December 4, 2024 • 29 mins
Uncover the secrets to a scam-free holiday season with insights from Carmen Million of the Better Business Bureau. As scammers grow more cunning, especially during the holidays, we're here to help you stay one step ahead. From sophisticated AI-driven tactics to classic scams like fake prize notifications and deceptive package alerts, Carmen and I break down how to identify and avoid these traps. You'll learn invaluable strategies to keep your finances secure, from verifying suspicious communications to recognizing red flags in emails and texts.
Gift cards and online shopping are holiday staples, but they come with risks if you're not careful. We share essential tips for ensuring your gift cards remain untouched and your online shopping experiences are safe. For those who prefer shopping locally, we discuss how this can be a more secure option while still requiring vigilance against misleading advertisements and phishing schemes. Additionally, we address the emotional impact of scams, reminding listeners to report incidents and seek support without shame.
In the spirit of giving, we explore how to make charitable donations wisely, so your generosity goes where it's needed most. Discover how to spot legitimate charities and protect yourself from fraudulent solicitations, with guidance from the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Guide. We round off the episode with a blueprint of scam prevention tactics, from checking website security to inspecting gift cards, ensuring you and your loved ones enjoy a joyful and secure holiday season.
Have an idea for a show or a question for Kim? Send us a text message
Welcome to Money Matters, the podcast that focuses on how to use the money you have, make the money you need and save the money you want – brought to you by Neighbors Federal Credit Union.
The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Welcome to Money Matters, the podcast that
focuses on how to use the moneyyou have, make the money you
need and save the money you wantNow here is your host, ms Kim
Chapman.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
Welcome to another edition of Money Matters.
We are in the midst of theholiday season, a time for
celebration, shopping, gatheringwith family.
But guess what?
Crime does not take a break forthe holidays.
As a matter of fact, it kind oframps up a little bit.
And so we want to try and getyou prepared for the holiday
season and help you avoid, youknow, ruining the holidays by
(00:36):
being the victim of scam.
So joining me today is ourspecial guest, ms Carmen Million
.
She's been here before.
She's always eager to come backand keep us on our toes.
She's with the BBB BetterBusiness Bureau.
Welcome back, carmen.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Thank you, Kim, for having me.
I appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
It's.
You know, it's tragic that wehave to have this conversation.
It's the holidays and all weshould be thinking about is
eggnogs and, you know, sittingaround the fireplace, but we
have to do this, and so what areyou seeing?
What is happening right now interms of crime or scams?
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Well, the first thing people need to understand is
that everyone is on social mediaand that's a big thing that
we're seeing now, and we used totell people these scammers that
are targeting you just look formisspellings, just look for
certain things.
(01:32):
But with AI that's gone away sothey can correct all the things
that you would notice that it'sa particular scam, and so we're
seeing that they're contactingpeople and they're telling them
different things.
It's basically the same scams.
You've won something.
Well, who doesn't need moneyaround Christmas time?
You win money.
You have to just call thisnumber or click on this link.
Don't do it.
We also have those that aretelling people that they missed
(01:59):
a package.
I had a neighbor call me theother day and she said they said
that they had delivered twopackages to my house and that I
had.
I signed for them and I owedmoney and if I didn't pay the
money, they were going to have abench warrant for my arrest.
They use fear as a factor toget you to fall for the scam.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
Well, I want to kind of pause and talk a little bit
about the packages, because Itell you, with all the different
scams, I have to say that thatone is slightly, a little, you
know ingenious, becauseeverybody listening out here
you're probably hooked on Amazon, hsn, qvc, and even if you're
not hooked, this is the time ofthe year that you might
typically visit those sites andorder packages, and so it's safe
(02:37):
to assume that probably, if youhad a pool of a hundred people,
that probably three quarters ofthose individuals have a
package on the way coming fromUPS or somewhere.
And so the scammers know that.
And I've received, I receivedthose emails all the time.
As a matter of fact, onemorning I received one and I was
expecting a package and therewas.
(02:58):
I knew that there was somethingwrong with the package.
I don't remember what thedetails were, but there was
something funny.
So when I did get that email Iknew better.
But because there was a problemwith it already maybe it had
been delayed or there wassomething with shipping it would
have been so easy for me tofall for that.
So what are some key thingsthat people should look for?
I remember my email.
(03:19):
It was maybe UPS, but atfranksinatracom.
What are some key things or redflags for people to look at so
that they'll know that this isnot a real link or you know how
can they identify it?
Speaker 2 (03:33):
Well, first of all, if you're going to order
something online, you need tomake sure you keep records,
records that you can get toquickly.
If you receive an email, a text, a message saying that there's
a problem or a question aboutyour package delivery, go back
to the information that you kept.
Don't respond to the email orthe text that you received
(03:53):
because more than likely it's aphishing scam.
You know most people arescammed because of opportunity
and, of course, everybody'sordering.
you know online shopping is theway to go now, especially since
COVID, it's really become evenmore popular.
But people need to be theirfirst line of defense.
They have to protect themselvesby keeping the information
(04:16):
handy, by going back to theirreceipts and seeing where they
ordered it and checking directlywith that company.
Don't assume just because youget a call or text or email that
it's legitimate.
You have to question it becausewhat they're eventually going
to do is try to either get yourpersonal financial information
or they're going to ask you topay a fee to get the package.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
So you mentioned AI artificial intelligence is
making it even harder forconsumers to detect.
Are there any key things thatwe can still look out for to
help us detect that this is nota real link or a real legitimate
email or text?
Speaker 2 (04:53):
Yeah, well, you definitely need to look at the
link Again.
You know, my first thought isdon't even respond to it, no
matter what, even if it seemslegitimate.
Go back to your informationthat you know is accurate and
contact them directly from that.
But with AI, if you go throughsocial media, sometimes it's
hard to detect if it islegitimate or if it is a fake.
(05:15):
You can look for blurry lines,you can look like I said some
misspelling, some English, maybenot correct, but it's getting
better and better and so, again,your best line of defense is to
go back to your receipt, keep acopy of it, know where you
ordered it, when you expect toget it and a contact information
(05:35):
, and also you need toinvestigate who you're ordering
from.
A lot of these people aregetting these too good to be
good, too good to be true deals,and they're getting them from
foreign countries.
So no telling what you're goingto receive, which is probably
one of the worries.
My biggest worry is how muchpersonal information you gave
(05:56):
them.
That's the concern.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
So are there any pieces of information that
should be red flags?
I would imagine automaticallyif they want something like your
social security number, but ifyou're buying something, you
would need to put in your bankaccount information or your
debit card information.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
I'm going to tell you right now if you're going to
order online, your best line ofdefense is use a credit card.
If you use a debit card, thenyou're essentially giving them a
connection directly to yourbank account.
They withdraw once.
