Many of the top scams of 2009 sought to take advantage of people who were suffering under tough economic circumstances, such as the unemployed.
Here is Better Business Bureau’s list of last year’s top scams:
1. Acai supplements and other “free” trial offers – Ads offering trial offers for teeth whiteners, acai anti-aging pills, and other miracle supplements blanketed the Internet, including the Web sites of national news organizations.
2. Stimulus/government grant scams – Offers for worthless assistance and advice on how to get government grants bombarded consumers online, over the phone, and via mail and e-mail.
3. Robocalls – The robocalls often claimed that consumers’ auto warranty was about to expire, which wasn’t true, or offered help in reducing their credit card interest rate.
4. Lottery/sweepstakes scam – The victim receives a letter that pretends to be from Reader’s Digest, Publisher’s Clearing House, or a phony foreign lottery claiming that he or she has won millions. It comes with a check for only a portion of the winnings. To get the rest, the victim has to deposit the check and then wire hundreds of dollars back to the scammers supposedly to cover taxes or some other bogus fee. The victim wires the money, but the prize never arrives.
5. Job hunter scams – Scams targeting job hunters include attempts to gain access to personal information such as bank account or social security numbers and requirements to pay a fee to be considered for the job. In another scam, job hunters were told by a prospective employer that they had to check their credit report before being considered for a job. The job offer is actually a marketing ploy for online credit monitoring that costs the victim every month until they cancel.
6. Google work from home scam – Countless Web sites cropped up in 2009 that claimed you could learn how to make money from home using Google or Twitter and offered a free trial of learning materials. People thought they were getting a job with Google or Twitter when they were being lured into a misleading free-trial offer and were billed every month for materials and other mystery charges that added up to hundreds of dollars.
7. Mortgage foreclosure rescue/debt assistance – Hucksters offer to help homeowners struggling to save their house from foreclosure or to help them get out of credit card debt. Victims pay hundreds of dollars up front for assistance, but they never receive it.
8. Mystery shopping – Consumers think they can make extra money by becoming a secret shopper and evaluating the customer service of various stores. The victim is asked to evaluate his or her shopping experience at a few stores as well as a money wiring service such as Western Union or MoneyGram by wiring money back to the scammers. A real-looking check is supposed to cover the costs, but ends up being a fake. The victim is out hundreds or thousands of dollars.
9. Over-payment scams – These scams target small business owners, landlords, or individuals with rooms to rent and sellers on classified ad sites such as Craigslist. The scammer pretends to be a customer, possible renter, or interested buyer. The victim receives a check for more than the amount requested. The scammers then ask the victim to deposit the check and wire the extra amount elsewhere, such as to a shipping company. The check is fake, and the victim is really wiring money back to the scammers.
10. Phishing e-mails/H1N1 spam – Phishing e-mails appear to be from a business, government agency or official, or friend. The goal is to trick victims into giving financial information or to infect the victim’s computer with viruses and malware. Spam e-mail selling wares to prevent the spread of the H1N1 virus also were rampant in 2009.
Consumers or small business owners victimized by a scam can contact their local Better Business Bureau or file a complaint at www.bbb.org. Always research a business with the bureau before you sign any contracts or hand over any money.
