How are those new year’s resolutions working out? Dust already collecting on the treadmill? Cold weather not conducive to heart-healthy meal planning? Your next-door neighbor really is a jerk?
Never fear, the BBB is here – with a reminder that your resolution to not fall victim to scam artists is an easy one to keep. It begins by using common sense and paying attention to that gut feeling that something is amiss.
For example, you know that:
• You can’t win something – sweepstakes, lotteries – that you didn’t enter;
• Depositing checks and wiring funds out of the country is money laundering, not a fantastic work-from-home opportunity;
• Your financial institution does not need to “verify” account information – they already have it;
• “Free” trials almost always have a Catch-22 in the form of monthly fees that show up on your credit card; and
• Your grandson/granddaughter are not in dire straits somewhere in Europe and in need of a $2,000 wire transfer ASAP.
And since you know these things, what will you do if you get e-mail, snail mail or even a phone message referring to any of the above? Delete, shred or hang up.
What else are you doing to keep new year’s resolutions?