Who can you trust?

By Rita Button

In this digital age, opportunities to scam people abound. Although scoundrels have existed since the beginning of time, we still seem not to have figured out that not everyone is honest. It’s our love of getting a deal, or even helping someone who seems truly in need that causes us to be victims of those who seem to believe that if people allow themselves to be victims, they deserve what they get.

How can you keep yourself safe and avoid becoming a victim? The basic rule is never do business with anyone who has no proof of his/her identity. How do you know the person is presenting him/herself honestly? That’s the basic question. The next rule is if something is too good to be true, it is. Nix the deal. No, you don’t want an all-expense paid trip to Tahiti even though the snowbanks around your house are six feet high and your granddaughter broke the snow shovel yesterday. However, if someone you know and trust offers you the trip, don’t stop to do the vacuuming, pack your bags and go!

The Better Business Bureau has identified the ten top scams of 2014. They can be divided into three categories: in person, by telephone and on-line. 

Only one of these is in person. What happens is a person who calls him/herself a contractor rings your doorbell and offers to do certain jobs around the house for a fraction of the cost that a legitimate contractor might charge. If you do not know the person, have not called anyone to give you an estimate, and if the person at the door who is so very willing to get the job done, yet will not give you a written signed, dated contract outlining all of the work in detail, do not agree to anything immediately. Check out the legitimacy of the contractor before you sign. Frequently, when door to door “contractors” get the job, the work is shoddy, and the contractor who was ever so friendly and accommodating cannot be found when you call back to have the work re-done properly. Contractors rarely go door to door looking for business. Trustworthy contractors will give you a contract with a list of the work that requires doing along with a reasonable amount of time in which the work will be completed as well as the amount of money the job will cost. Check out the validity of the contractor at bbb.org before you hire anyone.

Although we’ve all been trying to eliminate telephone scams from our lives seemingly forever, they still exist. Automated calls masquerading as representatives of legitimate companies will let you know you’ve won a prize and give you a number to call. When you call to claim the prize, the operator will ask for credit card information in order for you to claim your winnings. You have given them something valuable, but they will not keep their promise of sending you the promised prize. Never, ever give your credit card information to an entity that you do not know. One way of preventing being a victim here is to ask to see a written description of the prize before you give any personal information. As well, a prize is a prize. It requires no fee to be claimed.

The computer virus telemarketing scam is pernicious and tenacious. Someone who claims he/she is an employee of Microsoft may call to let you know that your computer has a serious virus that may cause your computer to be unusable. The fix is to go to a website they identify. Here you will be asked to give credit card information as payment before you download their “anti-virus” program. What you are down-loading is spyware, and you’ve paid for it with your valuable credit card information. Understand that Microsoft has no clue if your computer has a virus. Even if they did know, they would not be calling you about it. Never ever give personal or banking information to anyone unless you are 100% confident that you can trust the source. If you aren’t sure, don’t do what the person on the phone so badly wants you to do. As well, report all fraudulent activity to the local BBB at 250-386-6348 and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.

Another nasty telephone scam is a person acting as a debt collector aggressively requiring you to pay an unpaid loan, suggesting that if you do not wire the money immediately, you might be sent to jail.  These actor collectors may have your contact information including your SIN number. If you receive one of these calls, ask the person to send you details in writing of the money you owe. If you are unsure about money you owe—and you may not owe any—go to the person or company that lent you the money and ask for a written status on the state of the loan. Never wire money to pay a debt. Wired money is untraceable once it’s been received.

Computer scams are more difficult to analyze. Counterfeiters who masquerade as representatives of legitimate, well-known companies can create legitimate looking links for you to open. If you open these, the pages are designed to install spyware on your computer, enabling them to steal your valuable personal information such as passwords and account information. To protect yourself, never open an email or click on a link unless you understand exactly why you are receiving this information. If you think you might have been a victim of such a scam (called phishing) have your computer scanned by a trusted computer repair professional.

Another scam targets businesses, invoicing them by email or fax for advertising in an apparently popular business directory. If the business paid the bill or filled out the contract form, they then agreed to pay to advertise in a virtually unknown directory. To avoid being ripped off, make sure any invoices you receive originate from legitimate businesses and that you understand the product or service you are authorizing or paying. Find out exactly. Although it’s boring to read the fine print on any contract, read it before you sign. A few minutes of dull reading can save you from a bill that takes much more than a few minutes of work to pay.

Many of us check out our symptoms on the net where we often discover incredible prices for drugs and other health products that promise to make our symptoms disappear and make us feel young and energetic. Although prescription medications often cost more, they are safe, and will cost you less in the long run. Over the counter drugs should be purchased only from trusted legitimate companies. If you find an on-line bargain, make sure you do the research to ensure the company is legitimate and trustworthy. Get street addresses, telephone numbers, names of people to whom you can talk if you should have a problem. As well, understand and record their refund and exchange policies.

Finally, there’s a trending bait scam. You’ve seen these on your computer. Scammers will use popular trending news to get you to click on the fake link, thereby putting yourself into the danger of being hacked. What you can do is stay away from promotions with phrases such as “exclusive, shocking, sensational.” Sometimes it is impossible to tell the real from the malicious. Avoiding the danger is the best way to stay safe. 

Basically, all of this can be summed up in one sentence: Do not give your personal information to anyone unless you have initiated the transaction. I’m going to add one more sentence: Make sure you do the research before you initiate a transaction.

Information for this article was obtained from the Better Business Bureau news release of February 4, 2015. They can be reached at 250-386-6348 or toll free at 877-826-4222.