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Melbourne, Australia, 2 September 2007 – In his keynote address to the 2007 ABAC SME Summit, Alibaba Chairman Jack Ma declared that the future of global trade and e-commerce belongs to small and medium-sized enterprises.  “Small is beautiful,” said Ma.  “SMEs provide the engine for economic growth in Asia and are the future of e-commerce.”

Organized by the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC), the Summit brought together business and political leaders from Australia and the APEC region to identify ways that can enhance SMEs’ competitiveness.  Jack Ma was a keynote speaker on the topic, “Internet, IT & Technology: How SMEs can maximize their role in this space & sell to the market.” 

In his speech, Ma discussed the role of the Internet, in particular e-commerce, in re-shaping the business world and powering SMEs by leveling the playing-field and offering them new ways to market their products abroad. He predicted a new era in which nimble SMEs will use e-commerce to out-compete large manufacturers.

“In 1999, we predicted that the winners in e-commerce would be the shrimps, not the whales.  Eight years later, our experience has proven that the companies which most benefit from e-commerce are SMEs who use the Internet to market their products and find business partners around the world.” 

Ma discussed how Alibaba.com, the world’s most-visited online business-to-business marketplace, had developed from a simple message board of products for sale to a dynamic community with more than 24 million of users worldwide.  “SMEs in Asia have leapfrogged past traditional methods of finding business partners.  More than just finding products and suppliers, SMEs now use the Internet to communicate with each other, build trust and manage their entire business online.  Alibaba will continue to lead this trend as we move from ‘Meet at Alibaba’ to ‘Work at Alibaba’.”

As part of the 15th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Sydney, Australia, Ma will also participate in a leadership dialogue on 8 September with APEC heads of state including Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang.

Jack Ma, Founder and CEO of Alibaba Group, addresses the ABAC SME Summit in Melbourne, Australia.

• Do not carry your extra credit cards, Social Security card, birth certificate, or passport in your wallet or purse except when necessary. This practice minimizes the amount of information a thief can steal. Photocopy everything in your wallet so if it is stolen you know exactly who to call.
• Do not click on links in any emails you receive from financial institutions or famous websites - even if you're 100% sure they're legitimate. Instead, go to your browser and type in the domain name of the institution (e.g. www.alibaba.com) and then login to your account. Some emails you receive about your accounts are actually fake and are called “Phishing” emails.
• Make sure your computer is set to automatically download the latest patches and fixes. Any computer operating systems will have security holes. You will want to install a new fix once they are discovered and patched.
• Install virus and spyware detection software and keep them updated.
• Install a lockable mailbox at your residence to reduce mail theft.
• Take credit card receipts with you. Never toss them in a public trash container.
• Never leave your purse or wallet unattended at work or in church, restaurants, health fitness clubs, parties, or shopping carts. Never leave your purse or wallet in open view in your car, even when your car is locked.
• Destroy all checks immediately after you close a checking account. Destroy or keep in a secure place any courtesy checks that your bank or credit card company sends to you.
  Do not have your bank send your new checks to your home address. Tell the bank that you prefer to pick them up.
• Reconcile your check and credit card statements in a timely fashion, and challenge any purchases you did not make.
• Limit the number of credit cards you have, and cancel any inactive accounts.
• Never give any credit card, bank, or Social Security information to anyone by telephone, even if you made the call, unless you can positively verify that the call is legitimate.
• Minimize exposure of your Social Security and credit card numbers. If the numbers are requested for check-cashing purposes, ask if the business has alternative options such as a check-cashing card.
• Do not allow your financial institution to print your Social Security number on your personal checks.
• Safeguard your credit, debit, and ATM card receipts. Shred them before discarding.
  Scrutinize your utility and subscription bills to make sure the charges are yours.
• Memorize your passwords and personal identification numbers (PINs) so you do not have to write them down. Be aware of your surroundings to make sure no one is watching you input your PIN.
• Keep a list of all your credit accounts and bank accounts in a secure place so you can quickly call the issuers to inform them about missing or stolen cards. Include account numbers, expiration dates, and telephone numbers of customer service and fraud departments. 
• Do not toss pre-approved credit offers in your trash or recycling bin without first shredding them. Dumpster divers use these offers to order credit cards in your name and mail them to their address. Always do the same with other sensitive information like credit card receipts, phone bills, and such.

