Victims actually have to opt out to stop getting the messages. Phone numbers are public knowledge these days.

Top 10 Crazy Money-Making Schemes (That Work) - rehojuvuyequ.web.fc2.com

This latest one is both legal and doubly painful. Anything else is a solicitation. In a suburb of Tokyo, Japan, scammers who sold worthless land to victims, resurface in a different guise as realtors offering to buy back the land for more than the victims paid.

They pay the fees and the tricksters disappear. This could happen anywhere. Asking for more details about the permits then checking these out would have halted this scam.

In Essex County, England, a phone caller tells residents their trash cans or bins must be upgraded to a newer, more eco-friendly version approved by the local council. Police fear the scammers also want to steal personal financial details from the residents or identify vulnerable victims for property theft. The council and disposal authority have no such replacement plans. You just need to do what most of the intended victims did here — call the city or the disposal authority to check it out.

In San Francisco, CA, they set themselves up as an escrow company, offering a secure money-holding service for big ticket items bought on the Internet. Beware of using an escrow company someone else suggests — scammers have even been known to hijack the names of legitimate firms and set up phony websites. The giveaway is usually a request for a Western Union money transfer instead of a bank-to-bank money wire. Play safe — find your own escrow company licensed and bonded in your state.

You can read more about escrow scams here. In Santa Rosa and Pensacola, FL, two cheeky scammers pull a fast one on local Wal-Mart stores. One buys a big screen TV, takes it out and hands his receipt to an accomplice. The second man enters the store and collects another TV, showing his receipt on the way out. The first TV is later returned to a different Wal-Mart store for a refund, so the scammers end up with a free TV.

Store owners are wise to this trick but thieves still get away with it during busy periods.

Increased door security helps but closed circuit TV is most effective. In this case, Wal-Mart passed photos of the culprits to the police and the pictures have been posted online.

A beginner’s guide to scams - Money Advice Service

Using the name of a legitimate elder care organization, scammers offer secondary health insurance services to seniors in Bartlesville, OK. They ask victims for credit card and other financial information.

As we stress so often here at Scambusters, some seniors are among the most vulnerable targets of scammers. You can help by alerting others, underlining the golden rules: Never give them your financial details without independently confirming their credentials, and never give your information to someone who calls you.

We did a special issue on scams against seniors in Scambusters Police arrest 38 people, mostly Romanians living in the US mainly California and Connecticut , on suspicion of involvement in identify theft. They say the suspects are part of an international phishing network. The best policy is to look out for yourself — and those you care for.

7 of the Greatest Scams Ever

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