Scammers use a number of tactics to steal during the holidays, ranging from online shopping scams, to scams involving the draining of gift cards, to package and shipping scams. Seventy-five percent of consumers have been targeted or experienced at least one form of fraud that can be tied to the holidays.
It’s that time of year again. Advertisements for Medicare Advantage plans are flooding my mailbox and email. I’m even getting phone calls about the plans. And, every time I turn on the TV, there’s another ad about Medicare Advantage, with infomercials to be tolerated, too.
It’s a big problem. Companies promising to help with student loan debt advertise widely, using misinformation and high-pressure sales. However, consumers need to know that there’s nothing a student loan debt relief company can do for them that they can’t do for themselves for free.
Dozens, if not hundreds, of websites offer lists of the best credit cards. However, you need to investigate the suggestions. Various characteristics are touted, such as rewards, but some of these recommendations are for cards with high interest rates and you aren’t told about that.
Many of things you may buy for the holidays, such as toys, laptops, and phones, have chips in them. Since there’s a global chip shortage, prices are going up, and items with chips will probably be harder to find. Scammers are taking advantage of these shortages and are trying to sell items in short supply.
Nine in 10 Americans experienced a fraud attempt in 2020, with one in seven losing money to a scam. Consumers reported losing more than $3.4 billion to fraud in 2020, according to a fraud database. However, since the vast majority of frauds aren’t reported, the amount lost is likely much higher.
Black Friday sales are already starting, so what you need to do is start watching the ads and continue to compare prices. While 2021 might be a more “normal” year than 2020, Black Friday 2021 will be more like last year than previous years.
Apps that provide access to credit scores may not offer all of the benefits users expect, and they can come with extra costs and risks that people may not foresee, Consumer Reports said. Americans can get access their credit reports for free once a year, but they don’t have a similar right to their credit scores, except in some cases.
We’ve all seen the TV ads, especially late at night, when the rates are cheaper. A guy says he can solve consumers’ timeshare problems and get them out of their contacts. If the exit company can’t get the contract canceled, he says, no worries, his company offers a money-back guarantee.
