Atkinson also says you can fight identity theft by shredding sensitive documents. She also suggests creating a shopping budget and sticking to it, getting everything in writing, watching for checks in your name claiming you've won a bundle of money in a lottery and checking your local Better Business Bureau office for advice.
-----
Here is the BBB's complete Top Ten List:
1. Beware of “job” offers to make easy money. Unemployment is high and scammers are targeting the large pool of job hunters. Beware of any job offer, especially unsolicited mystery shopping offers, work-at-home schemes or business opportunity that promises big money for little work and no experience.
2. Always
check a business out with BBB before you buy. Nearly 400,000
businesses across North America bear the BBB seal of accreditation and meet our
standards; you can find the seal on Web sites and at business locations. But
BBB doesn’t just report on accredited businesses. You can locate trustworthy
businesses by visiting www.atlanticprovinces.bbb.org.
3. Always
read the fine print—especially for “free” trial offers. Each year,
thousands of consumers signup for a “free” trial offer online that resulted in
repeated charges to their credit or debit cards sometimes amounting to as much
as hundreds of dollars every month. Read the terms and conditions of any “free”
trial offer before handing over credit or debit card numbers.
4. Keep your
computer safe. If you haven’t already, install anti-virus software onto
your computer and don’t forget to regularly check for software and operating
system updates and patches. Don’t open attachments or click on links in e-mails
unless you can confirm the e-mail came from someone you trust.
5. Never
wire money to someone you don’t know. Many scams require that the victim
wire money back to the scammers. Scammers know that tracking money sent via
MoneyGram or Western Union is extremely difficult. Even more troubling for
victims is the fact that it’s nearly impossible to get your money back.
6. Fight
identity theft. Always shred paper documents that include sensitive
financial data and dispose of computers, cell phones and digital data safely.
7. Ask BBB
for help. File a complaint with your BBB if you have a disagreement with a
business or have been ripped off by a scammer.
8. Create a
budget and stick to it. If you’re a cash-strapped consumer, setting a
budget can help you stay afloat in 2014.
9. Fight
fake check fraud. Thanks to advances in printing technology, scammers
have the ability to create very real-looking phony checks. Be extremely wary of
checks that come with claims that you’ve won the lottery, are eligible for a
government grant or have landed a job as a secret shopper.
10. Get
everything in writing. Don’t just take a business’ word for it. Get every
verbal agreement in writing to limit miscommunication and misunderstandings
between your expectations and what the business delivers.
