Money scams still happen more
frequently offline than online, at least, as far the reported numbers go. While
this hardly means you should grow lax about your activities on the Web, it does
indicate that you should probably take even more care outside of it, given how
many dangers lurk around each corner.
Below is a selection of some of the
worst of the offline scams you can run into today. Knowing about them ahead of
time can prevent you from becoming a victim, so read on.
Some
Scams to Avoid
1. Work-from-Home Scam – This is one of the money scams
that can be found online also. It usually involves someone offering you a
chance to make big bucks by working (on something easy) from home. However, to
get started with this new dream job, you have to pay the scammer a fee for the
starting/training materials. This is when you get scammed, they simply take
that fee and disappear.
2. The Landbanking Scam – This is one of the many real estate money scams that can sting you nowadays. You basically buy a small piece
of land with the expectation that planning permission for it is imminent. The
said permission never arrives, though, so you basically get stuck with a piece
of land (along with a few other victims who have bought other pieces of
property next to yours) that you can never really use.
3. The Call-from-Your-Bank Scam – This is one of the
really popular money scams. Someone calls, says he is from your bank, and that
you have an issue with your card or account. To fix it, they need your banking
details. Once you give out those details, you basically open yourself up for
theft.
4. The Lottery Scam – As far as online money scams go,
this has to be one of the oldest, yet it remains terribly effective. You are
informed via phone or snail mail that you have won a foreign lottery.
Unfortunately, you cannot collect the award without paying a “small amount” to
unlock it for transfer. The fact is, you never entered such a lottery, so you
never had a chance of winning it—if it even existed in the first place.
How
to Avoid Money Scams Offline
Most money scams you run into off
the Web can be side-stepped, if you just keep your wits about you. For
instance, if someone calls you to say that they are with your bank and need
your banking details to solve something on your account, ask yourself why they
would need those details. They should have them already, if they are indeed
with your bank. Furthermore, banks do not ask for customers’ information over
the phone, so that should already tip you off to something being wrong.
Thinking things over before you act
is usually the best way to avoid scams. If you are too quick to rush into
action, whenever something comes up, you are more likely to fall for money
scams, whether online or offline.
