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Good
Tuesday morning! Here's your weekly
Dose
of Dover
The
only reliable source for un-common
sense advice,
insights and
cover-your-hiney strategies you simply can't find
anywhere else.
Take
your best shot...try to put me out of
a job! How?
Forward
this week's newsletter to everyone
in
your Address Book and
with any luck,
make
'em a little smarter this year.
[C'mon...be
a big shot!]
Spread
the word and share the wealth of
Tuesday, March 25,
2003:
Should
you spend the extra dough to buy an extended warranty for your
car? Aside from
recognizing the fact that the salesman (or finance-guy) trying
to sell this to you is making a hefty commission on the sale,
you've got to be informed and have a clear understanding of
how good (or how unreliable) that new car you're about to buy
really is, before you take the plunge and buy.
Read
all about extended warranties right here!
Foreclosed
properties--one person's pain is another person's profit: And
with interest rates so low, you're nuts if you
don't cash in while you can! Think about investing
in something that won't turn into worthless origami, like the
stocks in your investment portfolios. Think
about investing in real estate. Rental properties
can give your investment portfolio the growth and stability
you've been searching for. And since now's the time to
get the edge in the home buying/re-financing world; get
your free copy of Ben's 2003 Home Buyer's Guide right here!
Flying
any long distances anytime soon? Here's how to avoid
being one of 60,000 that unexpectedly die as a result...of
flying long distances, driving/riding long distances, or being
confined to a bed for an extended period of time.
Read
all about it right here...
Last
week I gave you a website that's supposed to keep you "up"
on the very latest disaster news: It's a
free service from the Emergency
E-Mail and Wireless Network that
I thought you might wanna sign up for. I did...but then
a few days later I un-subscribed.
Why?
Because I think they've got to be the most abusive, "cry
wolf" service I've ever been abused by in my 10 +
years of carrying an alpha-numeric pager. Their
penchant for sending messages out everytime someone passes gas
was simply too much. Their county (or region)
specific news flashes were anything but news. Think twice
about opening yourself up to this type of "news flash
abuse."
Do
you know how to raise hell effectively? I do!
This is one of the most popular sections
of the website...because it works! Check out
the Six
Steps To Effective Complaining...(and
don't come whinin' to me!)
Are
you broke and have nothing left to give anyone for their
special day or a special event coming up? Then it's time
to be resourceful and share the wealth! Give 'em
a subscription to the Dose of Dover. C'mon...it's
still the most reliable source of insight and ideas
available...and besides, it's free! Sign 'em up
for their weekly Dose
of Dover newsletter
right
here on our award-winning website!
With
April Fool's Day just around the corner, the timing's right
for a shot of reality...from hot chicks to ridiculous real
estate deals to the newest way to dupe perfect strangers:
Here's this week's edition of Ask
Benjamin Dover (now
pass the vodka, will ya?):
She's Hot.
She's Broke! She's Russian.
(And You're Toast
If You Bite On Her E-Mailed "Offer")
Plus:
How To Buy Real Estate For Next To Nothing &
Get A Quick
$314,000+ Into Your Account The Easy Way
March
27, 2003
Dear
Ben: I was recently
contacted by a girl in Russia purporting to be interested in
me. We corresponded back and forth, finally announcing that
she'd like to come see me. She made it clear that she had very
little money-a visa and passport would cost $350. But when I
told her I'd come to Russia to see her, the correspondence
suddenly stopped. I can imagine what would have happened if
I'd sent her the $350...the next thing would have been
thousands of dollars for a ticket.
- John, via e-mail
Dear John (now that
seems like an appropriate opening-salutation for this
topic): You're sounding
awfully cynical about finding love in Russia. Perhaps others
looking for love will learn from your experience-which seems
to be the norm. You're right: If you actually did send some
cash to Russia, the minute you tried to plan a trip over
there to meet her, she'd hit you with a "Dear Dimitri"
e-mail so fast your head would spin. By the way: This is
among the hottest e-mail scams out there, running
neck-and-neck with my all-time favorite, which opens with
the infamous: "First,
I must solicit your trust and strictest confidence in this
transaction. This is by nature of the top-secret information
I am about to divulge to you..." come-on
line. These instant wealth-without-risk offers (usually)
from Nigeria continue to scam millions of dollars out of
naive Americans every year. You've got to ask yourself that
age-old question: If it sounds too good to be true...you
know the answer.
Dear Ben: I
came across a website selling land on the moon. Is it fraud?
Please let me know.
- Robert E., via e-mail
Dear Robert: You're
kidding, right? I mean, you're not really
serious about asking if it's legit, are you? I went
to the website you referenced in your e-mail (but
intentionally omitted here) and saw the sales pitch: "You
really can own a piece of the Moon! If this sounds like a
joke to you, please read on: The sale of lunar property has
been ongoing for 22 years by (company
name omitted) which
is THE ONLY COMPANY in the world to possess a legal basis
and copyright for the sale of lunar, and other
extraterrestrial property within the confines of our solar
system. The U.N. Outer Space Treaty of 1967 stipulated that
no government could own extraterrestrial property. However,
it neglected to mention individuals and corporations.
Therefore, under laws dating back from early U.S. settlers,
it was possible to stake a claim for land, and register it
with the U.S. Government Office of claim registries."
Oh...well that's different.
The Internet's proven to be a wonderful arena for exchanging
ideas and advancing agendas...but it's also a magnet that
consistently attracts scam-artists. Think about it, Robert!
How can you sell an acre of land for only $29.95...their
selling price for lunar lots, pray tell? Besides, there's no
water, no sewers or electricity...no streets-nothing! If I
were you, I'd stick with buying raw land in West Texas.
Dose of Dover For The Week:
One of the more creative (and harmless)
con games out there right now-and just in time for April
Fool's Day next Tuesday-are those
gosh-darn pranksters selling fake ATM receipts.
These receipts, reflecting a
huge bank balance, are the perfect "bait," as
described on their website:
"Pick up women or men
quickly at bars, dances, social events. After you write your
number on this receipt (conveniently folded in your wallet),
hand it to the member of the opposite sex and watch how fast
they call you! When she sees the size of your bank balance,
she'll be digging for gold in no time! It even has the
typical black bars on back of the receipt for added
authenticity! Other "ATM-ITATIONS" uses: Perfect
for "over-the-hill" bachelors! High school/college
students use to impress people! Leave on the coffee table
and impress your friends! Write a message/phone number when
negotiating with mortgage companies, matre'd at a fancy
restaurant, Porsche dealerships! Read it again and again,
improve your self-esteem, sex life!"
Incidentally, the big
"bank balance" showing on this fake ATM receipt? A
hefty $314,159.26...which (not coincidentally) happens to be
the same digits used in the mathematical term
"pi!" Oh
what a wicked web we weave...
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