Scam time part 2

Last week we took a look at some brand new scams that are being perpetrated these days.

Here a few more you should be aware of:

4 – Home Improvement Scams:  “Home improvement scams vary little from year to year, and most involve some type of shoddy workmanship from unlicensed or untrained workers. The hardest for homeowners to detect, and therefore the easiest for scammers to pull off, are repairs or improvements to the areas of your home that you can’t see: roofs, chimneys, air ducts, crawl spaces, etc. Scammers may simply knock at your door offering a great deal because they were “in the neighborhood,” but more and more they are using telemarketing, email and even social media to reach homeowners. Helpful videos on YouTube can add legitimacy to a contractor, but consumers have no way of knowing if the video is real or “borrowed” from a legitimate contractor. Check out home contractors before saying yes.” (It breaks my heart that our elderly population falls for this all the time!)
5 – Foreign Currency Scam:  “Investments in foreign currency can sound like a great idea, and scammers frequently use real current events and news stories to make their pitches even more appealing. They advertise an easy investment with high return and low risk when you purchase Iraqi dinar, Vietnamese dong or, most recently, the Egyptian pound. The plan is that, when those governments revalue their currencies, increasing their worth against the dollar, you just sell and cash in. Unlike previous hoaxes, you may even take possession of real currency. The problem is that they will be very difficult to sell, and it’s extremely unlikely they will ever significantly increase in value.” (Watch for this to happen because of what’s taking place between Russia and Ukraine!!)
6 – Smishing: (Say what?) “With online and mobile banking skyrocketing, it isn’t a surprise that scams quickly follow. One major tactic recently is the use of scam texts, known as “smishing,” to steal personal information. They look like a text alert from your bank, asking you to confirm information or “reactivate your debit card” by following a link on your smartphone. Banks of all sizes have been targeted, and details of the scam vary, but the outcome is the same: scammers get your banking information, maybe even your ATM number and PIN. You may even inadvertently download malicious software that gives the scammer access to anything on your phone.” (Relatively new scam, but it will grow!)
7 – Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare) Scam: “Scammers had a field day with the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, using it as a way to fool Americans into sharing their personal information. Scammers would call claiming to be from the federal government and saying the would-be victim needed a new insurance card or Medicare card. However, before they can mail the card, they need to collect personal information. Scammers do a lot to make their requests seem credible. For example, they may have your bank’s routing number and ask you to provide your account number. Or, they may ask for your credit card or Social Security number, Medicare ID, or other personal information. But sharing personal information with a scammer puts you at risk for identity theft.” (One of the biggest scams in recent months and it will grow!)

Have you heard of these?  Have you experienced any of them?

Let us know, we want to protect our readers….

Chris Peterson

Freedom Writers Publishing
1815 Central Park Dr. #358
Steamboat Springs, CO  80487