If you think you can't get fleeced by Web con artists, think again: One million small businesses have been, according to Senator Christopher "Kit" Bond (R-MO).
How does it work? Crooked Web site operators "cram" phony charges onto businesses phone bills or credit cards, says Bond, whose Senate Committee on Small Business has held hearings on the scam. Here's how to spot it: Usually, there's a "free, no strings attached" trial offer of Web site hosting, development or marketing services. Then monthly charges keep showing up.
If you think you've been ripped off, log on to the FTC's Web site (www.ftc.gov)and click on "Complaint Form," or send an e-mail to kit_bond@bond.senate.gov.
To contact Robert McGarvey e-mail him at rjm@mcgarvey.net.
This story appears in the April 2000 issue of Entrepreneur. Subscribe »
