Mind Matters

Mind Matters:
Be A Smart Consumer

Wendy Jameson,
Success Coach

I get over 100 spam emails a day. Add to that solicitous phone calls, credit card offers and “free” checks in the mail and you’ll understand why I’m cynical and overloaded. But rather than be angry or afraid, I’ve taken control by educating myself about work-at-home schemes, mail fraud and email hoaxes. Knowing what to look out for eases my mind. Here’s some of what I’ve learned:

Never-Ever-Ever…

…Send money by wire transfer, mail, Western Union or other courier to anyone you don’t know. I don’t care that the email says you’ve won the lottery, or that someone in Nigeria claims he has millions for you in store if you’ll just do this one simple thing for him. Don’t do it, unless you’re comfortable never seeing that money again.

…Cash a check that came in the mail unless you were expecting it. Typically these read like you’ve won a lottery, and they want you to send in a small fee for taxes, or they’re money against a mortgage, or somesuch. These checks are fake, and if you cash them, you’ll be stuck with both the fee and the value of the check after your bank bounces it.

…Give your personal account information (SSN, credit card, bank account number, etc) over the phone if you did not initiate the call, and even then use caution. If you get a phone call (or letter asking you to call) that says you’ve won a prize, but you need to give financial information to the caller, it’s a rip off. Sweepstakes, lotteries and prizes must be given without any requirements by law, so if they’re asking for something in return, end the call or better yet, don’t even answer the phone (use caller I.D. to screen any calls from numbers you don’t recognize.)

…Enter your personal information into a website that you accessed through an email. Let’s say you got an email that looks like it’s from PayPal (or Amazon.com, Chase Bank or eBay), and it asks you to “verify your account by clicking here”. No reputable vendor or bank will ask you to do this from an email—they will ask you to open a new browser window from a known URL, then enter your account information. These fake emails are “Phishing”—they look like the real thing, but they’re actually another site that collects your identity and breaks into your account later.

…Pass along an email without verifying its authenticity first (like at www.snopes.com). This is a big pet peeve for me. At least once a month I get inflammatory emails claiming somebody famous wrote this, or somebody’s missing or dying of a deadly disease, or somebody’s tracking emails to give a prize (e.g. Microsoft). Just say no to forwarding these things, and know what to look for. If it sounds weird, it’s probably fake.

…And, finally, beware any email or advertisement promising you riches without hard work. Most mystery shopping, “eBay reseller”, rebate processing, mortgage selling, vitamin selling and real estate investing offers are at best a rip off, or at worst an all-out scam. You’ll never make millions just hanging out in your bathrobe at home. All work-at-home programs require marketing of some kind, typically to family and friends, and some are downright illegal. Before you sign up, do your homework: check them out with the BBB, www.ripoffreport.com, and Google. It will be worth your time.