CANNAINVESTOR Magazine February / March 2017 | Page 45

These sites are targeting the traffic of the brand that they are imitating. These sites are often akin to identity theft and typically are of poor quality. When-ever you find yourself on a site that appears inferior or not quite what you thought, double check that you navigated to the correct site. The old cliché “often imitated – never duplicated” certainly applies. They say imitation is the greatest form of flattery. That may be true but not when the intent is to deceive and confuse. What legitimate reason could there be to intentionally create a misleading website of amateur appearance and content if not to redirect traffic; discredit the legitimate site; and to manipulate and misdirect? They are intentionally using a recognized and trusted brand name (or close proximity) for their own purposes at the expense of others. Once you realize you are on one of these sites, follow standard measures to search for viruses, spyware, malware, etc. and simply block the URL of the site so that you cannot accidently navigate to it again and be sure to warn others. Do not enter any personal information as some of these sites could be using phishing tactics. Sometimes, with good intent and out if ignorance, a value added well-meaning site is created unknowingly infringing upon a brand – these can readily be identified because the remorseful owner of the site quickly changes any of the misleading and conflicting markers (name, logo, etc.). For example, the websites for CANNAINVESTOR Magazine are www.cannainvestormag.com and www.cannainvestormag.ca.

Knowing how to identify where the mines are in the minefield is just as critical to the successful Retail Investor as knowing how to identify the companies to consider investing in.

Louis Kyron, CPA, CGA

Companies referenced are not indicated as a buy/sell signal and readers are solely responsible for their own research, conclusions, and investment decisions.

Weedman and CANNAInvestor Characters, names, and images are registered copyrights. Any use without the expressed written permission by the owner is strictly forbidden.

Retail Investor's Perspective

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