Scams Articles

Scams Against the Elderly

In the US alone, there are almost 15,000 criminal organizations that are trying to scam the elderly. Each year that passes, these thieves and con artists will net more than $40 billion dollars from their victims, and that amount continues to rise. Everyone is susceptible to a scam of some kind, but seven out of ten of these criminal acts will be geared toward senior citizens. Most men will die long before their wives, and these older women will sometimes have to take care of their finances alone. If the husband dealt with the financial work by himself, these women ...

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Guaranteed Loan and Line of Credit Scams

Guaranteed loan and credit scams typically take your money in the promise of a loan, credit card or another type of credit. Their emails and advertisements guarantee that a loan to you will be awarded, and credit history is not a hurdle. The scam begins when the loan starts, you have to pay a fee. It’s a fairly substantial fee, but if you are short of cash and someone offers you a chance to get back on top, who wouldn’t take it up? With these scammers, you won’t see a loan or credit card after you’ve forwarded the upfront fee. They ...

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Romance, Dating and Fraud

Dating fraud is a crime that has many names. One of the most popular names for it is the “sweetheart scam”. The crime is so named because the criminal, male or female, will begin a relationship with the victim for the sole purpose of getting as much money from them as they can before they are discovered. Before the internet, scammers would meet the potential “suckers” at a party - maybe they passed each other on the street or they were introduced by a third party. All of this is still possible in recent times because there will always be ...

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Work at Home Scams

Work at home scams are everywhere, unfortunately. For a person wanting to take a step up in earnings, or someone out of work and looking for a job, these vague descriptions of potential ways to make large sums of money are usually nothing more than a scam. You can find advertisements making ridiculous claims in the newspaper, online, on supermarket bulletin boards, in pamphlets showing up in your mailbox, even listings on eBay. They brandish statements like “Work part time in your own home and make $500 to $5000 in your first month” or “Single Mom at home makes $4000 a ...

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Free Vacation Scams

"Congratulations! You’ve won a free, 4-day vacation for two in the beautiful, sun-drenched Bahamas!" When you get a flyer, email, or unexpected phone call promising a complimentary vacation, it’s likely a vacation scam. A current variation of the scam is an automated phone call explaining that you or somebody entered your name in a draw, and that you won. Of course, it's always from a perky-sounding female voice! Don't fall for any of it. Do not, under any circumstances, give the company your credit card number or any other details. Many scammers simply collect your personal information and sell it ...

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Scholarship Scams

They say that billions of dollars in private scholarship money goes unused every year. 'They,' as in the slick salesman phoning you or a glossy ad announcing that a bunch of cash is waiting for you! In reality, nearly all aid comes from the government or individual colleges. The "billions" in unused dollars is a figure used since the 1970's, and is based on an unsubstantiated study about employer programs offering potential tuition to eligible employees. Sure it's unused, but it's certainly not available to the public. Many private scholarships are for specific applicants, such as members of a church ...

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False Charities - Profiting on Disaster and Public Sympathy

Charitable organizations deserve our support and play a vital role in our communities. However, not all organizations are honorable and there are a lot of scams out there. Unfortunately, it is sometimes not easy to distinguish between the legitimate fund raisers and the crooks. Con artists play on our sympathy and generosity. Their scams take money away from those who need help the most. They also generate negativity in the public about legitimate charities. This is perhaps the greatest crime, as many kind-hearted givers then think twice about making donations where it is needed. In recent times, fraudulent charities have been ...

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The Nigerian Scam (419)

One of the most prolific and dangerous of internet scams has been the Nigerian scam, also called the 419 scam. Advance fee fraud has been around for a long time, usuallly via mail letters and fax to businesses, but this scam has hit unprecedented targets thanks to the popularity of the internet and availability of spamming software. While the fraudsters involved in this scam were originally isolated to Nigeria, they now populate areas all around the world. The scam preys on those victims who believe they will gain an unbelievable amount of money for doing nearly nothing. To make ...

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