The March Group Scam Prevention Program continues to warn consumers of all forms of scam as the holiday season approaches, when people tend to be more vulnerable to be deceived by too-good-to-be-true offers and promotions; yet they still buy into them with enthusiasm and goodwill.
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) has identified several scams to be aware of, less you lose yourself in the excitement of the holiday rush, and offered some added advice:
iPad Scams
iPads are one of the hottest ticket items this holiday season. Even stores like TJMaxx and Marshalls sold a limited supply. Unfortunately this gives scammers the perfect opportunity to take advantage of consumers. Many consumers are told they will receive a free iPad after purchasing additional products and in reality they never receive any of the items. Other consumers take a quiz to receive a free iPad and then unknowingly provide personal information that signs them up for services they never purchased.
BBB Advice: Beware of deals that sound too good to be true. Consumers should be extremely cautious of low prices on hard-to-get items.
Holiday Job Offers
Many people are trying to make extra cash for the holiday season which puts them at risk for fake work at home schemes and fake job postings. Many of these jobs ask for your social security number which puts you at risk for identity theft.
BBB Advice: Before applying for a job, do your research on the company by visiting www.bbb.org. Never give your social security number to anyone you don’t know and beware of jobs that sound too good to be true.
Holiday Rentals
The holiday season is peak travel season as consumers visit family and friends. Scammers post fake rentals asking for consumers to wire money for deposits on listed properties. As you may have already guessed, the property doesn’t exist and not only is the consumer out the money of the deposit, but they have nowhere to stay.
BBB Advice: Never wire money to anyone you don’t know. Also, do your research on the property to make sure it exists. Ask for pictures and phone numbers of recent renters. If the price is extremely low, take this as a red flag and look for somewhere else to stay.
Read more at http://www.bbb.org/us/post/top-12-scams-of-the-holiday-season-8505
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The March Group is a leading mergers and acquisitions advisory firm dedicated to the middle market.