If they're not a valid company,they can withdraw again, and
then you're essentially givingthem a connection directly to
your bank account.
They withdraw once.
If they're not a valid company,they can withdraw again, and
then you're going to have to goback to the bank and fight it,
and it's not fair for the bankto eat it.
So you know, of course, wealways recommend that you try to
(06:35):
use a credit card or a PayPalpayment form, something that, if
you don't receive it or it'smisleading, or the product is
defective or whatever the casemay be, you at least have the
opportunity to dispute it andtry to get your money back.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
Or at least your cash isn't tied up at a financial
institution versus a credit card.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
Absolutely, and I know it's hard.
Some people don't have creditcards, but it's not a bad idea
to have one just for onlineshopping.
You have to protect yourselfwhen ordering, and we're seeing
so many people that are payingwith debit cards, and even they
say cash cards, which amazes me.
It's like giving cash and thenthey never received the
(07:16):
merchandise and then they findout the company's not a
legitimate business and theywant their money back.
Well, we tell them you're nevergoing to see that money.
Use it as a lesson.
It's expensive, it's painful,but you have to use it as a
lesson.
Protect yourself.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
Are there resources available on the BBB website?
If I have a company and I'm notso certain about it, can I look
on the website to see if infact, they're listed there?
What resources are availablethat can help me in my decision
making?
Speaker 2 (07:47):
Well, you can go to BBBorg and you can search a
company, no matter where theyare in the United States, and
that's a first step.
Now, of course, if they're in aforeign country, you're pretty
much on your own.
There's nothing we can do.
We can't check it out.
You shop at your own risk, butyou can check on those companies
.
And if you go to our websiteand you're not getting the
information that you need, orit's not clear, or you can't
(08:10):
find it, then pick up the phoneand call us and we will research
it for you and give you adviceon how to proceed.
We also have what we call ascam tracker and it's bbborg
backslash scam tracker and ifyou've been a victim of a scam,
you can log it on that site andit allows us to see the patterns
(08:30):
, how often they're happening,what areas they're hitting, what
particular scam is happening atthis time, and it allows us to
do alerts with the media to tryto take a proactive step of
preventing those scams happeningto other people.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
So we were talking about online shopping and you
know, like you said, it's what'shappening.
People are doing onlineshopping, but if you can at
least get past the scam ofordering the correct merchandise
, then there's the issue ofporch pirates.
Right, that has definitely beenon the rise, you know.
Each year, as more and morepeople order online, have you
seen an uptick?
(09:04):
What can consumers do to avoidbeing a victim of that?
Speaker 2 (09:07):
We are seeing an uptick on it, especially right
now, and one of the things thatwe're noticing and we're hearing
is that there are porch partsthat are following delivery
trucks and as soon as they leave, they're snatching those items
and running with them.
And of course you have to be avigilant, you have to make sure
your neighborhood has some kindof a watch program and if not,
(09:32):
definitely you want a door videoon your front door so it'll at
least identify the person, soyou can turn it over to the
police department.
We tell people, if you noticeanybody suspicious or if your
neighbors do, to call the policedepartment, the sheriff's
department, and let them know,so that they can at least keep
an eye out.
But videos now allow you tofind out who these people are.
(09:54):
But also, when you ordersomething, most companies will
allow you to sign up for adelivery receipt and it will
tell you when it's beendelivered or if it's been
delivered, and they'll takepictures.
But you know in fact I do thatI just ordered something
recently and I just got a noticethat it was it's going to be
delivered tomorrow morning, andso I know to be watching out for
(10:16):
that.
But those people, those porchpirates are getting smarter and
savvier and faster.
Speaker 1 (10:22):
Yeah, I tell you, ai is making things difficult.
Water and savvier and faster.
Yeah, I tell you, ai is makingthings difficult.
So you know, we talked aboutusing credit cards, but of
course, like you said, noteverybody has credit cards.
And then, when you think aboutthe holidays, people love to do
gift cards at holidays.
So I'll just turn it over toyou.
Talk to us about the differentscams that people do with gift
cards and what, if anything, cana consumer do, whether they're
(10:44):
buying a gift card online or ifthey're going into the actual
retail store to buy a gift card.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
Well, let me just tell you I'm going to.
I'm going to.
This is my experience.
I give a lot of gift cords forChristmas, especially to staff,
as Christmas gifts.
That way they can purchasewhatever they want.
It's a good idea, but you haveto be cautious about where you
purchase it.
We know that there arelegitimate businesses out there
that sell gift cords.
(11:09):
However, my first thought iswhen I go to purchase a gift
cord, are those gift cards in asafe spot Because there are
scammers that will go into astore, will scratch off the back
, will get the number on thegift card.
You purchase it.
You don't realize it's beentampered with, because I found
(11:30):
out, also from the FBI, thatthey have some kind of little
deal that they can put a sealback on it where it looks like
it hasn't been tampered with.
And then you purchase a giftcard.
Let's say you put $500 on thatgift card, you give it to
somebody and they go to use itand the money's gone and these
scammers have taken the numberand that's all they need and
they will periodically check tosee if there's a balance and
(11:52):
then they'll remove it.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
So you mentioned a safe spot.
What would be a safe spot?
Because I don't think I've everseen gift cards, for example,
behind the counter like they maykeep cigarettes or liquor.
They're always, you know, alittle turn style in the store.
So what would be deemed?
If I'm looking for a safe spot,what would that look like?
Speaker 2 (12:09):
Is the spot where the credit cards, in an area where
the person who's checking outhas an eye on it, can they view
it.
You know, if it's in like anobscure spot where nobody's
around it very often, then thatwould be something you know
because you have to give themenough time to temper with it.
But if you're at eye level withthe person behind the checkout
(12:30):
counter then you're more thanlikely not going to do it.
I tend to get my gift cordsfrom the same store every time
because I know that that personis usually watching that
turnstile with all the giftcords.
You just have to be cautiousand of course you have to make
sure that you check to see ifthe balance is on there.
I know that there are numbersand you want to make sure you do
(12:51):
that.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
Is that before you purchase?
Before you purchase it or likemaybe right after you do it at
the register.
Speaker 2 (12:59):
Well, when you go to pay for it, depending on what
the store is, a lot of timesthey'll give you the receipt for
the gift card and they'll giveyou a receipt to give to the
person so that they will knowhow much is on that card and if
has been tampered with thecompany that you purchased not
(13:19):
the store, but the gift cardcompany is not going to
reimburse your money.
That's lost, that's somethingyou have to eat.
You can turn it over to theauthorities, but you have to
figure out who stole it.
So it's very hard.
But once you purchase it andbefore you give it to the person
, you can go in there, use thosenumbers and find out if the
balance is on there.
