Consumer scams are always in season: Here are tips to avoid them

When it comes to consumer scams, Leonard Crain would be the first to say such malicious incidents are always in season. It doesn’t have to be the holidays or the middle of summer or your birthday. There is always, it appears, someone out there trying to separate people from their hard-earned money.

Crain, president and chief executive officer of the Better Business Bureau in Columbus, which serves 42 counties in a sprawling region that ventures deep into Georgia and portions of Alabama, has a good warning about online scams and other threats.

“Those offers are always too good to be true,” he said. “Just go right on past them and don’t click on any links that come into your email inbox. Always keep your antivirus up to date, and anything that looks like it’s too good to be true, just delete it. Don’t be enticed. There’s a lot of that happening, even with Facebook. There are click-bait deals that will take you off Facebook and into another area. And it will download the malware that will take control of your computer.

“And if you give out any information whatsoever, (scammers) can wind up with your bank accounts, your credit cards. Not only will it be identity theft, you’re going to be out some money. It’s a nightmare to try to get all of it repaired … Also, if you get a phone call, don’t be afraid to be rude.”

Forgoing phone etiquette would have been the best option for a recent scam in Alabama in which three individuals were taken for a combined $13,000 after receiving a phone call from a supposed “grandson” in financial dire straits and asking for Walmart gift cards. This scam targeted elderly people, which is too often the case.

So as we enter a new year, it might be wise to adopt a “don’t get scammed” resolution and stick with it like glue. Here are some tips — straight from the Better Business Bureau — on safeguarding yourself from scams and identity theft and other financial landmines awaiting those consumers who are unaware and not informed:

▪ There’s no easy money: Do not believe it just because you saw it on the Internet. Claims of fast money and “guaranteed” returns on your computer screen are no more reliable than classic chain letters and other “get rich quick schemes.”

▪ Safeguard personal info like a bulldog: Guard your personal information. Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the country. Do not give your credit card number (or the expiration date), bank account number, social security number or driver’s license number over the phone or the Internet to anyone you do not know. Even if the caller promises a prize, an award, a “guaranteed” credit card, or a loan, do not give such personal financial information until you see written information about the offer, know that you want it, and have checked the offer out.

▪ Don’t pay for “prizes”: And remember, it is not a prize if you have to pay to get it. With the exception of games of skill where you pay to enter, a prize is something you win by chance, no strings attached. If you must pay for something or buy anything, then it’s a purchase, not a prize. Don’t fall for fake checks that a scammer is willing to send to “help out.” It will end up being counterfeit. Also, never wire-transfer money or provide prepaid card information to anyone that you do not know personally.

▪ Beware fake computer assistance: If someone from a “tech support company” calls offering to “fix” or “clean-up” your computer viruses, don’t believe it. The caller tells you that your computer is sending error messages and they’ve detected a virus on it. He says that only a tech support employee can remove the virus, but first you must grant him access to your machine. The person could easily download spyware onto your computer, which could allow hackers to monitor your keystrokes. Many people report that if they allowed the caller remote access to their computers, whether they had paid for the virus to be removed or not, they had difficulties with their computers afterward. Some said their computer would not turn on or that certain programs/files were inaccessible.

▪ Know to whom you give cash: Do not purchase prepaid debit cards or wire-transfer money for someone that you do not know or who contacts you with an “emergency” need. Many consumers using popular services offered by Western Union, MoneyGram and Green Dot MoneyPak find, much too late, that they have been taken by scammers and that their chances of retrieving their money is very low.

▪ If it’s too good to be true, it is: Do not fall for high-pressure sales tactics. An offer that is good “today only” is a sign to be even more careful. By considering your needs and comparing products, prices, terms and guarantees, you can tell a true bargain from a “too good to be true” scam.

This story was originally published January 19, 2017 at 5:00 PM with the headline "Consumer scams are always in season: Here are tips to avoid them."