If you don't receive your billing statement, notify the company immediately.
Again, none of these tips are guaranteed to prevent identity theft. You just want to make it more difficult for someone to steal your identity.
Source: www.fightidentitytheft.com

(CNN) Monday, July 23, 2007 -- Jack Ma, Chairman & CEO, Alibaba Group, is a small, unassuming man, who has achieved big things and has even larger ambitions.

Jack Ma, Chairman & CEO, Alibaba Group

"In five years among the top five Internet companies in the world one of them will be from China and I hope that we will be that one," he says.

The 42-year-old has built up China's largest e-commerce company and, in 2005, attracted the tech giant Yahoo! to buy 40 percent of the privately-held business for a billion U.S. dollars.

As part of that deal, Ma's Alibaba Group now owns Yahoo! China.

The venture Jack Ma launched out of his Hangzhou apartment in 1999 has expanded into 5 companies and now employees about 5,000 people.

Ma prides himself on being a self-made man. "I am 100 percent made in China. I taught myself English in China and I have never been educated outside of China."

And no matter if he is taking part in a company-organized wedding party or showing off his favorite hometown spot, West Lake, Ma embraces it all.

CNN's Andrew Stevens first asked the Hangzhou native why, as a boy, he would cycle 45 minutes every day to one of the tourist hotels around West Lake to practice his English with tourists.

Ma: "I find it interesting. I find that when I listen to these foreign tourists, what they talk about, and I learn from the schools are different. For example, 1985 my first trip to leave China to Australia. Before that I was told that China was the richest country in the world and we are the happiest people in the world. We are supposed to liberate the world. When I arrived in Australia, I said "Oh My God" things are different, right? They should liberate us. To know that the world is different from what you think and from what you learn. That is the thing that keeps me growing and growing.

Stevens: You are a student and a fan of the Chinese author Jin Yong. He writes wushu novels about ancient heroes. You have said you have taken lessons from his books and applied them to your business. How exactly?

Ma: The Jin Yong book tell me that whatever you want to be a great person or a great company you have to work very hard. And you have to suffer a lot of terrible things before you can be a hero. It is quite spiritual. And think out of the box. You have to think out of the box to win.

Stevens: In 2005 Yahoo! spent a billion dollars buying 40 percent of Alibaba. Now under that deal Alibaba took over all of Yahoo's operations here in China. At the moment Yahoo! China isn't making money. So what lessons did you learn from those first few months of integration?

Ma: To change the culture of the company, it is very difficult. It is a difficult company. So we like most young companies we believe that we are so good and we believe that we can do it so we have a high expectation and people have a high expectation, we want to do things quick. And suddenly we realize no good. It is impossible. So now we have patience. We know we have the people we have restructured the company and restructured the culture and we have the time and we have the cash. And we have the customers. So let's take it a long time.

Ma: I think that the Internet is changing people and it has changed the world. In the next 20 years most of the things and most of the people in the world will be using the Internet. Like today people use electricity. So I believe that in 10 years in the world there are three top Internet companies and one of them will be from China and Alibaba wants to be that one of them.

All About Jack Ma • Alibaba.com Corporation

1. “Originally, I was told that I could order one laptop; but after sending payment, I was told that 5 laptops are the minimum order. I sent payment for 4 more laptops, but I still haven’t received my laptops”

2. “This company said the goods they sent me are detained in the Customs Office because the Customs Office found no original invoice attached to the goods. I was told that it’s his company’s policy to issue an original invoice only when the quantity is above 5 units. In other words, they want me to buy 3 more laptops, and then they will issue an original invoice to release my goods.”

3. “They don’t accept an escrow service for payment, they use wire transfer only. I was told to send my payment to a private bank account. After payment, this company told me that their minimum order is 3 laptops, and they asked me to pay for an additional 2 laptops to receive the products I ordered.”

4. “They are using an unknown shipping website. After I made the payment, it showed my goods were on the way for a week! I think they have created a shipping website to con people into believing that their package is on the way.”

The common characteristics in all these kinds of fraud cases:

1. The seller is providing high tech products, such as laptops, Ipods, MP4 players, mobile phones, second hand cars, etc.

2. The price is extremely low compared to the market price: generally 50% lower than the market price.

3. Most of sellers claim to be from European countries, but their IP addresses are mostly from African countries.

4. They do not accept Paypal, L/C, or other secure payment. They prefer to use Western Union or Wire Transfer payment and recommend buyers use an unknown escrow website.

