Bad money finds good sales
Dear Readers: Believe it or not, and despite great efforts to deter it, COUNTERFEIT MONEY is still out there. And the surprising places it’s showing up? The family garage, yard or tag sale, and at meetups arranged through online purchases.
At a garage sale, the person with the bad bill will wait until the seller is very busy. Then he or she will ask the seller to make change. The seller gives the person two good $20 bills and a $10, and is left with a phony $50.
Be sure to study the bill given to you closely. Look for the security features built into it: the colorshifting ink on the bottom right corner, and the watermark.
For online sales, meet the purchaser either at a police substation or at a bank — anywhere that has lots of cameras, and where you can verify the authenticity of the bill. — Heloise
CATFISH CAUTION
Dear Heloise: Please warn your readers about the online practice of “catfishing.” The victim is seduced by a glossy, toogood-to-be-true dating profile and biography, and a stunning picture of someone (maybe a model), not the perpetrator.
A relationship is established, with promises of a lavish lifestyle and gifts. Then calamity strikes. The catfish claims some dire circumstance where she or he is in need of a large sum of money. Don’t buy it.
The Federal Trade Commission has some hints to help:
■ Never send money electronically (wire transfer) to, or load money on a cash card for, someone you don’t know.
■ The catfish will inspire a sense of urgency — he or she wants you to rush out and get money. Slow down.
■ Contact the dating site AND the FTC at www.ftc. gov/complaint.
I hope these hints help your readers avoid this common online fraud. I wish I had known about them sooner. — Robert in Chicago
DOME HOME
Dear Heloise: I feel for people whose homes were destroyed in storms. My thought is to build a domeshaped home instead of the traditional structure. I don’t think that the high winds would have the same destructive power. — Frank S., Orange, Calif.
Frank, you might be on to something. Stand a box on end and note that it’s able to twist and bend. So can a conventional house in a natural disaster, and then it could potentially collapse. Flip a large bowl upside down and it is much harder to change its shape. So it likely could be for a dome-shaped house in a high wind, rain or earthquake situation. — Heloise
WHAT A DOLL!
Dear Heloise: When I retired, I needed something to do besides housework. I joined a porcelain doll-making class for 12 years, and I also joined a memoir-writing class. I’ve published two books!
Three years ago, I found a guitar class, which I love. The class performs at the county fair every year, and we often perform for the senior center and other places that request us. — Keeping Busy at 84 in California
Love that you’re keeping busy and enjoying life — so important! — Hugs, Heloise
Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to 1-210-HELOISE or email it to Heloise@Heloise.com. I can’t answer your letter personally but will use the best hints received in my column.