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Con artists target senior citizens with sophisticated schemes and scams. Elderly women outlive their husbands and many find themselves responsible for their finances for the
first time ever: this makes them the perfect target for con artists.
There are simple guidelines, if followed, will keep you safe from fraudulent scams. Be wary if you get a phone call or a letter saying that you have won a fabulous prize. If
the prize notification says that you need to pay a small shipping or handling fee and then you will receive the prize, do not send any money! You never have to pay anything to win a prize; it is illegal for someone to make you pay for a prize in any way. Never send any money in this situation!
Be careful about companies saying they can erase your bad credit history for a fee. The only way to clear up a bad credit report is through time and regular payment of bills. A company that claims they can erase things on your credit report is fraudulent. Never give your social security number, credit card information or bank account numbers to telemarketers over the phone. Ask for more information to be sent to you if you are really interested in the product or service. After receiving the information in the mail, then you can make your determination if it is a legitimate company.
Be careful when sales people come to your door saying that they are offering a special in the neighborhood for a particular service. Scam artists pose as contractors doing
inspections and then charge exorbitant fees to fix things that may not need to be fixed in the first place. Just because your neighbor’s water heater has broken doesn’t mean yours is about to break too.
One of the newest rip-off schemes is scammers saying that they can help you recover your money if you have been already been scammed. Posing as a representative of a
government agency they will call you and ask for a fee to help you recover your lost money. What makes it seem real is the fact that they called you. But the reason they
knew you were scammed in the first place, is that they were the ones that scammed you and had your personal information.
Before doing business with any company, especially if you are unsure of them, call the Better Business Bureau to see if that company has ever been reported in the past for
fraudulent activity. This way you won’t get taken in by known con-artists. If you find yourself in a situation where you have been scammed, there are places to go
for help. The U.S. government has many services and branches that deal with fraud, you can check the U.S. government web site for Consumer Information for help. The Better Business Bureau has a web site too which can answer questions and help you file complaint forms.
Always be on your guard and be suspicious of every company asking for money and you will be less likely to fall for the con-artist’s schemes!
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