SmartHomeOwners

Better Business Bureau (BBB) released a report of top ten scams and how to fight them early this year. Here is the list:

1. Upfront Fees for A Financial Loan

During a credit crunch, you may turn to new sources to help with your finances. While it may not be called a “loan” in the marketing, there are small business cash advances which oer thousands of dollars for business ventures despite your credit rating. These types of opportunities often come with up-front fees, and excessive interest charges.In some cases, it may even be attempts to gain information for identity theft.

2. Home Repair Rip-Offs

During the spring thaw, unscrupulous and unqualified people often show up at homes with oers to do everything from landscaping to roofing. Some may oer to pave your driveway with leftover materials, or even remodel your home for a low price. These fly-by-night operators come into communities for a short time and do shoddy work that often results in having to be redone.

3. Fantastic Business Opportunities

Your good friend or family member may have invited you to attend a presentation involving an investment opportunity. You don’t know anything about the company, and are desperate to hear that it is legit. These investments appear lucrative, but often are more hype than substance. The promoter convinces investors that they can be part owners of investment portfolios if they enlist new recruits, maybe promising commissions in cash and bullion.

4. Bogus Online Ads

Online classifieds can be an eective way to hunt for shopping bargains and find those hard-to-get concert tickets. While those classified websites oer free access to hundreds of ads, beware that those listings are rarely vetted prior to posting. The seller may not be legitimate, so there may not be concert tickets coming to you in the end.

5. Cure-All Health Products

Fraudulent “cure-all” health products promise quick cures and easy solutions to a variety of problems, from obesity to diabetes and cancer. Any product that claims to be a miracle cure may be a fraud that could cheat you out of time, money and most importantly, your health.

6. Guaranteed Vehicle Brokers

After listing your used vehicle for sale in the classifieds, you receive a phone call from a company advising you that they have a purchaser for your vehicle. The caller asks for a fee guaranteeing that the purchaser will pay more than the vehicle is advertised for. They promise that if you list your vehicle on their classified site and the vehicle is not sold within 90 days, you will get your money back. Unfortunately, your vehicle is not sold, the guarantee is not honoured, you can’t reach the company and you are out of pocket the funds you have given this company.

7. Prize Oers: You Don’t Have to Pay To Play

You may have attended a trade show and entered a draw for a free trip, and several days later you get a call you have won. Or, you received a letter that states that you have won an international lottery or fabulous prize. The common trait to both these ‘winnings’ is that thing is that you must send them money, be available for a home delivery or a special presentation, or provide them with some very personal information such as your bank account or credit card number.

8. Bogus Cheques & Overpayment Schemes

In this scam, fraudsters typically target people selling a product through classified ads, online bulletin boards or people looking for work on employment postings. The scammer sends a cheque for the listed product or service that is more than the negotiated price. The original cheque is usually stolen or is a fake, and by the time the victim has cashed and returned the excess funds, the scammer has disappeared
with the money and the product.

9. Eco Cons: Are You Buying It?

There are a number of products on supermarket shelves that are “green”, “eco-friendly”, “all natural” or “environmentally safe.” A study by TerraChoice Environmental Marketing found evidence of Greenwashing -- making false or misleading green marketing claims – in 99% of products checked.

10. Spoofing Attacks

You may receive an email that looks like it is from an organization you know, or visit a webpage that looks like it is from your bank. When a person or program successfully masquerades as another by falsifying data, this is spoofing. Spoofing attacks have grown and become more sophisticated and have illegally used organizations like the Better Business Bureau and the Canada Revenue Agency to trick consumers into sharing their information. The key common tactic is to get you to either fill in personal information or download malicious software on to your computer to compromise your security and put your identity and money at risk.

Reveiw the complete list and how to fight them, please click on this link: Top Ten Scams