More Holiday Scams

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.

The Latest Tax Scam, Found in your Inbox

A recent article in foxbusiness.com featured the latest scam about tax filing. Bonnie Lee, owner of Taxpertise in Sonoma, CA and the author of the book, “Taxpertise, The Complete Book of Dirty Little Secrets and Hidden Deductions for Small Business that the IRS Doesn’t Want You to Know,” wrote that she has received emails from various sources that claim the federal tax deposit she made online at EFTPS (Electronic Federal Tax Payment System) has been rejected by the IRS.

Some of the emails claim that she entered the “company code” incorrectly, while others maintain (along with numerous misspellings and grammatical errors) that the IRS could not process the payment because it was made on a holiday.

The emails usually had a link to what looks like the IRS’s website, but the author was suspicious of the link and ignored it, aware that it could redirect to a site that would ask for her financial information, and run the risk of being a victim of identity theft or the transfer of funds to an untraceable overseas account.

The author shared reminders about these tax scam emails:

• The IRS NEVER contacts a taxpayer via e-mail

• If you receive one of these e-mail scams, forward the e-mail in question to phishing@irs.gov. The IRS will send an email response thanking you for forwarding the information to them, but otherwise you won’t hear the outcome.

• You may also call the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at: 1-800-366-4484.

• The IRS will not contact you via e-mail about payments or audits or problems associated with your tax return. It uses snail mail for that.

Read more at http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2010/12/09/dont-fall-latest-tax-scam/

Avoid a scam today by subscribing to The March Group Scam Blog.

The March Group is a leading mergers and acquisitions advisory firm dedicated to the middle market.

Raising the Alert on Holiday Scams

Raising the Alert on Holiday Scams

The holidays are approaching, and everyone is already in a festive mood. Retail spaces are decked with fancy trimmings and arresting window displays, the better to lure in shoppers. Consumers, too, are excited at the prospect of giving and receiving gifts, especially when retailers are bringing out the best and the latest offerings – from toys, clothes, and accessories, to gadgets and home decor. Even better, many of the stores offer not only great discounts, but also the convenience of shopping for the goods online.

But, alas, where there is merrymaking, there’s bound to be trouble-making, too, especially where scammers are concerned.

Below, the Better Business Bureau shares some of the holiday scams to watch out for this season:

Scam shopping sites online

Shoppers are consistently looking out for good bargains online, particularly for the latest items in fashion and tech items, that they seek out the lowest price they can get, which can sometimes be too good to be true. As a result, many have complained about not getting the items they have ordered and paid for online.

BBB advises that when shopping online, check for the BBB seal and click it to verify it is legitimate. If you come across an unfamiliar site, check out the business with BBB before making any transaction.

Finding the season’s hottest toys and gadgets online

As mentioned, the holidays become the perfect time to unveil the latest in most everything,with consumers eagerly snapping up the hottest items. This often causes many products to be “sold-out,” feeding opportunists’ interests in re-selling them in sites like Craigslist or eBay at steeper prices, where eager shoppers willingly pay for them. Unfortunately, some become victims to those sellers who take the money and run.

BBB advises that when shopping through Craigslist, never wire money as payment, but meet up with the seller instead. That way, you can inspect the item up close and know for sure what you are paying for. As for shopping on eBay, research the seller extensively and always listen to your doubts if the deal doesn’t sound legit.

Identity theft at the mall

While you are preoccupied with all the sights and sounds at the mall, not to mention all those shopping bags you are carrying around, thieves might be eying for an opportunity to steal your wallet, and debit and credit card information.

BBB advises to always pay close attention to your wallet and debit and credit cards. When using the cards, be careful to cover the keypad when you key in your PIN number, whether on the counter or at the ATM machine.

Bogus charitable pleas

The holiday season is a great time to be extra generous, that reaching out to charities or less fortunate individuals might be a natural impulse; but scammers have spoiled this by soliciting for donations purely for their selfish gains. Also be wary of charities that don’t necessarily deliver on their promises or are ill-equipped to carry through on their plans.

The BBB advises to research about the charity with the BBB Wise Giving Alliance before giving a donation.

Phishing e-mails
Phishing e-mails are a common way for hackers to get at your personal information or break into your computer. Around the holidays, common phishing e-mails include e-cards and messages pretending to be from reputable and well-known big companies.

The BBB advises not to immediately click on links and e-mail attachments until you have confirmed that it does not contain malicious content. Common red flags include e-mail addresses that don’t match up, typos and grammatical mistakes. Also beware of unsolicited e-mails from companies with which you have no association. Make sure you have current anti-virus software and that all security patches have been installed on the computer.

We hope that by sharing these notorious holiday scams with you, you can enjoy a safer and better holiday season ahead. Cheers!

For more advice on being a savvy consumer this holiday season, visit http://dallas.bbb.org/consumer-tips-holiday/

Avoid a scam today by subscribing to The March Group Scam Blog.

The March Group is a leading mergers and acquisitions advisory firm dedicated to the middle market.