappears" from the source (like many good inquisitions into wrong-doing seem to do on the internet). It purports to say that the U.S. Government is now "aware" of the Nigerian Swindle letters (which we've listed on BestFrauds.com for almost 2 YEARS now!).  They say they will do something about it, by "sanctions".  See for yourself if this claim has any meat -- Read it Here.    Article posted Oct. 10, 2002	Link to U.S. Secret Service
You may get a $ 24,100.00 Telephone Bill next month!  What???? If anyone asks you to call a number with an 809 area code, don't do it! Apparently it is in the Dominican Republic, and there seems to be no limit to the amount they can charge you for a few minute call. If this submission we received is true, it's one of the biggest scams going today. Read about it here. Check out the letter we received, supposedly from the FBI. As always, be wary of ANY telephone solicitations at all. If it is not from someone you know, don't get involved in it! Article posted September 12, 2002.
YOU ARE AN AMERICAN "SUCKER" -- So the Airlines say. Americans pride themselves in having the best life of all, the best amenities, the lowest costs, and the best "deals" of all countries -- we take it for granted, right? "Wrong" say airline companies. As far as they're concerned, you're a fat, rich, extravagant fool, with too much money and not enough smarts. They're so convinced of this, they've developed a real juicy scheme to make you pay MORE than everyone else to fly.  Of course they deny it, and you don't believe us .... So read it here -- and either prove us wrong -- or believe it!
THE DALLAS CONSPIRACY -- Price Gouging you to death! Everyone gripes about price fixing, and how they are being taken by this company and that big business, but who takes the time to actually document and prove it? Well, one reader did, and it has opened up a can of worms that may never be closed, until the conspirators are beaten, and we have fairness in one of the biggest, most controversial industries in the U. S. today -- the airlines.   Read it all Here.
THE PLOT THICKENS -- Update on Nigerian Money Swindle Tijani Useni, the main perpetrator of the Nigerian Money swindle, has woven and even more contrived web than people realize -- involving Spain, of all places.  Read his reply to a game email respondent who replied to his con job, and see what he has to say ! --  Click Here.
NIGERIAN MONEY SWINDLE -- Top Internet E-Mail Fraud! There are many scams and schemes to thieve money from you everywhere today. We normally don't post anything on this site about internet fraud, but the mail we received is such an obvious Con Job that everyone using e-mail needs to see what the Nigerian Money Swindle looks like. It's a favorite with the FTC -- there are hundreds of versions, and it has been going on for years. Why can't they stop them? View our analysis here to see a possible reason or two.  Click Here.
CREDIT CARD SPECIAL! -- Big Fraud Uncovered with Sears AT&T held the top spot in the year's fraud list for so many months, we thought no one would ever displace them as # 1 in any month.  But Sears just did!  Read about it with this  Sears Link.
TOP FRAUD OF THE YEAR! -- Huge AT&T Marketing Scam This AT&T marketing scam held the top spot on our charts for 7 months running -- because it has affected so many people. Read about it here -- decide for yourself whether it is intentional, or massive incompetence. Either way, it's a scary precedent for telecommunications companies.
BIG TELECOM SCAMS! -- Phones-Service -- How to Con you! Looking for long distance cellular service? You've got to read this juicy conspiracy between Radio Shack and a long distance provider, Topp Telecom, over the infamous "Tracfone".  Sure you've seen ads on TV about how great it is -- now read the tricks they never disclose -- Here.  For updates on this "Tracfone" issue, read the User Input page for the latest!
DISCOUNT AIR FARES! -- Are you sure you want them? This issue held the top Consumer Fraud spot from 1999 into 2000. We're not talking about complaints here -- there are always complaints against airline companies. No, these are outright frauds, one of the best of them by a company called "Best Fares". In fact it was they and their irresponsible attitude about consumer fraud that inspired our site's name -- Best Frauds -- and got this site started!  Read the classic discount air fare scam that started it all, right here.
ATTENTION LAWYERS! -- Know where your best market is? Class Action Litigation is probably the hottest and fastest growing aspect of law today. If you haven't gotten involved yet, you are missing a great opportunity. Class Action clients are the most satisfied of all -- it is a very rewarding field with great notoriety. See how you can profit from a space on our site. People are looking here for good lawyers who know their stuff.  Read details.
CONSUMERS! -- Submit any scam or fraud affecting you ! If you've recently had any company scam you with a purchase or unfair demands, share it with everyone else, to help other people avoid the same trap. You may have already been burned without recompense, but at least you'll have the satisfaction of knowing that other won't!   Remember, this is not a complaint site. For a scheme to qualify as a scam or fraud, the vendor or marketer must either have the intent of taking money from people under false or hidden pretenses, or else the final result of their actions (or inaction) must effectively result in taking money from the public under false or hidden pretenses. In other words, intent is not the only requisite of consumer fraud -- often the final result itself is sufficient to prove foul play. Just because you may be unhappy with a company, it doesn't mean they are scamming you. There are many other Internet sites you can find to take simple gripes or complaints. How can you tell the difference? Read the frauds listed on this site. Each one has a theme, that the company is violating a rule or law of commerce set down by the government, who of course is too slow or stupid to enforce their laws. Without obvious fraudulent intent, or "final result", on the part of the seller or provider, we can't publish it here. We will try to verify your situation, but we can't intercede for you. The best we can do is publish all verified frauds, so others will know. To submit a scam or fraud to us, please read the following page first -- Submit a Scam to Us.
ARCHIVES -- Archived articles, issues no longer in the spotlight Each month we go through the site and move to this archive page, any articles no longer at the "cutting edge" of the scam scene. Anything else, you can be sure it is still hitting people hard, and very current. It is a mistake to assume that issues on the BestFrauds site are "outdated". We get numerous letters each week about the Tracfone issue, and the Nigerian Money Swindles, for example!  Read Archives.
NOTE -- If you don't like an article on this site, because of a "good" experience with a company, do NOT write to us until you have read the "Submit" page. It shows how the articles reveal important principles of violated consumer rights, and why we are not just picking on certain companies. Please read it first. Contact: If you wish to contact us for any reason, email to inf at our website, bestfrauds.com Note! Any letters submitted to us may be published here -- we won't publish consumer names, but we may publish company names known to be involved in dubious marketing. When you write in, please give your state where you live.  States need to know these scams are going on right under their noses. They may not care, but at least they are implicated in responsibility. Nothing on this site, nor publication of any correspondence to us, may be construed as injurious to any company. The purpose of this site is solely to report well documented or provable accounts of consumer abuse, so other consumers can avoid suffering like abuse. If you don't want corporate information or correspondence published, don't write to us! If you are an attorney interested in this site, and believe in consumers rights, by all means write to us, and join the growing list of attorneys who vigorously support our cause. There are good and rewarding causes to take up, cases to fight, and groundbreaking class action issues to address. Get involved now and work toward consumer equity that will inevitably lead to a stronger economy and a better country for us all!
Links: Interested in other Internet Fraud sites, or books on fraud?  Here are some top links. We make no representation as to how good, bad, or effective they are.  Some are complaint sites, where you can air your frustration without result (incl. government sites?).  Others have interesting books you might want to read. Check them out : Links to other Fraud sites.

Latest update Feb 2004

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