(13:40):
Or you can suggest I always,when I get these gift cards, I
suggest that when I give themthat they either use them
quickly or call them to makesure the balance is on there,
because you have to be cautiousand that's unfortunate and a lot
of scams.
Now I've been doing this for along time and there were years
where they'd ask people.
(14:00):
They'd tell people you've won agift or you have to, for
whatever reason.
They needed money and you wouldeither wire money or you'd send
a check or you'd give them yourbank account number and you
know people are understandingthose are scams.
But what they're now doing andit's still popular is they're
(14:21):
telling people that they have tobuy an iTunes cord.
Or you think about a seniorcitizen.
They don't have a clue what aniTunes cord is.
Essentially it's a cash cord.
You give them the cord.
I mean, you purchase a cord.
They ask you for the number.
You give them the number ortake a picture of it.
You send it to them.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
They remove the money , and then you realize that
anything that was on that cardis gone.
You're never going to hear fromthese scammers again, so
typically with gift cards.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
there's really no recourse.
No, it's very hard because it'shard to figure out who actually
the scammer is and,unfortunately, a lot of those we
see out of the country.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
So that's really really, really, really tough.
What else are you seeing?
Anything that's reallysurprising this year that maybe
you know consumers are not awareof.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
Well, I don't know that anything surprises me
anymore.
Well, one of the things I dowant to say is, you know, of
course, is the Better BusinessBureau.
We always recommend that peopleshop locally.
That's important.
You know you want to supportyour local businesses.
However, when you're shoppingwith those local businesses, or
online or wherever, you want tomake sure that you understand
(15:26):
what a store policy is.
Return policy A store isresponsible to publish their
return policy, refund policy,but it's your responsibility to
ask what it is.
And so you know, because justbecause you don't like it
doesn't mean they're going totake it back and give your money
back.
They may give you a credit.
So you need to understand whatthose store policies are.
(15:46):
A lot of these advertisements Isee on social media because
that's what everybody's doing onsocial media these popular
items and they'll they noticeyou searching for those items
and then, all of a sudden,you'll get these pop-ups and
they're basically trying to fishto get you to click on their
link and bring you to anothersite and, of course, they're
(16:08):
going to ask you for money.
They're going to promise youthis product at a great price
and they have overage ofwhatever the hot item is this
year.
Don't fall for those things.
Investigate a company beforeyou purchase it.
Make sure you again use acredit card or PayPal, don't
just use your debit card andinvestigate those companies and
if you're not sure how to handleit, always call the Better
(16:30):
Business Bureau.
We can advise you.
Speaker 1 (16:32):
Now there's still, of course, a handful of people,
I'm sure, out there that say hey, what about me?
I still actually shop at theretail store.
Do you see any form of I don'tknow if it would be scam, maybe
lack of ethics in terms of an adthat might be bait and switch?
It advertises something and youknow there's only going to be
two of them in the store.
They just want to get you inthe store.
Are you seeing that stillhappening, or any change in that
(16:55):
with even artificialintelligence?
Speaker 2 (16:57):
Well, I do find that.
You know there is, if you wantto call it bait and switch.
There is some.
It's not very common because inmost cases, if a store
advertises something, in a lotof cases it's nationwide.
One store is advertising it.
They don't tell you there's alimit, although well, they
(17:22):
should tell you there's a limit,but they won't tell you what
that limit is.
And in most cases storesunderstand that if there's a
real want for that product, theymay be willing to issue you a
rain check to get it in thefuture.
So you might want to ask aboutthat.
We don't see as much of that aswe used to, but you need to.
Also when you see the ad, whenyou're spending your
Thanksgiving afternoon lookingat the ads, or whenever they
come out.
(17:42):
Now, look at the bottom of thead.
It should tell you thatquantities are limited.
First come, first serve, orthere's only nine at this
location, or whatever.
The other thing is, you want tomake sure you understand what
that product is.
It is actually what you'relooking for.
Sure you understand what thatproduct is.
It is actually what you'relooking for or is it a lookalike
product?
Speaker 1 (18:01):
And that's exactly what I wanted to talk to you
about next, in terms of beingable to determine the
authenticity of a product.
Sometimes I'll watch on courtTV.
Somebody thought they werebuying a purebred dog and then
later, after they took it to thevet, for some odd reason they
found out that you know theyreally bought a mutt.
Or you thought you were buyingthe latest greatest Air Jordans
(18:22):
that are worth $500.
And you found out you know thatyou got a knockoff brand that
are worth 10.
How can we protect ourselvesagainst that?
Speaker 2 (18:31):
Well, you know again, the first thing is to make sure
you're shopping with alegitimate, well-known,
established business.
That's your first step.
Knockoffs are getting betterand better.
You can't really tell in a lotof cases when you're talking
about purses or other items,shoes or whatever.
So you just need to make surethat you're shopping at a
reputable business, and if it isa really exclusive name brand,
(18:55):
then you should getdocumentation with that.
I know you know with Dooney andBurke, you get the little card
and you get the bag and you getall those things.
But you know, you really wantto make sure you're shopping at
a store.
And then, of course, you haveto consider the price.
If it sounds too good to betrue, it is.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
Always rule number one.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
Oh it is.
I mean, you know you're nevergoing to get something for
nothing.
It's never going to be too goodto be true that you actually
got a Dooney and Burke purse for50 bucks.
It isn't going to happen unlesssome individual selling it.
And then you still don't knowif it's real, but always want to
(19:34):
purchase puppies for their kidsfor Christmas, which is the
worst time to buy an animalbecause you know you have
buyer's remorse and you can'tgive it back necessarily.
But you also want to make sureif you're wanting to buy a
purebred, which there's so manythat need to be adopted I'm just
going to shout out to that.
(19:55):
But if you want to buy apurebred, make sure that you're
dealing with a registeredcompany who's properly
registered and they have all thedocumentation and the
supporting documents that provethat what they're saying is
actually true, that you bring itto a vet to make sure it's
healthy and whatever.
Before you let too much timeelapse, we have a lot of people
(20:21):
and I'm one of those people Ilook at dogs all the time on
social media and of course I getall these commercials or
whatever saying that, oh, we'reselling these purebred little
chihuahuas or whatever and theylook so cute, but when you start
investigating the company, it'sa scam.
They're just trying to get youto send them money so that they
can, you know, steal it from you.
(20:42):
But they're not going to sendyou the dog and they'll say oh,
we'll mail it to you, we'll haveit shipped and like if you
can't see the dog get theregistration papers in person
before you actually pay for it.
Speaker 1 (20:57):
Then don't you mentioned and I know this is a
totally different podcast, butyou mentioned that a lot of
people like to buy dogs for theholidays and animals for the
holidays.
You know, whether it'sChristmas or you always see it
Easter, they'll want to buybunnies, and I'll have to get
somebody, a professional, inhere to do a podcast on that,
because of course, I bought mykids it's been years ago.
