| Known Scams |
| Don't Be Scammed by Theives! |
| It's no surprise that scammers come up with creative ways to get any amount of money from unsuspecting victims. I personally have not been scammed, but it hasn't been from the lack of them trying that's for damn sure! In fact, not to long ago a neighbor of ours came to our door and asked if someone had delivered anything for her to our house then went on to tell us that she was suppose to be getting some odd amount of money and for some reason it was to be delivered to our house instead of hers...she lost close to $2,000.00 to these people and will not be getting that money back. The elderly are generally the targets of most scams, but it's not always the case. Anyone can be scammed. Has little to nothing to do with your intellegence factor, your cunning, or the like, it has everything to do with how well the scammer is prepared and can be convincing. So in that light, I have complied a few scams that I know about personally (there's thousands out there and new ones are being thought up everyday!) along with how to tell if something is a scam and where to report a new scam. I hope these pages will be informative enough to you that if you ever get a call or letter that is a scam you'll reconize it for one and ignore it and not loose any money, cause once they have your money, 9 times out of 10 you will never see it again! |
| Telemarketing Fraud~ Warning signs -- what a caller may tell you: - "You must act 'now' or the offer won't be good." - "You've won a 'free' gift, vacation, or prize." But you have to pay for "postage and handling" or other charges. - "You must send money, give a credit card or bank account number, or have a check picked up by courier." You may hear this before you have had a chance to consider the offer carefully. - "You don't need to check out the company with anyone." The callers say you do not need to speak to anyone including your family, lawyer, accountant, local Better Business Bureau, or consumer protection agency. - "You don't need any written information about their company or their references." - "You can't afford to miss this 'high-profit, no-risk' offer." If you hear these--or similar--"lines" from a telephone salesperson, just say "no thank you," and hang up the phone. Some Tips to Avoid Telemarketing Fraud: It's very difficult to get your money back if you've been cheated over the phone. Before you buy anything by telephone, remember: ~Don't buy from an unfamiliar company. Legitimate businesses understand that you want more information about their company and are happy to comply. ~Always ask for and wait until you receive written material about any offer or charity. If you get brochures about costly investments, ask someone whose financial advice you trust to review them. But, unfortunately, beware -- not everything written down is true. ~Always check out unfamiliar companies with your local consumer protection agency, Better Business Bureau, state Attorney General, the National Fraud Information Center, or other watchdog groups. Unfortunately, not all bad businesses can be identified through these organizations. ~Obtain a salesperson's name, business identity, telephone number, street address, mailing address, and business license number before you transact business. Some con artists give out false names, telephone numbers, addresses, and business license numbers. Verify the accuracy of these items. ~Before you give money to a charity or make an investment, find out what percentage of the money is paid in commissions and what percentage actually goes to the charity or investment. ~Before you send money, ask yourself a simple question. "What guarantee do I really have that this solicitor will use my money in the manner we agreed upon?" ~You must not be asked to pay in advance for services. Pay services only after they are delivered. ~Some con artists will send a messenger to your home to pick up money, claiming it is part of their service to you. In reality, they are taking your money without leaving any trace of who they are or where they can be reached. ~Always take your time making a decision. Legitimate companies won't pressure you to make a snap decision. ~Don't pay for a "free prize." If a caller tells you the payment is for taxes, he or she is violating federal law. ~Before you receive your next sales pitch, decide what your limits are -- the kinds of financial information you will and won't give out on the telephone. ~It's never rude to wait and think about an offer. Be sure to talk over big investments offered by telephone salespeople with a trusted friend, family member, or financial advisor. ~Never respond to an offer you don't understand thoroughly. ~Never send money or give out personal information such as credit card numbers and expiration dates, bank account numbers, dates of birth, or social security numbers to unfamiliar companies or unknown persons. Your personal information is often brokered to telemarketers through third parties. If you have information about a fraud report it to state, local, or federal law enforcement agencies. |
| Scams |
| Protect Yourself and Others. |
| Click to go directly to the form to have your phone number taken off calling lists, you can apply directly on line, or print out the completed form and mail it in. (To do it on-line will cost you $5, to mail it in, it's free.) You are on the DO NOT CALL list for 5 years, at which time you will need to reapply (so you may want to write down the URL somewhere or save it to a file) Click to go directly to the form to have your address taken of mailing lists, you can also apply on-line (for the same fee as number) or mail the completed form in for free. Make sure you complete a form for every variation of your address. IE: My mail comes to me by my address by both Vista Circle AND Vista Street. ( 123 Vista Circle, or 123 Vista Street) You are on the list for 5 years, at which time you'll need to reapply. Click here to the form to take your e-mail address off of e-mail lists. You can list up to three e-mail addresses, it costs nothing and is quick and easy. (if you have more than 3 addys, when you're done just click the back button on your browser and list more. There is no limit). You will get an e-mail to confirm that you want to be removed, and you have 30 days to click on the link provided in the e-mail and you are covered for two years. They'll also send you an e-mail when you're two years are about to expire so that if you wish, you can reapply. |
| Some links to take your name, number, address, and e-mail address of the lists! |
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| Know of a scam and want to inform people? Feel free to e-mail me the details and I'll tell the world! |