The bad guys are always coming up with new ways to get to you and your hard earned monies! Each year millions and millions of Americans are defrauded and many don’t even realize it’s happening until it is too late. These wolves combine the latest in technology with the tried and true old tricks in order to get people to send them money or give out their personal information.
Here are some practical, reliable tips our Rock Stars can use to keep one step ahead of the wolves:
- Talk to someone you trust. The bad guys want you to act fast on an offer (or sometimes even threaten) to keep you from researching or getting advice. Don’t fall for it. Before you do anything like giving up your hard earned monies or personal information make sure you talk to someone you trust! Take a breath, slow down, and check it out. If they truly want the sale they will wait. You can text us at 989-888-ROCK (7625) and we can help you figure it out – usually within 12 hours or less.
- Don’t trust caller ID. It is just way too easy to spoof the caller ID system meaning the name and number you see on your smart phone isn’t always real. It’s quite simple and not rude at all – If someone calls asking for money or personal information, hang up immediately. One very simple test to see if the caller is telling the truth is to call the company back to a number you know is genuine. Google it.
- Hang up on robocalls. If you hear a recorded sales pitch as soon as you answer the phone – hang up immediately! You are not being rude. These calls are illegal and 9.9 times out of 10 are bogus products. Never ever ever ever ever press 1 to speak to someone or to be taken off the list. That will do nothing but lead to more calls.
- Question all free trial offers. Many companies use free trials to sign you up for products and then bill you every month until you cancel. Why? Because most people forget about these services, don’t check their credit card statements, and the companies know this to get to you and your hard earned monies. Always research the company before signing up for anything and read the cancellation policy. Always review your monthly bank and credit card statements for charges you don’t recognize.
- Research online. You have the power in your hand – use it! In your favorite search engine type the company name with the words like “review,” “complaint” or “scam.” Or search for a phrase that describes your situation, like “IRS call.” You can even search for phone numbers to see if other people have reported them as scams.
- Never ever upfront for promises. If anyone asks you to pay in advance for things like debt relief, credit and loan offers, mortgage assistance, or a job it is 99.99999% chance it is a scam. Even if they sweeten the talk with a prize, but you have to pay taxes or fees first they will probably take the money and disappear.
- Use caution in how you pay. This is a big one. Always use your credit cards when possible as they have significant fraud protection built in that debit cards do not. Using payment services such as Western Union or MoneyGram is extremely risky because it’s basically impossible to get your money back. Same goes for those reloadable cards such as MoneyPak or Reloadit including those gift cards. Wolves asking for iTunes and Google Play cards as payment are extremely common especially in romance schemes.
- Don’t deposit check and wire money in return. If you are offered a check to deposit and then asked to wire money back in any form it is a scam. By law, banks must make funds from deposited checks available within days, but uncovering a fake check can take weeks. As a result, if a check you deposit turns out to be a fake, you’re responsible for repaying the bank.
- Spot the wolves. Wolves will often pretend to be someone you know, a charity, or a company you do business with. You may get a friend request, IM, email or even a phone call. Never ever send money or give out personal information in response to an unexpected request.
- Sign up for free FTC scam alerts at ftc.gov/scams. Get the latest tips and advice about scams sent right to your inbox.
If you spot a scam let us know so we can share it with all of our Rock Stars by either leaving a voice mail on our hotline at 989-888-ROCK (7625) to click here. Also, report it to the Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov/complaint. Your reports help the FTC and other law enforcement investigate scams and bring crooks to justice.
