Everyone needs to be constantly on guard against scams. If something seems too good to be true, it is! If someone tells you have to pay money to receive free money, it is a scam. If something feels wrong it probably is, trust your gut and don’t switch to wishful thinking. The IRS never calls, they send a letter and grandkids do not e-mail to say they are stranded in a foreign country. My advice is do not respond to someone on the internet you do not personally know, and never buy anything from someone who comes to your door who is not under the age of fourteen and wearing a girl scout uniform.
These tips are from the FBI website.
Here are some warning signs of telemarketing fraud—what a caller may tell you:
- “You must act ‘now’ or the offer won’t be good.”
- “You’ve won a ‘free’ gift, vacation, or prize.” But you have to pay for “postage and handling” or other charges.
- “You must send money, give a credit card or bank account number, or have a check picked up by courier.” You may hear this before you have had a chance to consider the offer carefully.
- “You don’t need to check out the company with anyone.” The callers say you do not need to speak to anyone including your family, lawyer, accountant, local Better Business Bureau, or consumer protection agency.
- “You don’t need any written information about the company or their references.”
- “You can’t afford to miss this ‘high-profit, no-risk’ offer.”
If you hear these or similar “lines” from a telephone salesperson, just say “no thank you” and hang up the telephone.
Read the entire list of tips here and this article shares other information “Fraud Against Seniors”