Wednesday, September 29, 2010
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Investment Scheme Scams
The number 10 email scam to watch out for is Investment Scheme scams
Clay Douglass
10. Investment Schemes
The Bait: Emails touting "investments" that promise high rates of return with little or no risk. One version seeks investors to help form an offshore bank. Others are vague about the nature of the investment, but stress the rates of return. Promoters hype their high-level financial connections; the fact that they're privy to inside information; that they'll guarantee the investment; or that they'll buy it back. To close the deal, they often serve up phony statistics, misrepresent the significance of a current event, or stress the unique quality of their offering. And they'll almost always try to rush you into a decision.
The Catch: Many unsolicited schemes are a good investment for the promoters, but not for participants. Promoters of fraudulent investments operate a particular scam for a short time, close down before they can be detected, and quickly spend the money they take in. Often, they reopen under another name, selling another investment scam.
Your Safety Net: Take your time in evaluating the legitimacy of an offer: The higher the promised return, the higher the risk. Don't let a promoter pressure you into committing to an investment before you are certain it's legitimate. Hire your own attorney or an accountant to take a look at any investment offer, too.
Forward spam with investment-related schemes to spam@uce.gov.
Clay Douglass
10. Investment Schemes
The Bait: Emails touting "investments" that promise high rates of return with little or no risk. One version seeks investors to help form an offshore bank. Others are vague about the nature of the investment, but stress the rates of return. Promoters hype their high-level financial connections; the fact that they're privy to inside information; that they'll guarantee the investment; or that they'll buy it back. To close the deal, they often serve up phony statistics, misrepresent the significance of a current event, or stress the unique quality of their offering. And they'll almost always try to rush you into a decision.
The Catch: Many unsolicited schemes are a good investment for the promoters, but not for participants. Promoters of fraudulent investments operate a particular scam for a short time, close down before they can be detected, and quickly spend the money they take in. Often, they reopen under another name, selling another investment scam.
Your Safety Net: Take your time in evaluating the legitimacy of an offer: The higher the promised return, the higher the risk. Don't let a promoter pressure you into committing to an investment before you are certain it's legitimate. Hire your own attorney or an accountant to take a look at any investment offer, too.
Forward spam with investment-related schemes to spam@uce.gov.
Debt Relief Scam
Number 9 way to protect yourself from email scams is to watch out for Debt Relief scams
Clay Douglass
9. Debt Relief
The Bait: Emails touting a way you can consolidate your bills into one monthly payment without borrowing; stop credit harassment, foreclosures, repossessions, tax levies and garnishments; or wipe out your debts.
The Catch: These offers often involve bankruptcy proceedings, but they rarely say so. While bankruptcy is one way to deal with serious financial problems, it's generally considered the option of last resort. The reason: it has a long-term negative impact on your creditworthiness. A bankruptcy stays on your credit report for 10 years, and can hurt your ability to get credit, a job, insurance, or even a place to live. To top it off, you will likely be responsible for attorneys' fees for bankruptcy proceedings.
Your Safety Net: Read between the lines when looking at these emails. Before resorting to bankruptcy, talk with your creditors about arranging a modified payment plan, contact a credit counseling service to help you develop a debt repayment plan, or carefully consider a second mortgage or home equity line of credit. One caution: While a home loan may allow you to consolidate your debt, it also requires your home as collateral. If you can't make the payments, you could lose your home.
Forward debt relief offers to spam@uce.gov.
Clay Douglass
9. Debt Relief
The Bait: Emails touting a way you can consolidate your bills into one monthly payment without borrowing; stop credit harassment, foreclosures, repossessions, tax levies and garnishments; or wipe out your debts.
The Catch: These offers often involve bankruptcy proceedings, but they rarely say so. While bankruptcy is one way to deal with serious financial problems, it's generally considered the option of last resort. The reason: it has a long-term negative impact on your creditworthiness. A bankruptcy stays on your credit report for 10 years, and can hurt your ability to get credit, a job, insurance, or even a place to live. To top it off, you will likely be responsible for attorneys' fees for bankruptcy proceedings.
Your Safety Net: Read between the lines when looking at these emails. Before resorting to bankruptcy, talk with your creditors about arranging a modified payment plan, contact a credit counseling service to help you develop a debt repayment plan, or carefully consider a second mortgage or home equity line of credit. One caution: While a home loan may allow you to consolidate your debt, it also requires your home as collateral. If you can't make the payments, you could lose your home.
Forward debt relief offers to spam@uce.gov.
