Scams that come straight to your door
It’s that time of year again, when you can expect the con men to come to you. It’s so sweet of them to save you the bother of a phone call or email. “Ma’am, we were just doing some paving […]
The Great Pyramid of Scams
Pyramid schemes are subtly different from Ponzi schemes (see here). For one thing, the title is much more descriptive¦and there really isn’t an interesting story behind the scam. Basically a pyramid scheme is any endeavor in which participants attempt to […]
501(c)…huh? Part 1 of 4
One of the reasons people give donations to charitable organizations (besides the warm fuzzy feeling inside) is that a federal income tax deduction may be in order. But when can you deduct these contributions? And what is considered a “contribution”? […]
No Authorization Required (myth #8)
No one can take your money directly from your bank accounts without your written authorization. FACT: Merely giving someone your checking account number may result in their making withdrawals from your account. Con artists can sometimes contact your bank with […]
Foreign Travel Safety
More and more Americans are traveling abroad. And they are often going to more exotic destinations. One of the questions to be considered in planning a trip to a lesser developed country is how safe is it? The New York […]
Debt Consolidation Considerations
Tax season is one of the few times a year when people are forced to take a hard look at their financial life. The 1040 pretty much sums up your finances for the last year and you may not have […]
Meet Charles Ponzi
Charles Ponzi was an Italian immigrant who rose from complete obscurity to millionaire status in only 6 months in 1920. Few people remember the man but nearly everyone has heard of a Ponzi scheme. Charles is the grandfather of this […]
Tragedies breed scams
Why is it that when as soon as tragedy strikes, scammers are there ready to take advantage of the emotions and generosity of people? Just like 9/11, Hurricane Katrina and others, there are already organizations popping up related to the […]
Unclaimed Property
Yes, it’s true. Your state may be holding money that rightfully belongs to you. Maybe you’ve moved and didn’t collect a final paycheck. Perhaps you forgot about a savings account you opened in 1977. Unclaimed property is defined by the […]
Find out more about your doctor’s record
The BBB does not process complaints concerning the professional conduct (or misconduct) of doctors (or lawyers or accountants, etc). We have however come across a useful site for discovering if a doctor has been subject to a disciplinary action. The […]