Times Are Tough So Scam Someone!
I’m sure you are tired of hearing that hard economic times cause crime and scam rates to go up. This seems to make sense and identity theft is no exception to the rule. I don’t know what causes people to take advantage of people during hard times, but it’s even worse when people take advantage of people’s misfortunes.
I thought I would take a break from discussing identity theft to inform you of a couple new scams that prey on people’s misfortunes and needs. In my opinion these are the worst kind of scams and I am still bewildered and don’t understand the people that carry them out.
Anyways on with the scams!
Stimulus grant scams – This is a great one because the government is going to give out $787 billion in the stimulus package and websites like federalgrantsolutions.com started to popup everywhere trying to charge people for advice on how to get free money from the government. Here’s a clue, go to grants.gov and sba.gov for information and how to apply. The government no longer gives out grants to pay off student loans or personal debt so if people promise that they can show you how, don’t believe them.
Mortgage foreclosure consultants – There has been a number of scams around the foreclosure market recently. Scammers have trick homeowners into signing over their houses to them in hopes of fixing their foreclosure problems. Scammers have also convinced homeowners that they can solve their problem for an upfront fee and then take off with the money. Be careful when you get a cold call from someone trying to sell services like these.
Auto repair fraud – Auto repair fraud has been around for a long time. With dealerships doing so poorly some have been changing their customers for unnecessary repairs to their car. Always get a written estimate of the repairs and get a second opinion.
Property tax reassessment fraud – scammer convince home owners that they can save money if they pay them to have their property tax reassessed. The funny thing is you don’t need someone to do this you can request a reassessment at no cost to you.
Retail Closeout Sales – This one is interesting businesses have been caught trying to scam people during “going out of business” sales. Some shop owners have been caught taking deposits on high priced items like furniture and then closing the store before delivering the furniture. Then they reopen a couple weeks later under a different name.
It’s never a bad idea to be prepared for scams like these. So keep your chin up and your eyes open and don’t get taken for a ride.