Media contact: Janet C. Hart, APR, CFEE (704) 927-8617 office
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Lose weight. Exercise more. Save money.
Don’t be a victim. When you make your New Year’s resolutions, the Better
Business Bureau wants you to resolve to be a savvy consumer in 2010.
You can avoid
being scammed by heeding the BBB’s advice:
- Get all contracts in writing and be
sure you read the fine print. Remember, the big print giveth and the small
print taketh away.
- NEVER wire money to someone you do
not know for ANY reason.
- NEVER give personal information to
anyone who calls you or emails you, even if they say they are from your
bank, the police, the FBI or the IRS.
As soon as you reply to the link in the email or give personal information
out over the phone, you could become a victim of identity theft.
- Be skeptical of hot deals, free
offers, prizes and sweepstakes. Unless you have the winning Powerball
ticket in your hand, you have not won a lottery.
- Before you jump for joy when you
receive an email about inheriting millions, call the BBB to check it out.
- If you get a check in the mail that
you are not expecting, be suspicious. Scammers send millions of fake
checks out each year. Check with
your bank or the BBB before you deposit it so you don’t get taken.
- Remember - if it sounds too good to
be true, it is.
- You can be an
informed consumer who makes careful, pre-purchase decisions simply by checking
businesses out with the BBB. It’s fast, easy and free.
For more information,
please visit www.bbb.org or call the BBB at
1-877-317-7236 toll-free in N.C. and S.C.
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