Damn those Scams

There was a story this morning on ABC’s Good Morning America about scams. Here are the 5 but you’ll probably want to go and read the whole story to get an in depth view of what each entails.

5 Scams Consumers Need to Know About
No. 1: The Phony Job Scam.
No. 2: The Overpayment Scam.
No. 3: The Lottery Scam.
No. 4: Vishing.
No. 5: Called ID Spoofing.

They also have a “Savvy Consumer” site that has lots of information about not getting scammed. Probably a good idea to skim over the site.

The washington post has an article on how even if you get scammed into writing a check to a scammer, you’re stuck paying back the bank. Worth a read, there’s even a check list of “Telltale Methods of Check Scammers.”

Schaefer is one of thousands of consumers who have been victimized by an increasingly common check scam that relies on the vagaries of the banking system to take advantage of unsuspecting consumers.

Federal rules require banks to release funds from a consumer’s deposit quickly, usually within one to five business days, depending on the kind of check. However, it can take weeks before a bank discovers a check is fraudulent.

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