I bought them puppies atChristmas.
Everything went well.
(21:21):
Well, I mean, you know, we went, bought to add a little shelter
, a little store and all thatgood stuff.
But what I didn't anticipate wasthat those two kids that
finally did learn how to takecare of the dog would eventually
leave to go to college andguess who's taking care of a dog
?
And you said I can't give itback, and you're right, and so
it's funny.
So even with that, so even ifyou find a legitimate person or
a legitimate place to get thoseanimals, people really need to
(21:42):
think through that process,because I can tell you I didn't
see 10, 15 years down the linethat, yes, the dog is still
alive and kicking and both of mykids are off to college, and so
I have a dog.
It was their present and Ican't seem to reach.
I can't seem to re-gift it.
So I have a dog.
It was their present and Ican't seem to reach, I can't
seem to re-gift it.
So I do want to switch gearsjust a little bit, still keeping
(22:03):
with the holiday theme, becausepeople are very charitable at
this time of the year, verygiving.
If you're out physicallyshopping you'll see the little
Salvation Army people with thelittle bell asking for donations
or just standing there, and soyou know people want to give.
They feel a little bit moregenerous at this time of the
year.
We've just had two bighurricanes hit the Gulf Coast
region, florida and I think whatSouth Carolina, and so they're
(22:26):
still struggling and so there'sstill lots of pleas for
assistance in these areas.
So for those individuals thatdo want to give they're still
scams, right, or charities.
Speaker 2 (22:38):
Right and we tell people this all the time is, if
you give and it makes you feelgood but the money didn't go to
the cause, you've defeated thepurpose of giving and the people
are still out there.
We want you to give with yourheart, but we also want you to
give with your head, and thereare just some really easy things
we like to recommend.
One of the first things I tellpeople is you understand that
(23:00):
you can't give to everybody.
That's a reality and, dependingon what your life has been like
, may may push you towardscertain organizations.
For instance, my dad died ofcancer, my mom died of a heart
attack.
Those may be areas that I ampassionate about, but you have
to choose a couple oforganizations that you are
(23:20):
really passionate about andinvestigate those organizations.
You can go to check anorganization out, no matter
where they're located at giveorg, and that's the Better Business
Bureau Wise Giving Guide.
We will tell you if they meet.
We have 20 standards.
If they meet those standards.
If they do not, why they do not?
It's simply to help you make aninformed decision.
(23:41):
We're going to provide you withinformation and whatever it
says, it's up to you, but youhave to monitor your giving.
If it doesn't go to the calls,then those people are still out
there and they really need it,and so you have to monitor your
giving.
If it doesn't go to the cause,then those people are still out
there and they really need it.
And so you have to reallyunderstand what the cause is,
where the money's going.
Is there a professionalpromoter involved?
How much money they'rereceiving, how much actually
(24:03):
goes to the cause.
I hear this time of year youknow you'll get those police and
firefighters or those otherorganizations.
There's nothing wrong withquestioning where the money's
going.
Tell me, is it staying local?
Is it going national?
If it's staying local, where isit actually going?
And so that you can check withthe local police or firefighters
or whatever and to find outwhere that you know, if they are
(24:26):
aware and if they're actuallyreceiving that money.
Monitor your giving.
It's your responsibility.
And if they're actuallyreceiving that money, monitor
your giving.
It's your responsibility.
Speaker 1 (24:32):
Do you still find that those legitimate
organizations are making phonecalls?
So if I receive a call askingfor a donation, should I
immediately assume that this isa scam and hang up?
Speaker 2 (24:43):
No, I mean again.
If you're getting a call andsomebody is asking for a
donation, what you really shoulddo is say give me your name,
your address, your phone number,your organization name,
whatever I'm going to check onit and if I'm interested in
giving, I will contact you back.
Never, ever, allow somebody toguilt you into making a donation
(25:05):
, make you feel bad or say thatit's needed now.
Donations are needed all thetime year round, but there's
nothing wrong with askingquestions, doing your homework,
investigating the organizationto make sure your money is
actually going to the cause.
Speaker 1 (25:21):
You know you've given out a lot of good information
and as many tips as we can give.
You know, of course, life iswhat it is.
You can't prevent everythingfrom happening.
So if that person finds that,oh my God, I've become a victim,
I know sometimes the firstreaction is horror.
It may be fear because you'velost money.
It may even be embarrassmentbecause, oh my God, how did I
let this happen?
(25:41):
What is your advice?
What should somebody do oncethey realize they've been
scammed?
And then how can BBB help?
Speaker 2 (25:48):
Well, the first thing I'm going to say I say this all
the time, I'm going to say itagain is it doesn't matter how
smart you are, it doesn't matterwhat your background is, it
doesn't matter what youreducation is.
If the timing is right, anybodycan be a potential victim.
Don't be embarrassed.
Unless you do it twice, thenthat's a different story.
So if you feel like you've beena victim or you're not even
sure, always call the BetterBusiness Bureau.
(26:09):
We can guide you.
Depending on what the scam isor what the situation is, we
will know how to direct you.
You can go again, like I said,to our website at bbborg
backslash scam tracker.
You can log it in there.
If it's an internet scam, youcan go to the FBI.
I think in the Federal TradeCommission they have an ic3.gov.
(26:32):
You can report it there.
We have all of that information.
We can give it to you.
We can also advise you.
We have a lot of people thatcall us, that have family
members that have beenvictimized, but they're too
embarrassed to talk about it.
I tell them it's okay, we'renot going to go out and tell
anybody, but we want to makesure we educate you so that you
don't make that same mistakeagain and hopefully help them
(26:52):
get their money, which,depending on what the scam is,
they may never get it.
But always call the BetterBusiness Bureau when you're in
doubt.
If we don't have theinformation or can't assist you,
we will have the proper agencyto direct you to.
Speaker 1 (27:05):
And I think it's comforting that you've said it
over and over again that you cancall, because so many of the
scams are because it was youcouldn't talk to a person.
You did something online, therewas nobody that could give you
direction, answer questions.
So the fact that they can notonly use the BBB as a resource,
but they could actually get ahuman on the phone, especially
when they're dealing withsomething that may be a little
(27:26):
bit terrorizing, embarrassing,whatever the situation is,
that's really really a goodresource.
Well, carmen, I'm glad thatyou're always willing to come by
, help us stay away from thesescammers, because they're out
there, I tell you, and with AIit's just harder and harder to
you know, to detect what's real,what's a scam.
So you know you're always goingto have a seat at our table to
(27:48):
come back and keep us informed.
Happy holidays to you andhopefully this information has
helped a lot of our listeners.
Speaker 2 (27:55):
Thank you, Kim.
Speaker 1 (28:02):
Now it's time for our blueprint building blocks.
