Not a week goes by when we don’t hear a consumer say, “I can’t believe that I fell for this scheme!” No matter how smart or careful you are, con artists are very good at knowing when and how to trick you. They typically try to scam people at the time when they may be more sensitive or vulnerable to a particular situation – such as posing as the IRS during tax time, a charity during the holidays, or a helpful contractor after a disaster. They may use methods such as posing as a desperate or exceptionally nice person. Or, they may try to scare you into believing that they are from a government agency and that you must cooperate with them.
To avoid falling victim :
• Never give out any personal information or money until you can check them out with reputable sources.
• Ask questions and take time to think about their answers before accepting it as truth.
• If you feel uneasy about the person or situation being presented, don’t be afraid to say no or that you will call back later, after you can thoroughly check things out.
If you find that you have been scammed, report the situation to authorities immediately. Even if you are unable to get restitution for yourself, you may be able to help someone else from being scammed in the future.