You’ve probably seen the advertisements in newspapers or on television: The company promises to help you find an incredible job overseas. Or perhaps they promise to clean up your credit, get a new credit card, or offer an almost unbelievable deal – simply by responding to the advertisement.
If a telephone number is listed, often it will refer you to a second 900 number for information, or ask that you leave a name and address so information can be mailed to you.
Many companies using these advertisements are legitimate businesses aggressively marketing their products. All too often, however, the advertisers are nothing more than con artists looking for an easy mark.
So how can you identify the “good guys” from the “bad guys,” and what should you do if you “smell a rat”?
The “bad guys” almost always want money up-front: They’ll clean up your credit for a fee, in advance. They’ll tell you all about buying surplus government vehicles “dirt cheap” if you call a 900 number or send money, up front, for a catalog. They may offer you a guaranteed credit card, if you first send a “deposit” and a modest processing fee.
A friend recently told me about an employment scam targeting experienced technicians. People responding to a newspaper advertisement offering exciting jobs in foreign countries were told on the telephone they would be highly paid in an unnamed third-world country. So far, so good.
They also were told, however, that in order to apply, they would have to visit the company’s offices in a distant city for an interview and bring along $60 for a “security clearance screening”.
When the prospective employees arrived, only one person was in the office, and he said that although he was not involved in “personal matters,” he could take the applications and the $60. Go home, he told them, and we’ll call you.
Needless to say, no call was forthcoming. And when the prospective employees returned several months later, the office – and their money – were gone.
Reputable companies typically won’t require that you pay “fees” in advance of service. Reputable employers won’t require that you pay for their prescreening costs.
If you smell a rat in one of these advertisements, don’t ignore it. Call the newspaper or the radio station manager. The people who own and run various media don’t want to carry dishonest advertisements.
Call the appropriate law enforcement agency, from the local police department to the postal inspector to the FBI. Call the Better Business Bureau. Make waves so that someone else won’t be hurt by a scam.
Remember the old saying: “There’s a sucker born every minute”? You can bet that the con artists remember it, and they count on the truth of that statement to make their money.
I’d like to hear from you and have an opportunity to respond to your questions regarding security issues. Please write to me in care of the Advocate, and let’s talk about Securing Your Life.
