| "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." "Hindsight is 20/20" These are familiar phrases that prove to be true over and over. Here are some resources that can help you avoid being "scammed". Remember, "if a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is". Before doing business with any company, especially if you are unsure of them, call the Better Business Bureau of South Texas to see if that company has ever been reported in the past for fraudulent activity. |
| Better Business Bureau South Texas Regional Office 2017 W. Expressway 83, Unit 4 Weslaco, TX 78596 (956) 968-3678 |
| San Antonio Police Department SCAM PREVENTION ALERTS TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL ALERT ON KATRINA FRAUDS |
| Telemarketing The Scam: You've won something. Maybe money. Or they've got a terrific deal for you. All you have to do to get it is send some of your own money. And quickly. They may ask you to read your credit card number over the phone. The Reality: There's no prize or deal. They want you to send money so they can keep it. The Solution: 1) HANG UP 2) Tell them you will first have to discuss it with your son who works for the FBI. Home Repair The Scam: They just happened to be in the neighborhood. They happen to have a special deal going just for the elderly. Or maybe they're offering free inspections. At some point, they will tell you that something is seriously wrong with something in your house. So serious that it's an emergency. So serious that they need you to give them a check or a credit card right away to fix it. The Reality: They're just trying to frighten you into taking action -- giving them money -- without your having time to think about it. There's nothing wrong with your house. There's no emergency. The Solution: 1) TAKE YOUR TIME 2) If you really think there's something wrong, get at least three other bids on the work. 3) If you live in California, go to the Links page on this website to connect to the State Contractor's License Board to check the license number of any contractor. If they don't have a license number, don't work with them. Living Trusts The Scam: A telephone call from out of the blue invites you to a seminar to get help to arrange your financial affairs or your estate. The seminar organizers also have a few good investments for you. You might even win a prize or a trip. The Reality: They're not interested in helping with your estate. They want you to tell them all about your confidential financial affairs so they can steal your money, or make huge commissions on bad investments. The Solution: 1) DON'T ATTEND THESE SEMINARS |
| The People's Lawyer Scam Alert |
| Mary warns - - - I just wanted to mention that when you buy Lottery tickets, then take them in to be checked to see if you are a winner, it's best, if you have signed the back, to make sure it's your ticket they are checking & that you are getting back that same ticket. There was a scam going on in Canada, where winning tickets were kept by the person behind the counter & tickets that had already been checked & had no winning numbers, where given back to the person that thought they had their own ticket checked. A person who knew they had 4 numbers, was told they had won nothing, & were given back a different ticket. You can't see what ticket is being fed into the machine. Just a tip to pass on to Winter Texans...Possession is 9/10th's of the law, but if your signature is on a ticket, who can argue that? Maybe you would like to pass this on? Thanks for the tip Mary. Rod |
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| some common scams |