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The New York State Consumer Protection Board and other consumer protection agencies have released the Top Ten "Consumer Turkeys" -- a list of widespread scams hurting consumers today.
"All of these offers sound like great bargains, but you'll have better luck pulling on a turkey wishbone," said Teresa A. Santiago, chairperson and executive director of the CPB.
"The holidays are dangerous times for consumers. We're feeling generous, relaxed and benevolent. Though laudable, this makes us prime targets for the scam artists who are waiting to exploit any sign of weakness," said Mark Huffman, who produces ConsumerAffairs.com's daily Scam Alerts feature.
"The best defense against scams is education and we applaud the efforts of the National Consumers League, Ripoffreport.com, ConsumerAffairs.com and the Better Business Bureau of Upstate New York - consumer advocates who protect consumers through their educational programs and services," said Chairperson Santiago.
The Top Ten Turkeys are:
1. Hungry for loans or new credit: Beware of bogus promises for loans or credit, warns the National Consumers League. Con artists take advantage of cash-strapped consumers during the holidays to offer personal loans or credit cards for a fee upfront. These scammers simply take the money and run.
2. Government Grant Scams: Telemarketers are telling people that the government wants to give them a "FREE Grant" of $12,000 or more. All the telemarketer needs they say, is your bank account information. Don't be fooled, says RipOffReport.com. They will only take money from your account and you will never see a dime from the government.
3. The Check Cashing Scam: People running ads to sell cars or other big ticket items find a buyer who is so eager they send a cashier's check for several thousand dollars more than the purchase price, warns ConsumerAffairs.com. The seller is told to cash the check and wire the change back to the buyer. The cashier's check, of course, is counterfeit, but is so good that by the time the bank discovers it, the balance, usually a couple of thousand dollars, has been sent. So the seller loses the item they are selling - plus they have to pay back the bank.
4. Medicare prescription drug scams: Private companies are allowed to market the new prescription drug plans now available under Medicare. But scam artists, posing as these legitimate companies, are using telemarketing and email to try to steal money and financial information from seniors, according to the Better Business Bureau of Upstate New York. Legitimate providers are not allowed to market the drug plans door-to-door or via unsolicited e-mails. They can contact consumers over the telephone but they must observe the federal and state "Do Not Call" laws and registries. Ask them to send you information about their plan in the mail. Do not provide your bank account number, your Social Security number or any other personal information over the telephone. You can also verify the legitimacy of any provider that contacts you by calling the Medicare toll-free phone number, 1-800-MEDICARE (633-4227), which is open 24 hours a day.
5. Bogus Credit Card offers: When a telemarketer says you qualify for a Visa or Master Card - watch out, says RipOffReport.com. Once they get your checking account number, you'll never hear from them again. It is against the law to charge an upfront fee for a credit card.
6. The Jury Duty Scam: Victims are contacted by telephone by an angry sounding caller who informs them they failed to appear for jury duty as instructed, and that it's a serious offense. The rattled victim insists they were never contacted. The caller says they can probably resolve the matter, but will need some more information, including the victims social security number, bank account information, and maybe even their credit card number. Of course, no local, state or federal court ever contacts potential jurors by phone and asks for confidential information, ConsumerAffairs.com warns.
7. Credit Card Cramming: Through third-party marketing agreements, many trusted retailers may provide their customers' credit card information to unscrupulous business partners. As a result, consumers may find themselves charged for products or services without knowingly agreeing to any purchase. It often happens when consumers accept a "free" coupon or "free trial" offer without being told their acceptance will result in a charge on their credit card.
8. The Online Car Sale Scam: According to ConsumerAffairs.com, this scam involves used-car advertisements on AutoTrader.com or eBay. After negotiating a deal with the victim, the scammer gives them an account number for a fictitious holding company and tells them to send the money. It's actually the scammer's personal account, but by the time the victim finds out, the same car they thought they purchased is back online, being offered to another potential victim.
9. Internet Dialer Scam: Malicious software embedded in some Web sites can download on consumers' computers when they visit these sites. The software is programmed to dial 900 numbers, resulting in hefty charges. Consumers who keep anti virus and anti spyware up to date can usually protect themselves against this scam.
10. Lottery scams: Often targeting the elderly, these scams try to make you believe that you've won a prize from a lottery or sweepstakes - even though you never entered such a contest. Nobody is that lucky. A woman near Amsterdam, N.Y. recently lost $80,000 after a scam artist convinced her that she had to pay taxes in order to collect her prize. If a so-called sweepstakes asks you for money before you collect your prize: ignore it. It's a scam.
For further information, please contact:
The National Consumers League:
NCL
1701 K Street, NW, Suite 1200,
Washington DC 20006
phone 202-835-3323
fax 202-835-0747
email: info@nclnet.org
For information on consumer frauds: www.fraud.org
Ripoffreport.com:
For consumer complaints and investigative reports about unscrupulous businesses: http://www.ripoffreport.com/search.asp
File a complaint: http://www.ripoffreport.com/login.asp
ConsumerAffairs.com
Scam Alerts: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/scam_alerts/scam_alerts.htm
Consumer complaints:
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/php/a_report.php
Better Business Bureau:
Check on a company's background:
http://search.bbb.org/search.html
Scam alerts, general information:
www.bbb.org
New York State Consumer Protection Board:
General information or to file a complaint:
www.nysconsumer.gov and 1-800-697-1220 (within New York State)
11-28-05
© 2005 North
Country Gazette
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