by Terry Mitchell

Created on: February 21, 2009

First of all, let me say that it's best to never fall victim to an Internet scam in the first place. In a perfect world, we never would. However, even the best of us get taken in once in a while. I'm specifically referring to the kinds of scams in which someone offers a product or service for sale on the Internet, gets your money, and then never delivers it. When you have been conned like this, what's the best and easiest way to get your money back? You could take the perpetrator to court, but that's a lot of hassle and most people - myself included - generally will not go that route.

Never use cash, a check, a debit card, or a bank account withdrawal to make an Internet-based purchase from someone with whom you are not familiar. If you do and then don't get what you paid for, it is virtually impossible to recover your money without going to court. And even then, there's no guarantee that you'll be successful. In many cases, your money is likely gone.

Protect yourself by using a credit card instead. And it's best done via a certified third party like Paypal, so the vendor never actually gets access to your credit card number. When you use a credit card to make a purchase, it is just a paper transaction until you pay for it. You are using the credit card company's money, not yours, up front to make the purchase. You are not required to pay if the product or service you purchased is not provided or if it is substandard.

You can dispute the transaction by simply calling your credit card company and telling them you did not get what you bought. They will not require you to pay for the product or service while it is in dispute and will send you an affidavit to sign. Once you sign it and send it in, the burden of proof will be on the seller to prove that he or she provided the product or service as advertised. If they can't, your credit card company will assume the role of recovering the money and you will never be required to pay for that purchase.

Now, there are some things to keep in mind during this process, as scammers are, by nature, opportunists and will use any mistake you make to their advantage. Obviously, they won't want to give you a refund and will fight hard to avoid having to do so. They will point the finger of blame at you - sometimes even accusing you of being the one who is dishonest - whenever they get a chance. Just don't give them that chance.

First, don't be too quick to pull the trigger when the product or service is not immediately provided. Give

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