| Don't get hooked by these 9 scams |
| By Carole
Moore • Bankrate.com |
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You're careful with personal information, never open
suspicious e-mail attachments and shred those credit card statements.
You're confident in your ability to spot a scam, but criminals know
it's only a matter of finding the right bait to make you their catch
of the day. Cons, like the ones outlined below, are designed to
hook you and your wallet.
| Con men are forever coming up
with new ways to separate you from your money. Some employ
the latest technology; other methods are decidedly low-tech.
But all are designed to catch you off guard. Don't take
the bait. |
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| Don't get conned
by these scams |
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1. Born to shop
The ads for mystery
shoppers tout enticing perquisites: Eat free gourmet meals,
buy high-end clothes and make up to $60 an hour. You can launch
yourself in this fabulous -- and fictitious -- career for a mere
$25 to $60.
Mark Michelson of Michelson & Associates Inc.,
an Atlanta-based company, warns that the hype is phony. "Shops
don't pay by the hour," Michelson says.
Mystery shoppers are compensated by the assignment,
usually around $15 -- and that includes the time it takes to complete
lengthy reports. But, hey, that's not shabby if you consider the
pricey merchandise you get to keep, right? Michelson punches a hole
in that theory, too. "The merchandise usually has to be returned
unless it's a very small item," he says.
His advice: If you want to be a mystery shopper, either
deal with a marketing company affiliated with the Mystery
Shopping Providers Association, which is a professional alliance,
or contact the company you want to work for directly. You can be
put on a list mystery shoppers that employers use for free. You
should never pay a third party for that information.
2. The tax 'expert'
Think your tax guy knows what he's doing? Better be sure. The Internal
Revenue Service warns that tax preparers who intentionally cut corners,
or are downright incompetent, can land clients in hot water, as
well as cost them a bundle. How do you separate qualified preparers
from scammers? The IRS has lots of information on its Web
site, and Bankrate's article, "Checking
out your tax preparer," can help, too.
And, while you're at it, watch out for computer-based
scams like bogus
IRS e-mails asking for personal information. Don't click on
those links -- the IRS doesn't operate this way. Instead, agents
say you should contact the IRS by telephone when you receive a message.
The latest twist is an IRS mirror site, or a
phony Web site that looks exactly like the agency's home page, but
is actually operated by identity thieves. C.J. Fearnley, chief technology
officer of LinuxForce and computer security expert, says to be skeptical
of everything on the Web.
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