My own ezine, TheWizWorld MRC Newsletter, focuses on the positive side of building an ebusiness. It stresses the importance of personal name branding. It also stresses that by helping others, we do help ourselves - our businesses grow, our name value grows. By displaying ones own understanding of business, it helps others build theirs - and provides them with a resource to turn to to ask for help, inquire about joint ventures, and more... you.

By putting yourself out there, with positive advice, help, products, programs, and resources, the return on your investment in time and money comes back tenfold. Word of mouth IS a priceless commodity.

So, it's a strange twist that this article isn't about any of that - though the above may have lead you to believe otherwise. Though it most definitely is about "word of mouth."

What I'd like to cover today is the person out there who believes that he or she can get away with anything, rip anyone off, not be accountable for their actions, and never get caught.

This article serves as notice to dispel that illusion.

Publishers are a huge and close knit community of hard working individuals. We talk to each other, assist each other, and sometimes find the need to warn each other of potential troublemakers, cheaters, spa*m*mers and the like.

We keep records and we pass this information along.

Just like you, publishers do not want to be the victim of anyone's sca*m. And we have long, long memories.

We also have resources at our disposal to check out certain individuals above and beyond our own lists of "ruh roh!" people. And check them we do.

I know you must receive many ezines that take the time to warn you, as an online entreprenuer, of programs and products to avoid. Typically, the publisher eithers knows from first hand experience or because an alert reader, wanting to help others, writes in and asks that publisher to share their information with you.

This is a warning with a twist - and one that is truly unfortunate to even have to mention - a warning against certain individuals.

Most of us collect IP numbers, we get names, we get email addresses, we get paypal transactions, we get credit card information. Let's face it, we get a lot of information about a lot of people.

While a publisher would never dream of selling any of this - and most have disclaimers letting you know that they would never even consider doing it - we do have the information for our own protection. And, as an Association of sorts, we share what is necessary to protect each other.

Thankfully, the world is a good place, filled with good, honest people just trying to make a living. So, other than providing a bit of entertainment for you, you know in your heart of hearts that this article isn't about you.

But, it's that 0.1% that need to listen up...

For instance...

Did you know that making false credit card claims is a Federal offense in the United States? We're talking prison time here... it's not a joke, you can and will get caught. And the rest of us are here to help ensure that you do.

From false sp*am reports to outright credit card theft and fraud, we know who's doing what, who to avoid, who to let others know to avoid, and who to report.

So while 99.9% of us our happily and honestly building our businesses, for that 0.1%, the net is getting smaller and smaller and smaller.

If you don't know it yet, thy name is mud.