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Trying To Adopt? How To Avoid Adoption Scams Trying To Adopt? How To Avoid Adoption Scams

Trying To Adopt? How To Avoid Adoption Scams

For couples who can’t have their own children and are trying to adopt, there’s nothing more exciting than finding a match – or more heartbreaking when an adoption falls through. It’s even worse to discover that you’ve been scammed by the person you thought would help bring a new child into your family.

Unfortunately, adoption scams are more common than you might think. Like many victims of fraud, people who fall for these scams are emotionally vulnerable. They’ve often struggled with infertility and are willing to believe anyone who gives them a glimmer of hope about having a child. They’ll do anything – including give up their life’s savings – if they think it will help them get a child sooner.

Is That Really Microsoft Calling? How To Avoid Tech Support Scams Is That Really Microsoft Calling? How To Avoid Tech Support Scams

Is That Really Microsoft Calling? How To Avoid Tech Support Scams

Despite warnings that come year after year about tech support scams, fraudsters continually find new and more effective ways to trick consumers into giving up their personal and financial information.

Microsoft recently reported that tech support scams are up 24 percent since last year. The tech giant received 153,000 reports of customers encountering or falling for a fraud attempt, with 1 in 10 actually losing money from those scams. Microsoft customers paid an estimated $3 to $6 million to criminals – all because they didn’t know how to spot a hoax.

New Money Transfer Scam Targets Home Buyers: Don't Be Fooled! New Money Transfer Scam Targets Home Buyers: Don't Be Fooled!

New Money Transfer Scam Targets Home Buyers: Don't Be Fooled!

Buying real estate is one of the biggest – and most complicated – financial commitments a person can make. There are numerous steps to go through and several agencies to work with before a homebuyer is handed the keys to their new property. Between the realtors, the buyer and seller’s attorneys, the mortgage provider, and the escrow company, a lot of phone calls and emails from strangers happen during the process.
Will Your Real Estate Agent Give Away Your Deposit? Will Your Real Estate Agent Give Away Your Deposit?

Will Your Real Estate Agent Give Away Your Deposit?

You might know how to protect yourself from a phishing scam, but does your real estate agent? If not, it could have disastrous consequences for you, your agent and your deposit.

While phishing scams aren’t new, the threat is growing in the real estate industry. Unsuspecting homebuyers are losing hundreds of thousands of dollars to these types of scams.

Here’s how it works:

  1. A hacker breaks into your real estate agent’s email, or the servers of a title company, and begins tracking transactions.
  2. Knowing the closing date, the hacker sends an email to you that looks like it came from your real estate agent or the title company.
  3. The email contains wiring instructions that, if followed, place your funds straight into the fraudster’s bank account.

Once your funds are deposited into a criminal’s account, it’s virtually impossible to recover the money. All it takes is falling for one bogus email.

Homeowner Scams: Don't Sign Your Home Away Homeowner Scams: Don't Sign Your Home Away

Homeowner Scams: Don't Sign Your Home Away

Imagine your home being taken away from you – out of the blue. Imagine what your parents or grandparents would face if, overnight, they didn’t have a place to live. You’re baffled and heartbroken. How did this happen? You’ve been making every mortgage payment; you’ve worked for this home. And now it’s gone.

Suddenly, you’re on the street with nowhere to go; the life you built is back to zero. Where would you go from here?
Avoid These Common Home Improvement Scams Avoid These Common Home Improvement Scams

Avoid These Common Home Improvement Scams

The contractor drove off with a truckload of concrete and a pocket full of cash and you were left with a shoddy driveway.

This is a typical scenario of a home improvement scam.

Without knowing what to look for, a conning contractor can take advantage of your home improvement aspirations.

Here are four giveaways that a home contractor might be scamming you and how to protect yourself:

Scam 1: “I have extra materials”

A contractor knocks on your door and claims to have extra materials from a job he just completed down the street. Not wanting to take a loss on the supplies, he offers to pave your driveway or patch your roof for a smoking-good deal.
The 4 Key Traits of Online Fraud Victims The 4 Key Traits of Online Fraud Victims

The 4 Key Traits of Online Fraud Victims

Your willingness to take chances might pay off playing poker on a Saturday night, but that habit puts you at higher risk for becoming a victim of online fraud, too.

In a [survey by AARP][1], researchers set out to better understand why some people fall for online scams and others do not.

Their findings reveal that victims of online fraud share the following behaviors:

More active online

The more active you are online, the higher your chances are of crossing paths with a scammer.
Stop Scammers from Stealing Your Tax Refund Stop Scammers from Stealing Your Tax Refund

Stop Scammers from Stealing Your Tax Refund

All a scammer needs to file a fraudulent return to collect your tax refund is your name, Social Security number, birth date and a computer.

According to the U.S. Justice Department, this scam – known as stolen identity refund fraud – results in annual losses of more than $2 billion to the U.S. Treasury.

Follow these steps to prevent scam artists from stealing your tax refund:

Spot fake calls from the IRS

The IRS impersonation scam is a relentless operation.

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Disclaimer: The above is solely intended for informational purposes and in no way constitutes legal advice or specific recommendations.