Consumer Protection Week comes to a close today. Unfortunately the many financial frauds and scammers that so deviously desire to separate you from your money continue through all 52 weeks of the year. Here are some tips and website links from the Better Business Bureau to help you protect yourself year-round.
E-mail scams — The old maxim “If it’s too good to be true it probably is” has a flip side that’s also worth remembering: If it sounds too sad to be true it probably is. Requests for money to be wired out of the country are common scams. Sometimes they may claim to be a relative; sometimes they may claim to be the third wife of a Nigerian prince. Whatever the story, remember that you should never transfer funds internationally to unknown recipients.
Additionally there are many e-mail scams claiming to represent foreign lotteries, great deals on underpriced vehicles and “free” government grants. Don’t fall for them.
Remember to change your passwords occasionally and to be highly suspicious of any unsolicited e-mails that may be phishing attempts. Look carefully at the web address of those e-mails and watch for grammatical errors. Those should raise red flags.
Managing your credit — It’s usually best, if you can afford it, to use credit cards for payment. That way you can use the card’s purchase protection that is often as good as a warranty. Transaction disputes with the seller might find you wanting to rely on your card’s chargeback mechanism in a worst-case scenario.
It’s easy to use credit cards too much, however. If you’re one of the many Americans who find yourself with mounting bills and limited resources, you may want to visit www.bbb.org/credit-management/balancing-act/index.html for strategies in managing your credit issues.
A financial field manual for military families — The special financial challenges that military families face can require specific strategies. The bureau has many services and supports for those families. Since 2004 the bureau Military Line has offered free services in support of military families. A good place to start online as you search for assistance is http://www.bbb.org/us/Military/.
First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden are leading the charge in advocating for support of military families on everything from jobs for spouses and veterans to educational opportunities for military kids to recruiting community volunteers to support our troops. A link to the White House’s Joining Forces national initiative can be found at www.whitehouse.gov/joiningforces.
Watching over what your kids watch — Children are sponges that soak up whatever they are exposed to on TV and online. These budding consumers need protections just like everyone else. For over 35 years the BBB Children’s Advertising Review Unit has been helping parents control what their kids see and hear on TV, and more recently, the Internet. Child-directed advertising and other promotional materials are evaluated.
Since the average child spends 2 to 7 1/2 hours online every day, Safety on Screen: Keeping Your Children Safe on the Internet, a free online guide, can be helpful for parents. Issues such as privacy, security, cyber-bullying, stalking, setting parental controls and more are covered. Find it at www.caru.org/program/SafetyonScreen.pdf.
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