Here are a couple of tips tohelp you avoid becoming a victim
of scam.
Verify before you buy.
Check the website legitimacy bylooking for HTTPS.
The URL can help you avoidclicking on a link that's not
legitimate.
You heard us talk about thosegift cards.
(28:24):
Inspect your gift cards verycarefully when purchasing them
in store.
Check for signs of tampering.
Look for anything that may beexposed, like the PIN numbers,
to make sure that you're gettinga unused, untampered with gift
cards.
Be cautious with social media.
Research those sellers and readreviews before purchasing from
(28:44):
social media Ads fake ads arecommon during the holidays.
And finally, report scamsimmediately.
If you encounter a scam, reportit to the BBB.
This helps protect others fromfalling victim too.
Welcome to Money Matters, the podcast that
focuses on how to use the moneyyou have, make the money you
need and save the money you wantNow here is your host, ms Kim
Chapman.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
Welcome to another edition of Money Matters.
We are in the midst of theholiday season, a time for
celebration, shopping, gatheringwith family.
But guess what?
Crime does not take a break forthe holidays.
As a matter of fact, it kind oframps up a little bit.
And so we want to try and getyou prepared for the holiday
season and help you avoid, youknow, ruining the holidays by
(00:36):
being the victim of scam.
So joining me today is ourspecial guest, ms Carmen Million
.
She's been here before.
She's always eager to come backand keep us on our toes.
She's with the BBB BetterBusiness Bureau.
Welcome back, carmen.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Thank you, Kim, for having me.
I appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
It's.
You know, it's tragic that wehave to have this conversation.
It's the holidays and all weshould be thinking about is
eggnogs and, you know, sittingaround the fireplace, but we
have to do this, and so what areyou seeing?
What is happening right now interms of crime or scams?
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Well, the first thing people need to understand is
that everyone is on social mediaand that's a big thing that
we're seeing now, and we used totell people these scammers that
are targeting you just look formisspellings, just look for
certain things.
(01:32):
But with AI that's gone away sothey can correct all the things
that you would notice that it'sa particular scam, and so we're
seeing that they're contactingpeople and they're telling them
different things.
It's basically the same scams.
You've won something.
Well, who doesn't need moneyaround Christmas time?
You win money.
You have to just call thisnumber or click on this link.
Don't do it.
We also have those that aretelling people that they missed
(01:59):
a package.
I had a neighbor call me theother day and she said they said
that they had delivered twopackages to my house and that I
had.
I signed for them and I owedmoney and if I didn't pay the
money, they were going to have abench warrant for my arrest.
They use fear as a factor toget you to fall for the scam.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
Well, I want to kind of pause and talk a little bit
about the packages, because Itell you, with all the different
scams, I have to say that thatone is slightly, a little, you
know ingenious, becauseeverybody listening out here
you're probably hooked on Amazon, hsn, qvc, and even if you're
not hooked, this is the time ofthe year that you might
typically visit those sites andorder packages, and so it's safe
(02:37):
to assume that probably, if youhad a pool of a hundred people,
that probably three quarters ofthose individuals have a
package on the way coming fromUPS or somewhere.
And so the scammers know that.
And I've received, I receivedthose emails all the time.
As a matter of fact, onemorning I received one and I was
expecting a package and therewas.
(02:58):
I knew that there was somethingwrong with the package.
I don't remember what thedetails were, but there was
something funny.
So when I did get that email Iknew better.
But because there was a problemwith it already maybe it had
been delayed or there wassomething with shipping it would
have been so easy for me tofall for that.
So what are some key thingsthat people should look for?
I remember my email.
(03:19):
It was maybe UPS, but atfranksinatracom.
What are some key things or redflags for people to look at so
that they'll know that this isnot a real link or you know how
can they identify it?
Speaker 2 (03:33):
Well, first of all, if you're going to order
something online, you need tomake sure you keep records,
records that you can get toquickly.
If you receive an email, a text, a message saying that there's
a problem or a question aboutyour package delivery, go back
to the information that you kept.
Don't respond to the email orthe text that you received
(03:53):
because more than likely it's aphishing scam.
You know most people arescammed because of opportunity
and, of course, everybody'sordering.
you know online shopping is theway to go now, especially since
COVID, it's really become evenmore popular.
But people need to be theirfirst line of defense.
They have to protect themselvesby keeping the information
(04:16):
handy, by going back to theirreceipts and seeing where they
ordered it and checking directlywith that company.
Don't assume just because youget a call or text or email that
it's legitimate.
You have to question it becausewhat they're eventually going
to do is try to either get yourpersonal financial information
or they're going to ask you topay a fee to get the package.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
So you mentioned AI artificial intelligence is
making it even harder forconsumers to detect.
Are there any key things thatwe can still look out for to
help us detect that this is nota real link or a real legitimate
email or text?
Speaker 2 (04:53):
Yeah, well, you definitely need to look at the
link Again.
You know, my first thought isdon't even respond to it, no
matter what, even if it seemslegitimate.
Go back to your informationthat you know is accurate and
contact them directly from that.
But with AI, if you go throughsocial media, sometimes it's
hard to detect if it islegitimate or if it is a fake.
(05:15):
You can look for blurry lines,you can look like I said some
misspelling, some English, maybenot correct, but it's getting
better and better and so, again,your best line of defense is to
go back to your receipt, keep acopy of it, know where you
ordered it, when you expect toget it and a contact information
(05:35):
, and also you need toinvestigate who you're ordering
from.
A lot of these people aregetting these too good to be
good, too good to be true deals,and they're getting them from
foreign countries.
So no telling what you're goingto receive, which is probably
one of the worries.
My biggest worry is how muchpersonal information you gave
(05:56):
them.
That's the concern.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
So are there any pieces of information that
should be red flags?
I would imagine automaticallyif they want something like your
social security number, but ifyou're buying something, you
would need to put in your bankaccount information or your
debit card information.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
I'm going to tell you right now if you're going to
order online, your best line ofdefense is use a credit card.
If you use a debit card, thenyou're essentially giving them a
connection directly to yourbank account.
They withdraw once.
If they're not a valid company,they can withdraw again, and
then you're essentially givingthem a connection directly to
your bank account.
They withdraw once.
If they're not a valid company,they can withdraw again, and
then you're going to have to goback to the bank and fight it,
and it's not fair for the bankto eat it.
So you know, of course, wealways recommend that you try to
(06:35):
use a credit card or a PayPalpayment form, something that, if
you don't receive it or it'smisleading, or the product is
defective or whatever the casemay be, you at least have the
opportunity to dispute it andtry to get your money back.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
Or at least your cash isn't tied up at a financial
institution versus a credit card.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
Absolutely, and I know it's hard.
Some people don't have creditcards, but it's not a bad idea
to have one just for onlineshopping.
