Avoid Fraud: Know these Common Warning Signs

[necron99]

I just thought this one was phrased nicely. What a world we live in.

Public Service Announcement: Avoid Fraud!

I received a very attractive flyer in the mail from the U.S. Postal Service recently. It was intended to help law-abiding citizens recognize financial frauds and scams. It asks, "Do you know the warning signs of fraud?"




It lists several helpful "warning signs" which will help citizens identify financial fraud.

• Sounds too good to be true.

• Pressures you to act "right away".

• Guarantees success.

• Requires an upfront investment -- even for a "free" prize.

• Buyers want to overpay you for an item and have you send them the difference.

• Doesn't have the look of a real business.

• Something just doesn't feel right.

I thought this was a very nice, useful document and I was pleased that my government had taken the time and effort to send it to me, and to other citizens who might be at risk to fall victim to financial fraud. But something just, somehow, felt incomplete. Something was missing.

So in the interests of doing my duty as an upright citizen, I thought I'd share with you a few things which I realized were missing from the Post Office flyer. Here are some other telltale signs that may indicate fraud:

• Multinational investment bank claims it has the legal chain of title to foreclose on you.

• Billion-dollar multinational provider of life-critical utility service promises lower prices if government regulation is removed.

• Major worldwide investment firm offers easy, convenient finance to your City or Town government for public works improvements.

• Major multinational investment bank reports almost 20% annual return on investment, but warns that your results may vary.

• Industry catch phrases include "In the long run, the market always goes up" or "You have to buy and hold in order to see the benefits in the long run".

There! Fixed. You're welcome.

Please forward this list to everyone you know, so that they too can avoid these common scams!