HAVE YOU BEEN SCAMED?

Have you ever had one of those sleepless nights? Well, I have so channel surfing is my choice of entertainment until sleep arrives. I found the infomercials and their wide range of products quite interesting. Many of the items are available in most stores and located in their “as seen on TV” section. However, the books and other various materials promising you wealth in a short period of time must be ordered through a web site or 800 number.

I researched one “work at home” program and immediately the words "use caution” came to mind. It sounded to good to be true and you know the old adage, if it does --- it usually is. The program is "Advertising Profits From Home," and offers a free website with hosting. Mr. Morrison claims you will create easy cash and wealth with your web site because it is a mirrored version of his own.

The package you receive by mail includes Morrison's book on how to make money using your free website. This will cost you $19.95 plus a $9.95 S/H fee. If you find the program is not your cup of tea then return the book within 30 days to receive a refund of $19.95 plus tax if applicable. The $9.95 S/H fee is not a refundable item. After your initial purchase you can expect to pay anywhere from $500.00 to $6,000 or more for the full business package.

When it comes to “work at home” programs I strongly advise investigating them first through the BBB, Google, Snopes or Scam Busters before signing up. Their door-opening gimmick is usually a low cost start-up fee and a promise of millionaire profits.

The Google Work at home scam; No, not the real Google...These sites appear professing to teach you how to “work from home” and make big money using Google or Twitter. The sites often display the Google or Twitter trademark or logo. Individuals who complained to the BBB honestly thought they were working for Google or Twitter. In fact, they were drawn in by misleading free-trial offers and billed monthly for supplies and other unknown charges adding up to hundreds of dollars.

Job Hunter Scams are varied and make every effort to gain access to your personal information. They claim to need, your bank account and/or social security number along with a processing fee to be considered for the job. Another common fraud tactic; the potential employer advises they will be checking your credit report before considering you for a job. The job offer is actually a promotion scheme for online credit monitoring which bills a monthly fee until you catch on and cancel the billing.

Stimulus/Government Grant Scams Even before President Obama announced the stimulus plan in February, swindlers were busy setting up another new scheme to mislead consumers and small business owners. They let you believe that you could actually get some money from the government. Most of us upon hearing that would have laughed hysterically. They were making worthless offers of assistance and giving bogus advice on how to acquire government grants. Consumers were, and still are, being inundated online, over the phone and through e-mails.

Mystery or Secret Shopper Scams had many consumers believing that they could earn extra money by becoming a Secret Shopper. This is an enjoyable job because all you do is shop and evaluate the customer service provided in a variety of stores, including a few money-wiring services such as Western Union or Money Gram. Guess whom you are wiring the money to---the scammers! They provide you with an authentic looking check, which is supposed to cover the costs, but it is a fake. You can be scammed out of hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars by these con artists.

“Every year you end up dealing with some new scam where the bad guy tries to get money from the good guy. It's just a new twist on an old trick for how to steal from people.”Lt. Darren Stewart