You have to protect yourselfwhen ordering, and we're seeing
so many people that are payingwith debit cards, and even they
say cash cards, which amazes me.
It's like giving cash and thenthey never received the
(07:16):
merchandise and then they findout the company's not a
legitimate business and theywant their money back.
Well, we tell them you're nevergoing to see that money.
Use it as a lesson.
It's expensive, it's painful,but you have to use it as a
lesson.
Protect yourself.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
Are there resources available on the BBB website?
If I have a company and I'm notso certain about it, can I look
on the website to see if infact, they're listed there?
What resources are availablethat can help me in my decision
making?
Speaker 2 (07:47):
Well, you can go to BBBorg and you can search a
company, no matter where theyare in the United States, and
that's a first step.
Now, of course, if they're in aforeign country, you're pretty
much on your own.
There's nothing we can do.
We can't check it out.
You shop at your own risk, butyou can check on those companies
.
And if you go to our websiteand you're not getting the
information that you need, orit's not clear, or you can't
(08:10):
find it, then pick up the phoneand call us and we will research
it for you and give you adviceon how to proceed.
We also have what we call ascam tracker and it's bbborg
backslash scam tracker and ifyou've been a victim of a scam,
you can log it on that site andit allows us to see the patterns
(08:30):
, how often they're happening,what areas they're hitting, what
particular scam is happening atthis time, and it allows us to
do alerts with the media to tryto take a proactive step of
preventing those scams happeningto other people.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
So we were talking about online shopping and you
know, like you said, it's what'shappening.
People are doing onlineshopping, but if you can at
least get past the scam ofordering the correct merchandise
, then there's the issue ofporch pirates.
Right, that has definitely beenon the rise, you know.
Each year, as more and morepeople order online, have you
seen an uptick?
(09:04):
What can consumers do to avoidbeing a victim of that?
Speaker 2 (09:07):
We are seeing an uptick on it, especially right
now, and one of the things thatwe're noticing and we're hearing
is that there are porch partsthat are following delivery
trucks and as soon as they leave, they're snatching those items
and running with them.
And of course you have to be avigilant, you have to make sure
your neighborhood has some kindof a watch program and if not,
(09:32):
definitely you want a door videoon your front door so it'll at
least identify the person, soyou can turn it over to the
police department.
We tell people, if you noticeanybody suspicious or if your
neighbors do, to call the policedepartment, the sheriff's
department, and let them know,so that they can at least keep
an eye out.
But videos now allow you tofind out who these people are.
(09:54):
But also, when you ordersomething, most companies will
allow you to sign up for adelivery receipt and it will
tell you when it's beendelivered or if it's been
delivered, and they'll takepictures.
But you know in fact I do thatI just ordered something
recently and I just got a noticethat it was it's going to be
delivered tomorrow morning, andso I know to be watching out for
(10:16):
that.
But those people, those porchpirates are getting smarter and
savvier and faster.
Speaker 1 (10:22):
Yeah, I tell you, ai is making things difficult.
Water and savvier and faster.
Yeah, I tell you, ai is makingthings difficult.
So you know, we talked aboutusing credit cards, but of
course, like you said, noteverybody has credit cards.
And then, when you think aboutthe holidays, people love to do
gift cards at holidays.
So I'll just turn it over toyou.
Talk to us about the differentscams that people do with gift
cards and what, if anything, cana consumer do, whether they're
(10:44):
buying a gift card online or ifthey're going into the actual
retail store to buy a gift card.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
Well, let me just tell you I'm going to.
I'm going to.
This is my experience.
I give a lot of gift cords forChristmas, especially to staff,
as Christmas gifts.
That way they can purchasewhatever they want.
It's a good idea, but you haveto be cautious about where you
purchase it.
We know that there arelegitimate businesses out there
that sell gift cords.
(11:09):
However, my first thought iswhen I go to purchase a gift
cord, are those gift cards in asafe spot Because there are
scammers that will go into astore, will scratch off the back
, will get the number on thegift card.
You purchase it.
You don't realize it's beentampered with, because I found
(11:30):
out, also from the FBI, thatthey have some kind of little
deal that they can put a sealback on it where it looks like
it hasn't been tampered with.
And then you purchase a giftcard.
Let's say you put $500 on thatgift card, you give it to
somebody and they go to use itand the money's gone and these
scammers have taken the numberand that's all they need and
they will periodically check tosee if there's a balance and
(11:52):
then they'll remove it.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
So you mentioned a safe spot.
What would be a safe spot?
Because I don't think I've everseen gift cards, for example,
behind the counter like they maykeep cigarettes or liquor.
They're always, you know, alittle turn style in the store.
So what would be deemed?
If I'm looking for a safe spot,what would that look like?
Speaker 2 (12:09):
Is the spot where the credit cards, in an area where
the person who's checking outhas an eye on it, can they view
it.
You know, if it's in like anobscure spot where nobody's
around it very often, then thatwould be something you know
because you have to give themenough time to temper with it.
But if you're at eye level withthe person behind the checkout
(12:30):
counter then you're more thanlikely not going to do it.
I tend to get my gift cordsfrom the same store every time
because I know that that personis usually watching that
turnstile with all the giftcords.
You just have to be cautiousand of course you have to make
sure that you check to see ifthe balance is on there.
I know that there are numbersand you want to make sure you do
(12:51):
that.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
Is that before you purchase?
Before you purchase it or likemaybe right after you do it at
the register.
Speaker 2 (12:59):
Well, when you go to pay for it, depending on what
the store is, a lot of timesthey'll give you the receipt for
the gift card and they'll giveyou a receipt to give to the
person so that they will knowhow much is on that card and if
has been tampered with thecompany that you purchased not
(13:19):
the store, but the gift cardcompany is not going to
reimburse your money.
That's lost, that's somethingyou have to eat.
You can turn it over to theauthorities, but you have to
figure out who stole it.
So it's very hard.
But once you purchase it andbefore you give it to the person
, you can go in there, use thosenumbers and find out if the
balance is on there.
(13:40):
Or you can suggest I always,when I get these gift cards, I
suggest that when I give themthat they either use them
quickly or call them to makesure the balance is on there,
because you have to be cautiousand that's unfortunate and a lot
of scams.
Now I've been doing this for along time and there were years
where they'd ask people.
(14:00):
They'd tell people you've won agift or you have to, for
whatever reason.
They needed money and you wouldeither wire money or you'd send
a check or you'd give them yourbank account number and you
know people are understandingthose are scams.
But what they're now doing andit's still popular is they're
(14:21):
telling people that they have tobuy an iTunes cord.
Or you think about a seniorcitizen.
They don't have a clue what aniTunes cord is.
Essentially it's a cash cord.
You give them the cord.
I mean, you purchase a cord.
They ask you for the number.
You give them the number ortake a picture of it.
