Miser. Thrifty Person. Wallet Watcher. All Of These.
Posted: Tuesday, December 20, 2011
by Octavia Hansen
Octavia Hansen
I'm always skeptical of anything that involves some stranger and my wallet. Shame others aren't so wary. Every day I hear of a money scam, and I'm usually familiar with the scam. People calling, asking about I.D. numbers, credit card numbers, people identifying themselves with companies with no actual proof. Maybe I'm just better viewed or read but I've heard these scams before. When I owed money to the IRS, they called to talk to me. Fine, I'll talk to just about anybody to expand my world. But, when it came to any kind of real information, I specifically requested everything in writing, anyone can say anything over the phone, including someone impersonating the IRS.
Ask yourself: If the actual company that placed a multi-thousand thousand dollar machine in your office, didn't record the make, model, serial number or have a contract on hand as they are talking to you -- then it's probably not them. Anyone can say anything over the phone -- get it in writing.
The charity scam. A simple phone call and they identify themselves with The Police Children's Fund, An Unknown Charity, or a Foundation for Someone's Benefit I've Never Heard Of . . . all the same. Again -- anyone can say anything over the phone.
You've Won! scam. We've all seen this, a very official envelope arrives in the mail. You've won something even though you don't even remember entering anything. And the prize is big! BIG! All you have to do is put up some money to get it all. Don't do this. If you really have won money, have them deduct it from the winnings and send you the rest. And did you really enter this contest?
Someone Won The Lottery But Can't Cash This Ticket scam. Someone approaches you, says they have a huge win on a lottery ticket but for some reason can't pick it up. They will give it to you for a fee so you can cash in the full amount somewhere else. This isn't new. A partial amount to them is more than you'll ever get from that ticket.
Credit Card or Bank checking information. I have not been the victim of this scam but it was tried on me. Someone tells me they are checking my information and needs me to read out my numbers. WRONG! So WRONG! If you really have an idea that it's your bank or financial institution -- have them read to you what they have. Chances are some of it may actually be right . . . BUT . . . Don't correct them when it's wrong. Anybody messing with your information over the phone should fire off a warning flare in your mind. To be really safe, make an appointment with a named person and then hang up.
Once-in-a-lifetime concert tickets on sale. Scalping is the name of the game, and if it's not even a real ticket, big burn is what you just earned. There are cases where someone will hand out a free extra ticket to a show. Fine, grab 'em if you can. Charging, especially outrages prices or incredibly low prices should set off another alarm. Too good to be true? YOU BET! Do you know what a concert ticket is supposed to look like anymore? Some tickets have holograms embossed into them, some have computer codes. Ticketing has become incredibly high tech -- they can tell you in an instant what's bogus as you stand there with no money and now, no ticket for the show. Some concerts can be expensive, you'll just have to hope for an official ticket from a reputable ticket broker.
Words of advice: If it sounds to good to be true -- it probably is. No one is sitting up nights trying to figure out a way to give you money. There are, however, a lot of people ready to go through trash to find your account information, calling you up to hear your information or high tech masters ready to steal your information. You can make your info and your world safer if you look at all your infomation like it's your wallet. You don't take it out just anywhere. You don't let strangers hold it or go through it. Keep your receipts, shred everything you don't need to keep, scan and archive valuable information off your computer and in a safe place.
Word of advice: have credit card information and emergency numbers somewhere else besides the back of the credit card. Quick reaction time can cut down on someone else using the card for anything big.
It's not just numbers (your social security I.D., bank accounts, credit cards), it could be your whole life! It's a lengthy expensive nightmare to untangle identity theft, and you are stuck with this bill. Think about this now, before a crisis. Start with the New Year and protect yourself!
This Article has been viewed 119 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
No comments yet.We want your comments! If you can read this, you don't have javascript enabled, so you can't use this comment system. Please enable javascript.