Ya just can’t keep up with ’em. Every day there’s a new one…scams, frauds, rip-offs…somebody trying to find ways into your wallet.
Here are a couple more scams to be aware of…and the first one is really subtle. Be aware, be careful, when in doubt hang up, click off, shut down, power off. Don’t engage these guys in any way…they are practiced professionals who polish and refine their schemes every day.
FREE BONUS GIFTS FOR DOING A SURVEY SURVEY
The first scam is not a scam by definition but it can expose you to serious financial loss if you don’t pay attention.
Some major corporations offer bonus gifts to people who complete surveys for them. Beware survey requests for the displayed corporations. We are not implying that any of these corporations are guilty of fraud but we are warning you that these companies have not carried out due diligence or their staff has not done enough homework for their employer.
How it works and puts you at risk
You complete the survey for one of the above corporations ending the process with selections of a bonus gift for which you need to provide a credit card number to cover shipping charges. DO NOT GIVE THEM YOUR CARD NUMBER…in fact, you should not even start the survey, FULL STOP. If you have, you will be charged for an extra item that you will not have ordered and which is not mentioned in any fine print. It is a little over $6.00 and you may be tempted to let it go and buy it. After all, it’s only $6. Don’t. If you do, you will have exposed your credit card to subsequent unauthorized purchases. They have your card number. You accepted unauthorized purchases by accepting the last item, so they can add more purchases to that card.
[ FULL DISCLOSURE: We got caught in this loop but cut things off right away by demanding a full refund, which we got. But the refund was not from the credit card company which when learning of the difficulty of obtaining a refund, immediately suggested cancellation of the card and issuance of a new card.
Additionally, the three large corporations were notified of this survey problem but they are guilty of ageism. Hearing that I am a senior got an “Oh hum, ok…thank you for your call.” We are implying that these corporations are guilty of fraud. But we are warning that as big as they are guilty of some shoddy office diligence. ]
The only recourse you have, if you went this far, is to initiate the process of cancelling your current credit card and having a new card issued. A real pain and irritation of work but if you don’t, your card is at risk of further charges.
The short
DO NOT START ONLINE SURVEYS OFFERING FREE GIFTS or else you will begin a process that will take you weeks to unwind. Otherwise, you will be losing money to that card regularly. Your call !!!
PARCEL DELIVERY FAILED DUE TO UNPAID POSTAL CHARGE
You didn’t order a parcel but receive notification that a delivery attempt failed because of unpaid postal charges.
Just another way of getting your credit card information. Disregard the notice. Reject it outright. Do not engage them in any way. It’s a scam to get your credit card number.
What will they think of next?
Do you have any new scams we should write about? Please email us a description so we can warn others. Remember, be alert and be ready with your REJECT BUTTON all the time. If you have the slightest doubt, give it a pass. Otherwise, you will pass out when they rob you!
Don’t be embarrassed if you got caught before. Learn from the lesson, a lesson learned will help others. Report your experience to the federal government fraud reporting site at: FRAUD