Pay in Advance Credit Offer Scams
Number 8 way to protect yourself from email scams is to watch out for pay in advance credit offer scams
Clay Douglass
8. Pay-in-Advance Credit Offers
The Bait: News that you've been "pre-qualified" to get a low-interest loan or credit card, or repair your bad credit even though banks have turned you down. But to take advantage of the offer, you have to ante up a processing fee of several hundred dollars.
The Catch: A legitimate pre-qualified offer means you've been selected to apply. You still have to complete an application and you can still be turned down. If you paid a fee in advance for the promise of a loan or credit card, you've been hustled. You might get a list of lenders, but there's no loan, and the person you've paid has taken your money and run.
Your Safety Net: Don't pay for a promise. Legitimate lenders never "guarantee" a card or loan before you apply. They may require that you pay application, appraisal, or credit report fees, but these fees seldom are required before the lender is identified and the application is completed. In addition, the fees generally are paid to the lender, not to the broker or person who arranged the "guaranteed" loan. Forward unsolicited email containing credit offers to spam@uce.gov.
Clay Douglass
8. Pay-in-Advance Credit Offers
The Bait: News that you've been "pre-qualified" to get a low-interest loan or credit card, or repair your bad credit even though banks have turned you down. But to take advantage of the offer, you have to ante up a processing fee of several hundred dollars.
The Catch: A legitimate pre-qualified offer means you've been selected to apply. You still have to complete an application and you can still be turned down. If you paid a fee in advance for the promise of a loan or credit card, you've been hustled. You might get a list of lenders, but there's no loan, and the person you've paid has taken your money and run.
Your Safety Net: Don't pay for a promise. Legitimate lenders never "guarantee" a card or loan before you apply. They may require that you pay application, appraisal, or credit report fees, but these fees seldom are required before the lender is identified and the application is completed. In addition, the fees generally are paid to the lender, not to the broker or person who arranged the "guaranteed" loan. Forward unsolicited email containing credit offers to spam@uce.gov.
Check Over-Payment Scams
Number 7 way to protect yourself from email scams is to watch out for check overpayment scams
Clay Douglass
7. Check Overpayment Scams
The Bait: A response to your ad or online auction posting, offering to pay with a cashier's, personal, or corporate check. At the last minute, the so-called buyer (or the buyer's "agent") comes up with a reason for writing the check for more than the purchase price, and asks you to wire back the difference after you deposit the check.
The Catch: If you deposit the check, you lose. Typically, the checks are counterfeit, but they're good enough to fool unsuspecting bank tellers and increase the balance in your bank account – temporarily. But when the check eventually bounces, you are liable for the entire amount.
Your Safety Net: Don't accept a check for more than your selling price, no matter how tempting the plea or convincing the story. Ask the buyer to write the check for the purchase price. If the buyer sends the incorrect amount, return the check. Don't send the merchandise. As a seller who accepts payment by check, you may ask for a check drawn on a local bank, or a bank with a local branch. That way, you can visit personally to make sure the check is valid. If that's not possible, call the bank the check was drawn on using the phone number from directory assistance or an internet site that you know and trust, not from the person who gave you the check. Ask if the check is valid.
Forward check overpayment scams to spam@uce.gov and your state Attorney General. You can find contact information for your state Attorney General at www.naag.org.
Clay Douglass
7. Check Overpayment Scams
The Bait: A response to your ad or online auction posting, offering to pay with a cashier's, personal, or corporate check. At the last minute, the so-called buyer (or the buyer's "agent") comes up with a reason for writing the check for more than the purchase price, and asks you to wire back the difference after you deposit the check.
The Catch: If you deposit the check, you lose. Typically, the checks are counterfeit, but they're good enough to fool unsuspecting bank tellers and increase the balance in your bank account – temporarily. But when the check eventually bounces, you are liable for the entire amount.
Your Safety Net: Don't accept a check for more than your selling price, no matter how tempting the plea or convincing the story. Ask the buyer to write the check for the purchase price. If the buyer sends the incorrect amount, return the check. Don't send the merchandise. As a seller who accepts payment by check, you may ask for a check drawn on a local bank, or a bank with a local branch. That way, you can visit personally to make sure the check is valid. If that's not possible, call the bank the check was drawn on using the phone number from directory assistance or an internet site that you know and trust, not from the person who gave you the check. Ask if the check is valid.
Forward check overpayment scams to spam@uce.gov and your state Attorney General. You can find contact information for your state Attorney General at www.naag.org.
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