You send it to them.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
They remove the money , and then you realize that
anything that was on that cardis gone.
You're never going to hear fromthese scammers again, so
typically with gift cards.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
there's really no recourse.
No, it's very hard because it'shard to figure out who actually
the scammer is and,unfortunately, a lot of those we
see out of the country.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
So that's really really, really, really tough.
What else are you seeing?
Anything that's reallysurprising this year that maybe
you know consumers are not awareof.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
Well, I don't know that anything surprises me
anymore.
Well, one of the things I dowant to say is, you know, of
course, is the Better BusinessBureau.
We always recommend that peopleshop locally.
That's important.
You know you want to supportyour local businesses.
However, when you're shoppingwith those local businesses, or
online or wherever, you want tomake sure that you understand
(15:26):
what a store policy is.
Return policy A store isresponsible to publish their
return policy, refund policy,but it's your responsibility to
ask what it is.
And so you know, because justbecause you don't like it
doesn't mean they're going totake it back and give your money
back.
They may give you a credit.
So you need to understand whatthose store policies are.
(15:46):
A lot of these advertisements Isee on social media because
that's what everybody's doing onsocial media these popular
items and they'll they noticeyou searching for those items
and then, all of a sudden,you'll get these pop-ups and
they're basically trying to fishto get you to click on their
link and bring you to anothersite and, of course, they're
(16:08):
going to ask you for money.
They're going to promise youthis product at a great price
and they have overage ofwhatever the hot item is this
year.
Don't fall for those things.
Investigate a company beforeyou purchase it.
Make sure you again use acredit card or PayPal, don't
just use your debit card andinvestigate those companies and
if you're not sure how to handleit, always call the Better
(16:30):
Business Bureau.
We can advise you.
Speaker 1 (16:32):
Now there's still, of course, a handful of people,
I'm sure, out there that say hey, what about me?
I still actually shop at theretail store.
Do you see any form of I don'tknow if it would be scam, maybe
lack of ethics in terms of an adthat might be bait and switch?
It advertises something and youknow there's only going to be
two of them in the store.
They just want to get you inthe store.
Are you seeing that stillhappening, or any change in that
(16:55):
with even artificialintelligence?
Speaker 2 (16:57):
Well, I do find that.
You know there is, if you wantto call it bait and switch.
There is some.
It's not very common because inmost cases, if a store
advertises something, in a lotof cases it's nationwide.
One store is advertising it.
They don't tell you there's alimit, although well, they
(17:22):
should tell you there's a limit,but they won't tell you what
that limit is.
And in most cases storesunderstand that if there's a
real want for that product, theymay be willing to issue you a
rain check to get it in thefuture.
So you might want to ask aboutthat.
We don't see as much of that aswe used to, but you need to.
Also when you see the ad, whenyou're spending your
Thanksgiving afternoon lookingat the ads, or whenever they
come out.
(17:42):
Now, look at the bottom of thead.
It should tell you thatquantities are limited.
First come, first serve, orthere's only nine at this
location, or whatever.
The other thing is, you want tomake sure you understand what
that product is.
It is actually what you'relooking for.
Sure you understand what thatproduct is.
It is actually what you'relooking for or is it a lookalike
product?
Speaker 1 (18:01):
And that's exactly what I wanted to talk to you
about next, in terms of beingable to determine the
authenticity of a product.
Sometimes I'll watch on courtTV.
Somebody thought they werebuying a purebred dog and then
later, after they took it to thevet, for some odd reason they
found out that you know theyreally bought a mutt.
Or you thought you were buyingthe latest greatest Air Jordans
(18:22):
that are worth $500.
And you found out you know thatyou got a knockoff brand that
are worth 10.
How can we protect ourselvesagainst that?
Speaker 2 (18:31):
Well, you know again, the first thing is to make sure
you're shopping with alegitimate, well-known,
established business.
That's your first step.
Knockoffs are getting betterand better.
You can't really tell in a lotof cases when you're talking
about purses or other items,shoes or whatever.
So you just need to make surethat you're shopping at a
reputable business, and if it isa really exclusive name brand,
(18:55):
then you should getdocumentation with that.
I know you know with Dooney andBurke, you get the little card
and you get the bag and you getall those things.
But you know, you really wantto make sure you're shopping at
a store.
And then, of course, you haveto consider the price.
If it sounds too good to betrue, it is.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
Always rule number one.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
Oh it is.
I mean, you know you're nevergoing to get something for
nothing.
It's never going to be too goodto be true that you actually
got a Dooney and Burke purse for50 bucks.
It isn't going to happen unlesssome individual selling it.
And then you still don't knowif it's real, but always want to
(19:34):
purchase puppies for their kidsfor Christmas, which is the
worst time to buy an animalbecause you know you have
buyer's remorse and you can'tgive it back necessarily.
But you also want to make sureif you're wanting to buy a
purebred, which there's so manythat need to be adopted I'm just
going to shout out to that.
(19:55):
But if you want to buy apurebred, make sure that you're
dealing with a registeredcompany who's properly
registered and they have all thedocumentation and the
supporting documents that provethat what they're saying is
actually true, that you bring itto a vet to make sure it's
healthy and whatever.
Before you let too much timeelapse, we have a lot of people
(20:21):
and I'm one of those people Ilook at dogs all the time on
social media and of course I getall these commercials or
whatever saying that, oh, we'reselling these purebred little
chihuahuas or whatever and theylook so cute, but when you start
investigating the company, it'sa scam.
They're just trying to get youto send them money so that they
can, you know, steal it from you.
(20:42):
But they're not going to sendyou the dog and they'll say oh,
we'll mail it to you, we'll haveit shipped and like if you
can't see the dog get theregistration papers in person
before you actually pay for it.
Speaker 1 (20:57):
Then don't you mentioned and I know this is a
totally different podcast, butyou mentioned that a lot of
people like to buy dogs for theholidays and animals for the
holidays.
You know, whether it'sChristmas or you always see it
Easter, they'll want to buybunnies, and I'll have to get
somebody, a professional, inhere to do a podcast on that,
because of course, I bought mykids it's been years ago.
I bought them puppies atChristmas.
Everything went well.
(21:21):
Well, I mean, you know, we went, bought to add a little shelter
, a little store and all thatgood stuff.
But what I didn't anticipate wasthat those two kids that
finally did learn how to takecare of the dog would eventually
leave to go to college andguess who's taking care of a dog
?
And you said I can't give itback, and you're right, and so
it's funny.
So even with that, so even ifyou find a legitimate person or
a legitimate place to get thoseanimals, people really need to
(21:42):
think through that process,because I can tell you I didn't
see 10, 15 years down the linethat, yes, the dog is still
alive and kicking and both of mykids are off to college, and so
I have a dog.
It was their present and Ican't seem to reach.
