Promises, promises
Most scams have two things in common irrespective of who is conning you and where in the world the crime is being committed.
First, they promise to give you something: a free holiday, a massive discount on a brand new product, or an opportunity to benefit in some other way.
Second, they require something from you in advance. It could be a "management fee", a deposit or even the full amount of the item or service you are buying.
Part with your money and you might never see it, or your purchase, again. The problem for all of us is that spotting these conmen can be very difficult. They are, by nature, plausible, persistent and pushy.
Saying "No" is not easy, particularly when you believe that there is a time limit on the offer they are making and you don’t want to miss it.
Many of these scams come to us in unsolicited e-mails on the Internet. Most of us realise we should be wary of e-mail offers from people or businesses we don’t know. But if you are really tempted, then do some on-line research before you click on the "Accept" button.
Some of the worst offenders have the best-looking websites, or produce glossy and professional promotional leaflets to convince us they are well-established firms with which to do business.
Probably the most successful confidence tricksters, are those who deal with the public face-to-face. They are good actors who play on our misguided belief that we can spot a liar when we meet one. They display none of the body language we expect from someone who is not telling us the truth. They’ve learned to look us in the eye, be cool and apparently concerned that we should benefit from the offer they are making. Unless we are sceptical by nature, before we realise what we are doing we hand over our money or sign on the dotted line.
The reality is that underneath that caring exterior beats a ruthless, callous heart. And the worst offenders are those who prey on the elderly or target individuals or communities which are already suffering loss or distress.
Such was the case in the US, following the devastating fires that affected three southern Californian states in October 2007. Once extinguished, it was the job of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) inspectors to begin assessing the damage to public and private property and make reports on which compensation could be calculated.
But not everyone claiming to be an official disaster aid worker or inspector was really who he or she claimed to be. FEMA hurriedly posted a warning on its website (4 November) under the headline "Don’t Be a Victim Twice" advising Californian residents to check the identity of anyone wanting to enter their property and to watch out for scams and frauds that may surface.
"FEMA is dedicated to helping those affected by these life-changing fires rebuild their lives," said federal coordinating officer Mike Hall of FEMA. "It is shameful that some would chose to take advantage of disaster victims during a time when so many are offering their generosity to those who have suffered."
Shameful, indeed, but not uncommon, as over 100 Spanish pensioners know to their cost. They were targeted by three conmen in the Valencia region who dressed up as workers for utility companies and claimed they wanted to reimburse these elderly customers for overpayment. What’s more, they paid out, on the spot É in cash.
The conmen explained that they had only large denomination banknotes so, for a €580 reimbursement they handed over two €500 notes to the "customer" and took away €420 in change. Only when the pensioners went to the bank to deposit the money did they discover the notes were counterfeit. Police believe the crooks embezzled over €50,000 with this scam.
You’ll be amazed how many websites – some of them produced by government departments concerned with consumer or trading issues – are trying to make us all more aware of the hundreds of scams and frauds to which people are currently being exposed.
Make sure you don’t end up as one of their statistics.
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Promises, promises
