If it sounds too good, it probably is. I might be a skeptic but I use this as a general rule of life. Nothing is free, you need to be skeptical of people you choose as your partners or friends, and if they ask for your credit card, they’ll probably steal the information. Scammers are becoming more careful and sneaky, going after a specific base. Unless I share a bank account with that person, I don’t share my information with them. My husband is screwed though, I pay all his bills and access his money whenever I want. Luckily, I just use it to pay the bills. You see my point though, I hope.

My main idea here is there are scams galore just waiting to get you. These scammers are going after more specific targets now as well, mostly against our older generations. Studies show that this “distrustful” instinct we have deteriorates with age, causing older people to fall easier victims to these scams. We all have to watch out though. I do have a few scams of note to watch out for, because why bother having readers if you don’t pass on information of worth to them. I know, I don’t often have words of wisdom or much substance, but today you’re in for a real treat!

My kid has been kidnapped?!! People in my local area (not exclusive to my state I’m sure) have received phone calls that their child has been kidnapped and they need to Western Union money ASAP. Luckily some people had their children kidnapped in the future, as they didn’t presently have kids. There is also one along the same lines that tells you that someone you know has been injured and needs your money to help. Luckily again, the scammers happened to tell someone their brother was injured, only they were an only child. They tried to tell her it was her father instead, and she decided to call and check in. He was fine. She immediately informed the police.

I WON?!! I REALLY WON?!! This one probably goes without saying, and I might be accused of racism for saying it but I’ll take my chances. If someone calls you and tells you that you won a very large some of money, but you can’t understand a word they are saying, it’s very definitely likely that this is a scam. Especially with the advantages of caller ID, I’m going to assume that if you won something in your state lottery that your own state would be calling you. This example comes from my family. A very thick accented man calls and says “You won 2.5 million dollars and a car. We bring you car and check.” We obviously knew this was a scam, but we proceeded to get as much information as they can. They told us our names were the Voorhis, and we lived on Collins Rd. in Wilbraham. None of this is true, and the “General Manager” stuttered as we hung up. (Interestingly, the only part they had right was the zip code for Wilbraham.)

If you get a call that doesn’t seem right, get as much information from the caller that you can and call the local police department. It’ll be useful to them to know another scam is out there to alert other people in the area. It’ll be your good service for the day. I’m sure if something seems fishy, they’ll be willing to let you know if that’s a scam they’ve heard of already too. Con artists are always trying to figure out a way to weasel money out of you, so be cynical and be on alert.