5. Their land numbers are not working or invalid, but they can be contacted by their mobile phone numbers; or they provide a forwarding telephone number to buyers.

6. They refuse requests from buyers to pick up their goods personally.

The fraudster always:

1. Attracts buyers with extremely low prices and then requests upfront payment from the buyer. However, they cannot be contacted after payment is sent.

2. Sends quality samples to buyers in order to convince buyers, then requests a fee for the samples. The seller seems quite professional and all things go smoothly with the sample order. When the large order comes, the supplier asks buyers to pay a full up-front payment or a deposit. However, they cannot be contacted after the money is paid.

3. After receiving payment, they will give you different kinds of excuses why your items cannot be sent. They may suggest that you send more payment to get your product.  

4. Ask buyers to send payment to a private bank account instead of a company’s bank account.

5. Suggest buyers accept shipping through an unknown shipping website, and then provide a fake tracking number to convince buyers their goods are on the way. They will then push buyers to make the rest of the payment.

Alibaba doesn’t check the registration information of free members at present. Therefore, you should not believe a free member who claims to be in China or any other place until you verify it. The person making this claim could be based in any country and might merely using China to disguise their true location. E.g. a fraudulent trader may tell you that they are from China but may be from Africa. Check their country and geographical codes.

Some scammers use a forwarding number or a VOIP number to disguise their location. Numbers beginning with the prefix +4470 or +4487 are forwarding numbers that are rarely used by legitimate companies and are not used in China at all.

Numbers can be checked here:

http://www.numberingplans.com//?page=analysis&sub=phonenr

The tips below are written by Alibaba members and do not represent Alibaba’s views on this topic. Buyers who want to import from China can refer to these member’s tips when dealing with suppliers from China.

1. Check their contact information

In order to avoid being traced by law enforcement authorities, most scammers will not offer genuine registration information online. They will provide a false company address, telephone number and fax number or persuade buyers to contact them by mobile phone only. Check their company registration information by search engine to see if it is a real company.

2. Check their company registration number

Legal companies in China have to register with the Chinese government authorities and obtain a unique company registration number. If your business partner cannot offer you a unique company registration number, it is risky to deal with them. To check the registration number your supplier provided, you need to visit their local administrative government website with the number they provided. However, you should be aware that most government websites in China are in written Chinese. You can also contact their local Bureau of Industry & Commerce, which is the only government organisation responsible for the registration of legitimate companies or enterprises in China. You can ask friends in China to help you verify this company. You can also use a third-party authentication service company in China to help you verify information.

3. Incredibly low prices

Most Chinese scammers will lure buyers with very low prices. If the prices they offer are too good to be true, you should investigate why their prices are so low. Most scammers in China make a profit by selling replicas or fakes of branded goods to overseas buyers. This is very risky because the goods will be confiscated or detained by Chinese customs if they are considered illegal in China.

4. Payment and shipment terms

The scammers never accept L/C as a term of payment. They prefer Western Union, and T/T etc. They also never deliver goods through formal channels; preferring instead to deliver samples Express by Fedex, TNT, EMS to avoid examinations from Chinese customs.

5. Warranty and after sale services

Scammers never guarantee their quality and after-sales services after your payment. However, they may promise you a lot before payment.

Additionally, manufacturers don’t have the right to sell or buy unless they have obtained a legitimate unique company number from their local BIC in China. In China, all enterprises with the right to import and export have to apply and obtain a certificate called the “Certificate of Import & Export” from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce. This certificate may also be authorized by local organisations in China after a company’s registration at their local BIC. A formal trade company has to register with the Chinese Customs House and its branches before formally trading with foreign counterparts in China. They also have to register themselves with their local Bureau of Inspection & Quarantine in case their products are in need of quality control. Without the registration from the above local government authorities, no company can deal with you through formal channels in China. Contact me for details if you need information about verification and other business services in China.

If you have any doubt whether an email is from Alibaba, help Alibaba keep our community safe by reporting it immediately.

• l If you receive fraud email, forward the messages to alibaba@alibaba-inc.com.
  
  Note: In order for Alibaba to investigate your report, please forward the email without adding attachments, text or altering the text.
• l If you receive fraud email in your Alibaba Message Center, you can click the “Spam” button to submit the message directly to Alibaba.
• l Delete fraud email from your email system once you have forwarded it to Alibaba.