Evade the long reach of professional scammers

In this day and age, there seems to be no escaping the long reach of professional scammers. They have endless avenues into our pocketbooks from our front doors, mailboxes, and home phone lines to our personal e-mail and social media accounts. They even have the numbers to our cell phones that we carry around in our pockets. They are everywhere and there is no escaping them — or is there?

The delivery systems these scammers use are just as numerous as the tales and tactics they use to entice you into their schemes, but I’ll tell you there are just as many ways to protect yourself from these con artists as there are tricks to fall victim to.

First, screen your calls. The telephone is such a popular route for scammers to take, because most people have two of them. A home phone and a cell phone mean double the chance to get you on the line. Use your answering machine and your voicemail, and only answer or return calls from people you know. Secondly, prepare yourself for the inevitable; we know these calls are coming, so knowing how to respond to unsolicited offers is a good defense.

Here are some ideas of how to handle these calls:

» If the call is from a charity, tell them to send you information in writing. Be sure and add that you do not give money to strangers over the telephone.

» If they are selling something, ask for information in writing. If this is a one-time opportunity, tell them you do not make decisions over the phone. And repeat that they should send the information to you by mail.

» Ask the caller for their name, the name of their company and their callback number. Tell them you will get back to them after you verify the offer.

There are also several red flags to look out for should you get caught on the phone with one of these scammers. If you hear any of the following, hang up immediately:

» Are they asking for credit card information?

» Are they asking for banking information?

» Are they asking for personal information such as your Medicare or Social Security numbers?

» The offer is only good today. A real company will give you time to think and verify.

» They know something about you but need to verify the correct information.

The telephone isn’t the only way scammers are targeting their victims. There is an array of scams that can be accomplished online and through your personal e-mail accounts. Generally, the red flags are the same, but online scammers also can use technology to better disguise their scams as legitimate business offers.

Protect yourself from online scammers by following these simple rules:

» Do not click on and follow links sent to you in an e-mail; instead, type the address directly into your address bar so you know exactly where you are going.

» If you get suspicious e-mails from friends or acquaintances, call before you click on anything. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

» Delete anything suspicious, do not respond to strangers and do not give your personal e-mail or any other personal information to people who contact you via the computer. You cannot see them and you really do not know who they are.

» Remember, no government entity will contact you by e-mail.

Even after following all the tips above to beat the scammers over the phone and online, we are still faced with a seemingly endless supply of unbelievable offers that end up right at our front doors, in our mailboxes. The key word here is unbelievable. It’s important to understand that none of those sweepstakes offers you get in the mail actually will result in you winning anything, especially those that ask you to pay money.

Also, just like with online scammers, you don’t know who is actually sending out this mail. You may get a flyer that looks like it’s from a local animal shelter or other charity, but take a close look at the address on the return envelope they want you to use to send your check, because it’s probably going to some random P.O. Box in another state. Throw all of this junk mail straight in the trash, or better yet, recycle it. If you would like to make a charitable donation, do so directly to the local chapter of whichever organization you choose to support. That way, you know where your money is going.

Get the word out. One of the best defenses to beat these scammers is to know their offense. Share what you know about these scams with your friends and family. Talk about any suspicious offers you get and how you handled it so others can do the same. If you have a story or any questions about suspicious mail or phone calls you receive, contact the BBB Education Foundation at 713-341-6141.