Scammers. They are out there… waiting…. waiting for your attention to be distracted… waiting for that moment when you let your guard down for just a minute!
Scammers target the elderly. They also may attempt to extract information from children who answer the phone. They may attempt to get information by calling a business and pretending to be a client, supplier, organization or institution (like pretending to be from the Better Business Bureau or a bank).
Scammers will text or call, email or show up in person. They will threaten you or profess their love for you. They will offer you lottery winnings, a business opportunity, or pretend that they want to become your customer. They will entice you to call them back or text them back in order to charge you premium rates or gather your information.
They may offer to pay you for good or services in advance, then steal bank account information or get a refund from you and then cancel the original funds they sent, leaving you holding the bag.
One of the absolute BEST sources of information on scams that I have seen is a Canadian publication. Although I write a blog in Texas, and even though some of the laws and information may differ, I am sharing the link here because this is such an excellent and helpful publication. Click here for the “Little Black Book of Scams”. You may be surprised as some of the information you read.
I recommend that you become familiar with the methods used by scammers and arm yourself against them. Also share the information with your elderly loved ones, your children, and your employees. Don’t be a target.
