Don’t Get Burned by These Summer Scams
Summer…it’s the perfect time to head to the beach and cash some savings in on a relaxing vacation. Unfortunately, however, scammers are out to get some of your savings themselves. News reports indicate that certain call scams are on the rise during these summer months. So, after you slather on the sunscreen to protect yourself from UV rays, make sure you’ve got a call blocker installed on your cell phone and landline phone to protect yourself from telemarketers and robocalls.
In this scam, a caller informs someone that he has criminal charges against him, demanding payment in order for the charges to be dropped. Normally the call recipient will be encouraged to call a number to arrange payment, and the voicemail of this number may include a fake recorded message indicating that the caller has reached a law enforcement office. Scammers that use this scheme are often intimidating and very persistent.
2. Social Security Scheme
Scammers impersonate Social Security Administration employees, saying that there is a problem with your card or your benefits. They may ask for all or part of your social security number or your date of birth. You should not give them any personal information, and if they ask you to call a certain number, do not call it.
This scam involves a supposed Dish Network employee informing you that there is a problem with your satellite TV service. The scammer may ask for your personal information, such as your Social Security number, date of birth, and bank account information. They will also normally ask for payment for “repair services”. Do not send any payment, and if you are a Dish Network customer, call the Dish Network number on your contract or statement.
Beware vacation offers that are too good to be true, such as “free” cruises and heavily discounted hotel rates. Oftentimes fishy hotel or cruise line employees will call and offer vacation packages that turn out to either have “fine print” (exclusions or costs that they don’t want you to be aware of) or are complete scams. Some scammers have even been known to sell reservations for hotel rooms that they don’t own, tricking consumers into sending them all or some of the room cost. If you get a call from a hotel or tourist agency, find the hotel or agency’s number online and call it to make sure you’re not being scammed.
