Detecting Rip-Offs and Scams - Including Medical Insurance

3/25/2017 - Optimized for Firefox 52.0.1

I am not responsible for any errors nor problems

TWEET

1) Always GOOGLE: review NAME OF COMPANY I usually omit the quotes on the company name, because some comments. about the company often use different spelling or abbreviations. However, you can usually do quite well by quoting the company name. To find more about scam companies and a less balanced reply to your search, add the keyword scam in the search (thanks Jenny - this is way that I used to do the search) and get either: Always GOOGLE: "NAME OF COMPANY" scam or Always GOOGLE: review "NAME OF COMPANY" 2) if possible, GOOGLE the PHONE NUMBER OF COMPANY: google: "9097771234" OMIT THE QUOTES (this is called "Reverse Number Lookup"). NOTE often the first few sites you get as a response, will try to SELL you information about the owner of the phone number - Do NOT pay, just scroll further down the list you will usually find free reverse-number lookup-sites. 3) Check Better Business Bureau - usually a WASTE OF TIME the Company you are looking for is seldom on BBB and seldom given a bad rating - many legit companies are NOT MEMBERS of the BBB. 4) Google their website, if you know it: GOOGLE: "review www.unknownwebsite.com" 5) Check some of the rip-offreporting sites: http://www.ripoffreport.com/ 6) If it is high pressure, must do it today, I WOULD IGNORE THEM (my opinion). 7) If is seems too good to be true, it PROBABLY IS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE (SCAM) 8) If it is a local company, check with sites like: www.nextdoor.com to see if anyone has used them and has an opinion. 9) Legitimate banks are usually not going to email you and ask you to call them. If you do call then, NEVER return their phone call nor use their emailed phone number. Instead, look in your records or '411' and get their phone number from a known source (Google often works well). I would even look up their supposed email address (NOT reply directly to their email, as it is easy to spoof an email address and make you think you are cor- responding to some other email address. 10) Check my (David Woodsmall's) other sites: http://www.woodsmall.com/scams-scam-detection.htm http://www.woodsmall.com/spam.htm 11) Check Clark Howard's site http://www.clark.com/scams-rip-offs 12) FBI Scam Warnings FBI - Internet Crime Complaint Center FBI - Tech Support Scam FBI - Business E-mail Compromise: The 3.1 Billion Dollar Scam FBI - Stolen Identity Refund Fraud 13) SCAM DETECTION SITES Scam Detector - Home Page FBI - Common Fraud Schemes www.ripoffreport.com How to Detect Fraud and Identity Theft - Ally Bank REPORT FRAUD - Office of Inspector General - U.S. Department National Check Fraud Center For Assistance, Call 843-571-2143 - NOT? a USA Federal company, but seems OK Business E-mail Compromise: The 3.1 Billion Dollar Scam File a complaint, regardless of dollar loss, at www.IC3.gov 14) Your local police/sheriff's office may be familiar with the SCAM - check w/them. 15) Consider reporting the attempted scam, or report it if you gave them money. I have personally received bogus emails from the IRS, threatening jail if I don't pay them TODAY. I have received bogus Health Insurance emails - Google showed me it was fake (and too good to be true). Some of these demand that you buy debit cards and mail them in - THIS IS NEVER LEGITIMATE. You may get a call/email claiming you are overdue on a court payment/fine - pay NOW or JAIL.

I am NOT Responsible for any Errors - Use at your own risk