The Truth About Avoiding Scams


Book Description

This is the eBook version of the printed book. If the print book includes a CD-ROM, this content is not included within the eBook version. Being aware of the criminals who are out to take your money is not enough. A scam by any other name is still a scam, and unfortunately, there are some scams that are perfectly legal that can cause you to lose money. Or perhaps they are imperfectly legal, but at this point in time, the law may not be on your side. A good example of a legal scam is what credit card companies can do legally in many instances. Read these essential truths to gain the knowledge that can protect your wallet.




Scam Me If You Can


Book Description

Are you at risk of being scammed? Former con artist and bestselling author of Catch Me If You Can Frank Abagnale shows you how to stop scammers in their tracks. Maybe you're wondering how to make the scam phone calls stop. Perhaps someone has stolen your credit card number. Or you've been a victim of identity theft. Even if you haven't yet been the target of a crime, con artists are always out there, waiting for the right moment to steal your information, your money, and your life. As one of the world's most respected authorities on the subjects of fraud, forgery, and cyber security, Frank Abagnale knows how scammers work. In Scam Me If You Can, he reveals the latest tricks that today's scammers, hackers, and con artists use to steal your money and personal information--often online and over the phone. Using plain language and vivid examples, Abagnale reveals hundreds of tips, including: The best way to protect your phone from being hacked The only time you should ever use a debit card The one type of photo you should never post on social media The only conditions under which you should use WiFi networks at the airport The safest way to use an ATM With his simple but counterintuitive rules, Abagnale also makes use of his insider intel to paint a picture of cybercrimes that haven't become widespread yet.




The Con


Book Description

No one thinks it can happen to them, but Americans are 40 times more likely to be defrauded than to have their cars stolen or their homes burgled. Con artists ruin people financially and emotionally, leaving in their wake a trail of destruction, broken hearts, and deflated dreams. The first step to combating fraud is to understand it. What do scams look like? Why are they effective? The next step is to take action. How can we protect ourselves and our families? The Con: How Scams Work, Why You're Vulnerable, and How to Protect Yourself informs and engages with accessible stories of ordinary people from all walks of life thrown into unexpected and disorienting circumstances. The book goes behind the scenes of real-world cons to examine the logistics and psychology that enable scams to succeed. The goal is to help people understand and recognize deception, and in the same way that they avoid other potentially dangerous situations, take a detour. Once readers have gained a clear idea of what scams look and sound




The Complete Idiot's Guide to Frauds, Scams, and Cons


Book Description

-- The main target for scams are those 50 years of age or older. -- This book will expose all the latest scams, frauds, and cons -- and can be updated yearly, if necessary, to expose all the latest schemes. Fraud -- credit card fraud, telemarketing scares, Internet scares, identity theft and hundreds of other items that are geared to separate you from your money -- is a multi-billion dollar business, both in the U.S. and worldwide. From a simple three-card monte game on a street corner to sophisticated banking and Wall Street swindles, cons, frauds and scams are destined to strike one in ten Americans this year. Check kiting, ATM scares, bankruptcy fraud, real estate scams, Nigerian money offers, and even slave reparation scams -- there are hundreds, maybe thousands, of ways to get suckered by telemarketers or just plain fast-talking swindlers. Scary stuff, right? This book identifies the myriad of scams, cons, and frauds perpetrated every minute of every day in this country, and gives cutting-edge, up-to-date advice on how you can protect yourself from unscrupulous cons of every conceivable stripe. There will also be an entertaining section on con artists through history, from the infamous grifters of the Great Depression to the masterminds of the recent Enron collapse -- perhaps one of the greatest scams in America's history.




