Six Scams You Need to
Watch Out for Right Now
Tough economic times put a lot of people under financial pressure. This includes dive store owners and the people who work for them. When under pressure to pay the bills, not all of us use the best judgement. And that can make us targets for scam artists.
When you hear the words scam artists, you may envision shady characters operating out of boiler rooms and back alleys. Many of the companies you will read about in this article, however, operate out of modern offices and advertise on national television.
They may also operate in an area of quasi-legality. This means that, while what they do is less than honest, they are not necessaerily breaking the law and, when they do, there is almost no risk of criminal prosecution against individuals involved, and little risk of criminal or civil penalties for the companies themselves.
Here is what we are going to look at:
- “Tagged”…You’re It!
- Well, at least you can trust your bank…or can you?
- Know who you are hiring.
- Antivirus fakes.
- Debt settlement scams.
- Junk debt collectors.
These are by no means the only scams out there. Nevertheless, they will give you a good sampling of the type of things you need to be on guard against.
Thanks, Clark (and Thank the Internet, Too)
Like a lot of small business owners these days, we spend time listening to talk radio. Among our favorite commentators is Clark Howard (ClarkHoward.com). Unlike most of his fellow talk show hosts, Clark does not have a particular political agenda; his thing is helping individuals and small business owners save money and avoid getting ripped off.
A lot of the scams you will read about in this article are ones we first heard about on Clark Howard’s show. We then researched them further on line, where we uncovered a wealth of information.
The Internet can be a powerful tool when dealing with scammers, as it helps you know who it is you are really talking to. For example, you have Caller ID on your home and business phones…right? (If not, get it.)
Whenever you get a call from a toll-free number that you don’t recognize (or any suspicious number, for that matter), don’t answer it — and don’t let your employees answer it, either. Legitimate callers will generally leave a message on your voice mail; automated call systems generally won’t.
Note the number that shows up on Caller ID and enter it into Google. There are several public service websites, such as WhoCallsMe.com and WhoCalled.us where consumers can report suspicious calls and the numbers they came from. Odds are pretty good you will find your suspicious caller’s number listed there and a report of who they are and why you should not be talking to them.
Doing so can not only save you time, it can also help prevent you from becoming somebody’s victim.
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