Introduction ix Part I The Truth About Identity Theft 1 Truth 1 Identity theft 1 Truth 2 Go phish 5 Truth 3 Vishing down on the pharm 9 Truth 4 Do Not Call Registry, Patriot Act scams 13 Truth 5 Protect yourself from identity theft 15 Part II The Truth About Computer Scams 19 Truth 6 Trojan horse 19 Truth 7 PayPal, eBay 21 Truth 8 Second chances--eBay 23 Truth 9 Free adult entertainment 25 Truth 10 Two more for the road 27 Part III The Truth About Classic Scams 29 Truth 11 Ponzi scheme 29 Truth 12 Chain letters 33 Truth 13 A couple of the basics 37 Truth 14 Nigerian scam 41 Truth 15 Who knew? A flurry of old champs 45 Truth 16 More reasons to be wary 49 Truth 17 And you thought you'd heard it all 53 Truth 18 Money lost, borrowed, or gambled 57 Truth 19 Lottery and contest scams 61 Part IV The Truth About Getting Personal 65 Truth 20 Exercise scams 65 Truth 21 Weight loss scams 67 Truth 22 The CIA medical scam 71 Truth 23 Education scams 73 Truth 24 Romance scams 77 Truth 25 Rental care insurance 81 Truth 26 Personal information privacy 83 Part V The Truth About Telephone Scams 87 Truth 27 Cramming 87 Truth 28 900 numbers 89 Truth 29 Phony caller ID 93 Truth 30 Area code 809 95 Part VI The Truth About Tax Scams 97 Truth 31 Fear and loathing of the IRS 97 Truth 32 More tax scams 101 Truth 33 It just doesn't stop 105 Part VII The Truth About Government Assistance 109 Truth 34 Social Security 109 Truth 35 Medicare 113 Truth 36 Veteran scams 115 Part VIII The Truth About Credit Card Scams 119 Truth 37 Credit cards 119 Truth 38 More credit card offers 123 Truth 39 Skimmers and ATM scams 127 Truth 40 Free credit report 133 Truth 41 Credit repair services 139 Truth 42 Credit counseling agencies 143 Truth 43 Credit card rate reduction scam 147 Truth 44 Advance fee credit cards 149 Truth 45 Credit card alarms in the night 153 Part IX The Truth About Employment Scams 155 Truth 46 Work-at-home schemes 155 Truth 47 Easy money 159 Truth 48 More wrong turns 161 Truth 49 Cruise ship employment scam 165 Truth 50 Get a job online scams 167 Part X The Truth About Home Scams 169 Truth 51 Home sweet scam 169 Truth 52 Variations on a theme 173 Part XI The Truth About Investment Scams 177 Truth 53 Stock scams 177 Truth 54 More investment scams 181 Truth 55 Unusual investment opportunities 185 Truth 56 Fees in legitimate investments 189 Truth 57 Free financial seminars 195 Part XII The Truth About Solutions 197 Truth 58 Some solutions 197 Truth 59 Keeping your computer secure 199 Truth 60 Wi-Fi 205 Truth 61 Due diligence 207 About the Author 210
"You should read this book and take Steve Weisman's advice. And from the money and assets he helps you protect, take a few dollars and buy a copy for a good friend." --Alan Colmes, Syndicated radio talk show host and co-host of Hannity and Colmes on Fox News Channel Scams are everywhere...now discover exactly how to protect yourself! * The truth about recognizing today's newest scams--online and off * The truth about safeguarding your money, health, and reputation * The truth about phishing, vishing, pharming, slamming, and more Scams have always been with us, and they always will be - except now, technology makes scammers' jobs even easier, enabling them to reach out from anywhere around the world, and take advantage of more people than ever before. No matter how smart you think you are, you can easily become a victim: in fact, scammers have discovered that educated, sophisticated individuals are among their best targets. The Truth About Avoiding Scams arms you with everything you need to protect yourself: real, up-to-the-minute knowledge, and the "internal sensors" you need to sniff out even the subtlest, most well-crafted scams. Consumer finance expert and nationally syndicated radio host Steve Weisman offers quick, bite-size, just-the-facts information about every type of fraud, from identity scams to computer-based fraud, travel and health scams to phony educational loans and scholarships. Weisman exposes the new epidemic of "affinity fraud," where "people just like you" target you based on your ethnicity, racial group, church, club, or fraternal organization. You'll find up-to-the-minute guidance on avoiding illegitimate online dating services; "cramming" and other phone frauds; tax and Social Security scams; employment, home repair, and investment scams; and a whole lot more. Unlike some books on scams, this one's simple to read, simple to use, up to date, and complete: the only guide you need to keep yourself safe!
Steve Weisman hosts the nationally syndicated radio show "A Touch of Grey," heard on more than 50 stations, including WABC in New York City and KRLA in Los Angeles. He is a practicing lawyer and is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court. He is a sought-after public speaker and commentator and has appeared on many radio and television shows throughout the country. He is the Legal Editor of Talkers Magazine, the preeminent trade publication of talk radio. Along with being a practicing attorney, Steve is a Senior Lecturer at Bentley College in Waltham, Massachusetts. His books include A Guide to Elder Planning, 50 Ways to Protect Your Identity and Your Credit, and Boomer or Bust, all published by Pearson.
As seen on Dr. Phil and CNN's Your Bottom Line.
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