Be skeptical before handing over cash
There is a sucker born every minute. Most think this phrase came from P.T. Barnum and some don’t. Regardless of where it came from, the phrase seems to be true.
Scam artists have made a job out of trying to find new ways to steal what they want without really working for it. These lazy people ‘ that’s right, I said lazy people ‘ would rather spend 40 hours a week trying to figure out how to rip someone off than 40 hours earning an honest paycheck.
The sad part is that these people rely on what they call suckers, aka nice, friendly, hard-working people, who fall for the scam hook, line and sinker.
When honest people fall for scams, they are usually left holding the bag for the crime. Hopefully, some have employers who understand and won’t take it out of their pay but that isn’t always the case.
I worked for a business once that didn’t understand. It was a gas station. If someone drove off without paying, guess who paid? That’s right, any stolen gas was paid for by the cashier ‘ not the company.
When it happened to me I asked, along with others before me I’m sure, if the pumps could be changed to pre-pay and I was told no. The business feared that customers would go somewhere else rather than pre-pay because it is inconvenient. However, they also didn’t want to take the hit if someone drove off.
When most people think of stealing items and not money, they usually don’t refer to it as a scam but I feel it’s close. Those people who steal from a store or a gas station put just as much thought into how to get away with it as those perpetrating a scam.
No matter how you think about it, the end result is the same, criminals vs. victims. Unless criminals get caught, someone else pays while the criminal walks away a little richer.
I understand that thefts and scams can happen to anyone, but some people seem to be willing participants. Not only do they fall for the scam hook, line and sinker, they willingly hook themselves.
I saw a woman on TV who fell for one of those Internet scams. She was offered millions of dollars just by allowing someone, usually someone who desperately needs help retrieving money, access to her account.
This woman said she was just trying to help someone out and in return she lost her whole life savings, about $17,000. Although the victim may be an extremely helpful person, the money she was to receive in return for her help had to be a rather large incentive to hand over the account information.
At least this woman only lost her life savings, some lose their freedom. Sadly, when it comes to the money order scam, the person who cashed it usually is in legal trouble, as well as financial.
In this scam, you are given a money order for a certain amount and all you have to do is give the scammer a small amount and keep the rest for yourself just for helping out.
In the end, the money order isn’t any good and it has your name on it. You can be charged while the real criminal is gone with his share before the jig is up.
In all reality, it is impossible to completely protect yourself from scams and thefts. However, I think this is a clue to wise up and pay attention to what is going on in an effort to do so. Unlike criminals, we don’t have several hours a day to think of scams, but we need to pay attention to the ones that are out there.
It is best to live your life with a little financial distrust when it comes to people. Repeat after me: There is no good-hearted person out there willing to share money with you. If you are approached, say ‘get a job’ and walk away. As for those offers on the Internet, there is always delete.
Lisa Hobbs is a reporter for the Standard. She can be reached at 473-2191.