jokach
October 10th, 2005, 02:57 PM
For the second time this year, the UK has released its list of top 10 scams to watch out for, and although this list focuses on scams in the UK, everyone should be aware that most of these scams effect consumers worldwide.
Reposted from:
http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/content/news/story.aspx?brand=ENOnline&category=News&tBrand=ENOnline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOED04%20Oct%202005%2011%3A45%3A08%3A490
HUGH BOWRING (hugh.bowring@archant.co.uk)
04 October 2005 11:44
Trading Standards chiefs today revealed the top 10 scams to have conned Norfolk people out of thousands of pounds.
Telephone lottery scams top the list as the most common fraudulent schemes in the county.
Such cons include the Canadian lottery scam and the El Gordo Spanish lottery rip-off, which deceptively use the name of a genuine lottery.
People respond to an unsolicited mailing or telephone call telling them they are being entered into a prize draw followed by a call congratulating them on winning a big prize in a national lottery.
But before they can claim their non-existent winnings, they must send money to pay for taxes and processing fees.
Prize draws, sweepstakes and foreign lottery mailings come in second followed by premium rate telephone number scams, through which people who are promised prizes call expensive 090 numbers to claim their winnings.
Investment related scams which come in the form of an unsolicited telephone call offering the opportunity to invest in shares, fine wine, gemstones or other soon-to-be rare commodities and so on is fourth.
These investments often carry very high risk and may be worth a lot less than you pay.
Fifth are Nigerian advance fee frauds through which the unsuspecting recipient is offered a huge sum of money in return for using their bank account to permit the transfer of the money out of the country.
The perpetrators use the information to empty their victim's bank account or convince them money is needed up front for bribing officials.
Pyramid schemes and matrix schemes number six and seven respectively. The former claims to offer a return on a financial investment based upon the number of new recruits to the scheme, while matrix schemes are promoted via websites offering expensive hi-tech gadgets as free gifts in return for spending £20 or similar on a low-value product.
The majority of participants receive nothing in either schemes.
Next are credit scams which involve advertisements that have appeared in newspapers offering fast loans regardless of credit history. Once the consumers have paid an advance fee for cover insurance they never hear from the company again.
Number nine are property investment schemes through which would-be investors attend a free presentation and are persuaded to hand over thousands of pounds to sign up to a course promising to teach them how to make money dealing in property.
And finally at 10 are work-at-home and business opportunity scams which require money up-front to pay for materials or by requiring investment in a business with little or no chance of success.
Bronwen Fox, principal trading standards officer, said Norfolk County Council department received nearly 1,000 calls concerning scams in the last year alone.
While the authorities attempt to tighten the screws on conmen, these unscrupulous people are forever devising new and elaborate schemes to make people part with their money.
She said: "The message is listen to your own doubts and always think, 'why are they contacting me?'"
jokach
Reposted from:
http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/content/news/story.aspx?brand=ENOnline&category=News&tBrand=ENOnline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOED04%20Oct%202005%2011%3A45%3A08%3A490
HUGH BOWRING (hugh.bowring@archant.co.uk)
04 October 2005 11:44
Trading Standards chiefs today revealed the top 10 scams to have conned Norfolk people out of thousands of pounds.
Telephone lottery scams top the list as the most common fraudulent schemes in the county.
Such cons include the Canadian lottery scam and the El Gordo Spanish lottery rip-off, which deceptively use the name of a genuine lottery.
People respond to an unsolicited mailing or telephone call telling them they are being entered into a prize draw followed by a call congratulating them on winning a big prize in a national lottery.
But before they can claim their non-existent winnings, they must send money to pay for taxes and processing fees.
Prize draws, sweepstakes and foreign lottery mailings come in second followed by premium rate telephone number scams, through which people who are promised prizes call expensive 090 numbers to claim their winnings.
Investment related scams which come in the form of an unsolicited telephone call offering the opportunity to invest in shares, fine wine, gemstones or other soon-to-be rare commodities and so on is fourth.
These investments often carry very high risk and may be worth a lot less than you pay.
Fifth are Nigerian advance fee frauds through which the unsuspecting recipient is offered a huge sum of money in return for using their bank account to permit the transfer of the money out of the country.
The perpetrators use the information to empty their victim's bank account or convince them money is needed up front for bribing officials.
Pyramid schemes and matrix schemes number six and seven respectively. The former claims to offer a return on a financial investment based upon the number of new recruits to the scheme, while matrix schemes are promoted via websites offering expensive hi-tech gadgets as free gifts in return for spending £20 or similar on a low-value product.
The majority of participants receive nothing in either schemes.
Next are credit scams which involve advertisements that have appeared in newspapers offering fast loans regardless of credit history. Once the consumers have paid an advance fee for cover insurance they never hear from the company again.
Number nine are property investment schemes through which would-be investors attend a free presentation and are persuaded to hand over thousands of pounds to sign up to a course promising to teach them how to make money dealing in property.
And finally at 10 are work-at-home and business opportunity scams which require money up-front to pay for materials or by requiring investment in a business with little or no chance of success.
Bronwen Fox, principal trading standards officer, said Norfolk County Council department received nearly 1,000 calls concerning scams in the last year alone.
While the authorities attempt to tighten the screws on conmen, these unscrupulous people are forever devising new and elaborate schemes to make people part with their money.
She said: "The message is listen to your own doubts and always think, 'why are they contacting me?'"
jokach