Don't Fall For It


Book Description

Learn financial and business lessons from some of the biggest frauds in history Why does financial fraud persist? History is full of sensational financial frauds and scams. Enron was forced to declare bankruptcy after allegations of massive accounting fraud, wiping out $78 billion in stock market value. Bernie Madoff, the largest individual fraudster in history, built a $65 billion Ponzi scheme that ultimately resulted in his being sentenced to 150 years in prison. People from all walks of life have been scammed out of their money: French and British nobility looking to get rich quickly, farmers looking for a miracle cure for their health ailments, several professional athletes, and some of Hollywood’s biggest stars. No one is immune from getting deceived when money is involved. Don’t Fall For It is a fascinating look into some of the biggest financial frauds and scams ever. This compelling book explores specific instances of financial fraud as well as some of the most successful charlatans and hucksters of all-time. Sharing lessons that apply to business, money management, and investing, author Ben Carlson answers questions such as: Why do even the most intelligent among us get taken advantage of in financial scams? What make fraudsters successful? Why is it often harder to stay rich than to get rich? Each chapter in examines different frauds, perpetrators, or victims of scams. These real-life stories include anecdotes about how these frauds were carried out and discussions of what can be learned from these events. This engaging book: Explores the business and financial lessons drawn from some of history’s biggest frauds Describes the conditions under which fraud tends to work best Explains how people can avoid being scammed out of their money Suggests practical steps to reduce financial fraud in the future Don’t Fall For It: A Short History of Financial Scams is filled with engrossing real-life stories and valuable insights, written for finance professionals, investors, and general interest readers alike.




Travel Advisory


Book Description

Don't become a victim! Next time you a plan a trip, arm yourself with the most comprehensive travel safety guide on the market. Renowned travel experts Bambi Vincent and Bob Arno give you the inside look at today's con games, credit card scams, distraction schemes, and identity thefts plaguing unaware travelers everywhere.




Work at Home


Book Description

Work At Home is a no-nonsense guide to launching a work-at-home business by this time next month—even if someone is starting from scratch. In Work At Home, Caitlin Pyle, an entrepreneur, walks readers through three simple steps to work-at-home or work-from-anywhere freedom. The first step is to break free from the lies about education, money, work, business, and success that keep people from building work-at-home income. The second step is to avoid the scams and identifying the right opportunity. The third step is to launch a work-at-home business. Throughout the book, Caitlin shares the ups and downs of the work-at-home world using the same no-nonsense approach that helped her get featured in publications such as Forbes, Business Insider, Fast Company, and more. Work At Home even provides readers with a thirty-day launch plan to help them start earning real work-at-home income by this time next month.




The Little Black Book of Scams


Book Description

The Canadian edition of The Little Black Book of Scams is a compact and easy to use reference guide filled with information Canadians can use to protect themselves against a variety of common scams. It debunks common myths about scams, provides contact information for reporting a scam to the correct authority, and offers a step-by-step guide for scam victims to reduce their losses and avoid becoming repeat victims. Consumers and businesses can consult The Little Black Book of Scams to avoid falling victim to social media and mobile phone scams, fake charities and lotteries, dating and romance scams, and many other schemes used to defraud Canadians of their money and personal information.




The Book of Scams


Book Description

These days fraudsters operate on a massive scale that was previously unimaginable. Thousands of people from all walks of life are relieved of billions of pounds each year. No-one knows the full scale of fraud because embarrassed victims often fail to report it. Despite all the press coverage, people keep falling for old tricks that often re-emerge in new guises. Scammers are ingenious, utterly ruthless and without conscience. Rodney Hobson, author of the best-selling beginners guide to stock market investing Shares Made Simple, has produced the first definitive guide to scams, categorising the different types, listing tell-tale signs and advising how to spot a fraudster and avoid becoming the next victim. This makes the basic principles behind each type of scam more recognisable and it shows how scams have evolved and re-emerged over time. Danger lurks for those unwary souls who part only too readily with their hard-earned cash and this book will help you be alert to the risks. It is also meant to entertain, as we learn to grudgingly admire as well as despise the ingenious crooks who lurk in the shadows.




Trust Me


Book Description

Con men, swindlers, snake-oil salesmen, carpetbaggers, and plain everyday liars and cheats - these names and the scoundrels behind them have been around for hundreds of years, though their dodges and deceptions have been refined with the passage of time. The worldwide growth of criminal fraud has mushroomed to such a degree that traditional law-enforcement techniques have been unable to cope effectively with the fallout. Criminal fraud is a billion-dollar industry and has become a staple of organized crime rivalling drugs and prostitution as major sources of income. In North America the courts and governments fail to treat these crimes with the seriousness they deserve, often placing the blame on victims, or at the very least making them culpable. Former Calgary police detective and fraud expert Gordon Leek illustrates how a variety of frauds work and how to protect yourself from them, including simple cheque scams, elaborate telemarketing schemes, Internet swindles, and identity theft.