Scam Artists Look More Legitimate Than Ever

Fri Jul 24, 2009, 5:29 am | 2 Comments

I gotta hand it to them. I mean I gotta hand it to the schmucks and scums of the world. Because United States is the richest country and with honest work, you can make some good money, still there are many folks who want to get rich overnight – who want to have their hands on some green and I don’t mean broccoli green.

The schmucks and scums are taking advantage of people’s need for cash in a recession as well as the latest social media trends. They come up with some good, Oscar caliber, scams that you as honest but vulnerable folks just cannot avoid listening to them, watching them on videos and other media.

Their marketing is so superior I wish I could market my products and services with such ingenuity and originality. [WOW! I didn't think I could write that many words in one sentence. Well! Clint Eastwood never did.]

There are some good scams that are believable and sound almost true but like my father would say “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” Mind you these are not scams per se but the way they are presented to the folks are scammy at best. I would be brief..

• Government Grants
  Oh, man! They use the technology like anything. The popups, the popunders, the advertisement, the AdWords, and such other Ads Networks. And the websites. They make it so believable.

  All those guys want upfront fee from $500 to $1,000. Don’t go for it. Applying for Government Grants is always free. Government grants are available, but you don’t have to pay in advance to apply for them.

• Instant credit repair
  The three companies that keep credit score and will send you a credit report free of charge tell the world what steps to take to improve your credit score and they say it takes time to repair your credit. You gotta do it yourself.

  “Instant” credit repair isn’t a legitimate option, and nobody can fix your credit but you.

• Cash-for-gold
  Stay away from them. They ask you to send your jewelry and gold by mail. Read about it. Do your research. If you have any one-of-a-kind heirlooms or antique jewelry, you should take them to a reputable jeweler or antique dealer for an appraisal.

• Mystery shopping
  That’s my favorite. I almost fell for it at one time. They sent me a check for almost $4,000. Did you ever get an email about mystery shopping. Ay, man! it’s so well written you would think a Nobel Prize winner in literature has sent it to you.

  If you receive a check to mystery shop, it won’t be legitimate. Bona fide mystery shopping companies don’t send checks before the work is done. Unfortunately, some of the scammers use names of legitimate mystery shopping companies. Make sure the company is on the Better Business Bureau Website and that the contact information is the same.

• Social networking
  I am so lagging behind in these networks. But the scammers have developed a friendship with folks whose line stretches from New York City to London and beyond.

  In this, someone builds a friendship with you on a social networking Web site such as Facebook or MySpace, becoming your “online friend.” Well! they are not. Just be extra careful about giving out too much personal information online.

In a Nutshell
If they can use their ingenuity and originality, you can too. The best ingenuity and originality that I have found over the years is to stay away from the scums and the schmucks of the world.

What do you think?

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