I can't seem to re-gift it.
So I have a dog.
It was their present and Ican't seem to reach, I can't
seem to re-gift it.
So I do want to switch gearsjust a little bit, still keeping
(22:03):
with the holiday theme, becausepeople are very charitable at
this time of the year, verygiving.
If you're out physicallyshopping you'll see the little
Salvation Army people with thelittle bell asking for donations
or just standing there, and soyou know people want to give.
They feel a little bit moregenerous at this time of the
year.
We've just had two bighurricanes hit the Gulf Coast
region, florida and I think whatSouth Carolina, and so they're
(22:26):
still struggling and so there'sstill lots of pleas for
assistance in these areas.
So for those individuals thatdo want to give they're still
scams, right, or charities.
Speaker 2 (22:38):
Right and we tell people this all the time is, if
you give and it makes you feelgood but the money didn't go to
the cause, you've defeated thepurpose of giving and the people
are still out there.
We want you to give with yourheart, but we also want you to
give with your head, and thereare just some really easy things
we like to recommend.
One of the first things I tellpeople is you understand that
(23:00):
you can't give to everybody.
That's a reality and, dependingon what your life has been like
, may may push you towardscertain organizations.
For instance, my dad died ofcancer, my mom died of a heart
attack.
Those may be areas that I ampassionate about, but you have
to choose a couple oforganizations that you are
(23:20):
really passionate about andinvestigate those organizations.
You can go to check anorganization out, no matter
where they're located at giveorg, and that's the Better Business
Bureau Wise Giving Guide.
We will tell you if they meet.
We have 20 standards.
If they meet those standards.
If they do not, why they do not?
It's simply to help you make aninformed decision.
(23:41):
We're going to provide you withinformation and whatever it
says, it's up to you, but youhave to monitor your giving.
If it doesn't go to the calls,then those people are still out
there and they really need it,and so you have to monitor your
giving.
If it doesn't go to the cause,then those people are still out
there and they really need it.
And so you have to reallyunderstand what the cause is,
where the money's going.
Is there a professionalpromoter involved?
How much money they'rereceiving, how much actually
(24:03):
goes to the cause.
I hear this time of year youknow you'll get those police and
firefighters or those otherorganizations.
There's nothing wrong withquestioning where the money's
going.
Tell me, is it staying local?
Is it going national?
If it's staying local, where isit actually going?
And so that you can check withthe local police or firefighters
or whatever and to find outwhere that you know, if they are
(24:26):
aware and if they're actuallyreceiving that money.
Monitor your giving.
It's your responsibility.
And if they're actuallyreceiving that money, monitor
your giving.
It's your responsibility.
Speaker 1 (24:32):
Do you still find that those legitimate
organizations are making phonecalls?
So if I receive a call askingfor a donation, should I
immediately assume that this isa scam and hang up?
Speaker 2 (24:43):
No, I mean again.
If you're getting a call andsomebody is asking for a
donation, what you really shoulddo is say give me your name,
your address, your phone number,your organization name,
whatever I'm going to check onit and if I'm interested in
giving, I will contact you back.
Never, ever, allow somebody toguilt you into making a donation
(25:05):
, make you feel bad or say thatit's needed now.
Donations are needed all thetime year round, but there's
nothing wrong with askingquestions, doing your homework,
investigating the organizationto make sure your money is
actually going to the cause.
Speaker 1 (25:21):
You know you've given out a lot of good information
and as many tips as we can give.
You know, of course, life iswhat it is.
You can't prevent everythingfrom happening.
So if that person finds that,oh my God, I've become a victim,
I know sometimes the firstreaction is horror.
It may be fear because you'velost money.
It may even be embarrassmentbecause, oh my God, how did I
let this happen?
(25:41):
What is your advice?
What should somebody do oncethey realize they've been
scammed?
And then how can BBB help?
Speaker 2 (25:48):
Well, the first thing I'm going to say I say this all
the time, I'm going to say itagain is it doesn't matter how
smart you are, it doesn't matterwhat your background is, it
doesn't matter what youreducation is.
If the timing is right, anybodycan be a potential victim.
Don't be embarrassed.
Unless you do it twice, thenthat's a different story.
So if you feel like you've beena victim or you're not even
sure, always call the BetterBusiness Bureau.
(26:09):
We can guide you.
Depending on what the scam isor what the situation is, we
will know how to direct you.
You can go again, like I said,to our website at bbborg
backslash scam tracker.
You can log it in there.
If it's an internet scam, youcan go to the FBI.
I think in the Federal TradeCommission they have an ic3.gov.
(26:32):
You can report it there.
We have all of that information.
We can give it to you.
We can also advise you.
We have a lot of people thatcall us, that have family
members that have beenvictimized, but they're too
embarrassed to talk about it.
I tell them it's okay, we'renot going to go out and tell
anybody, but we want to makesure we educate you so that you
don't make that same mistakeagain and hopefully help them
(26:52):
get their money, which,depending on what the scam is,
they may never get it.
But always call the BetterBusiness Bureau when you're in
doubt.
If we don't have theinformation or can't assist you,
we will have the proper agencyto direct you to.
Speaker 1 (27:05):
And I think it's comforting that you've said it
over and over again that you cancall, because so many of the
scams are because it was youcouldn't talk to a person.
You did something online, therewas nobody that could give you
direction, answer questions.
So the fact that they can notonly use the BBB as a resource,
but they could actually get ahuman on the phone, especially
when they're dealing withsomething that may be a little
(27:26):
bit terrorizing, embarrassing,whatever the situation is,
that's really really a goodresource.
Well, carmen, I'm glad thatyou're always willing to come by
, help us stay away from thesescammers, because they're out
there, I tell you, and with AIit's just harder and harder to
you know, to detect what's real,what's a scam.
So you know you're always goingto have a seat at our table to
(27:48):
come back and keep us informed.
Happy holidays to you andhopefully this information has
helped a lot of our listeners.
Speaker 2 (27:55):
Thank you, Kim.
Speaker 1 (28:02):
Now it's time for our blueprint building blocks.
Here are a couple of tips tohelp you avoid becoming a victim
of scam.
Verify before you buy.
Check the website legitimacy bylooking for HTTPS.
The URL can help you avoidclicking on a link that's not
legitimate.
You heard us talk about thosegift cards.
(28:24):
Inspect your gift cards verycarefully when purchasing them
in store.
Check for signs of tampering.
Look for anything that may beexposed, like the PIN numbers,
to make sure that you're gettinga unused, untampered with gift
cards.
Be cautious with social media.
Research those sellers and readreviews before purchasing from
(28:44):
social media Ads fake ads arecommon during the holidays.
And finally, report scamsimmediately.
If you encounter a scam, reportit to the BBB.
This helps protect others fromfalling victim too.
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