The U.S. Better Business Bureau has launched a new website called Scam Source.
The new site features a channel for consumers to report scams they’ve encountered, a “Scam Aggregator” with links to articles around the web, and email alerts.
I encourage you to poke around the site and sign up for the alerts. It’s still new, so it will be interesting to see what scams they uncover.
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General Scams | Tagged: BBB, Better Business Bureau, Fraud, Scam Source, Scams | 
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Posted by Clint
The holiday season is a time when many people think about ways to help those in need. However, scam artists have been known to exploit this tendency and set up fraudulent charities to skim money from generous people.
Never give money or personal information to a person who calls, emails or approaches you out of the blue. If you receive a request to donate, research the charity before you respond. www.bbb.org and www.charitynavigator.org are a great place to start.
Beware of charities with names that are similar to well-known organizations, and never make a check out to an individual. Also never make a check out to “CAS,” no matter what “CAS” allegedly stands for; a crook has simply to add an “H” and they’ve got a check from you made out to “CASH.”
Better yet, decide now which charities you’d like to support, and make your donation early. When asked to donate to others, politely explain that you’ve completed your budgeted giving for the year.
Leave a Comment » | Charity Scams | Tagged: BBB, Better Business Bureau, Charity Navigator, Charity Scams, Fraud, Scams | Permalink
Posted by Clint
If it hasn’t already happened to you, it will: you’re going to lock your keys in the car, lock yourself out of the house or find out that a lock rusted shut over the winter.
You’re going to need a locksmith.
It happens to everyone, and yet it’s a need now complicated by con artists; it seems locksmith scams are on the rise.
Typically, victims start by searching online for a locksmith. They call a random listing and get a reasonable-sounding estimate over the phone. When the “locksmith” actually shows up, however, they start adding charges until the price is completely out of line. Since most people in need of a locksmith are in a tight spot, they often end up paying. Sometimes, as a bonus, the phony locksmith will damage your property.
How do you avoid this scam? Choose a locksmith now, before you need one. Either get one you’ve used before and already know to be trustworthy, or check out the Better Business Bureau and online reviews. Make sure you’re dealing with an actual local business instead of having your call routed to a national number, and refuse to use any locksmith that only accepts cash payment.
Once you’ve got your locksmith, save the number in your mobile phone and keep it handy at home.
When you’re away from home, it’s a little trickier to choose one on the fly, but you can still watch out for warning signs like rapidly-escalating costs and cash-only operations.
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Posted by Clint
Quite some time ago, I posted an article about words that signify a probable scam.
This recent article from the Puget Sound Business Journal illustrates that concept beautifully.
In this story, the Better Business Bureau is slamming (yeah!) schemes called “Search Profit System” and “Money Mastery,” both operated by the same company.
Both of those names contain red-flag words: “profit” and “money,” respectively. Right away, if you know what to watch for, you know you’re dealing with something that’s probably not legitimate. The fact that it’s a “work-at-home” program might also cause your “scam detector” to go haywire.
You’d be right, too. People who signed up for this program found themselves paying $1.95 for a starter packet, and then $49.95 every month for absolutely nothing. When they tried to cancel their accounts, they found it impossible to do.
However, if the names of the programs didn’t tip you off, this should:
“Quit living paycheck to paycheck, get rid of debt, and have enough to retire when you want to. Pay off all of your debt including your mortgage in three to nine years.”
That’s a pretty hefty claim, isn’t it? It’s not exactly screaming, “Become a millionaire instantly!”—it’s a little more subtle than that—but it is promising an answer to all your problems.
Think about that first sentence. When was the last time you were hired for a legitimate job where the interviewer used the phrase, “quit living paycheck to paycheck?” It’s a weird thing to say when you’re advertising a job.
No, a phrase like that is designed to lure people who are desperate for money and have reached that “any port in a storm” point. However, if you pursue a claim like the ones being made by this advertisement, you’ll quickly learn one hard lesson: if there’s one thing worse than being broke, it’s being broke while getting charged $50 per month for absolutely nothing.
Comments Off | Employment Scams | Tagged: BBB, Better Business Bureau, Employment Scams, Money Mastery, Puget Sound Business Journal, Search Profit System | Permalink
Posted by Clint
A couple days ago, the Connecticut BBB released its list of the top ten scams for the past year. I’ll summarize the list below, or you can read the full press release by following the above link.
None of these come as any sort of surprise, really. I can’t help being a little proud of the fact that I’ve pretty much covered almost all of these, and I’m planning to cover the few that I haven’t touched on yet. The fact that so many people still fall for these schemes tells me that my work has just begun, though.
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Posted by Clint
