In the news virtually every day , we hear or read about someone that lost their life savings to a scam The number of scam techniques keeps changing as technology changes.

It is hard to believe that someone just walking by a person can extract their credit card number from their purse or billfold and use it to make purchases, but they can. Scammers attach a small device to Cash Machines that extracts and stores the person’s personal number and credit card number. Police tell us to closely inspect any cash machine to make sure nothing has been attached to front of the machine that might be a scamming device. If we see a suspicious device report it to the owner of the business or manager and don’t use that machine.

We hear of elderly women primarily that get phone calls from a person that is purportedly their grandson or granddaughter saying they are stranded or in jail and need money right away. They ask the woman to wire the money to them and give them a Western Union location where they can receive it. Usually the request is for several thousand dollars. In the news stories many people have fallen for this scam and send the money. When they contact their grandson or granddaughter they find that they did not make that request and the person that got the money is no where to be found.

With the turbulent weather in many parts of the county, such as hail storms with baseball size hail, the number of scam contractors appear. A smooth sales person comes to the door and tells the property owners they will give them a big discount on the work. They also tell them it is standard procedure to get at least half the cost up front so that can purchase the supplies and the balance will be due when the project is complete. The contractor shows them a form and asks them to sign it and give them half of the contract cost and they will get right on it. Many cases have been reported where the supposed roofing contractor was never seen again after they received half the estimated cost. Ask the contractor if they are bonded? Ask the contractor for the names of other people in your area that have used their services. Do not sign anything until you have checked out the contractor and are certain that he is bonded and has done good work in your area. Out of town contractors many times are the scammers.

I was in the business of selling Schwinn, Specialized, and Diamondback, used bicycles to people in age 55 and over RV parks in Arizona for a few years. The first year I was in business I get a text message from a lady that said, “My husband loves Schwinn Midtown bicycles he will want to buy it, call or text him at this number and I am sure he will buy it.” I texted the number she gave me, supposedly her husband texted back, I am a very busy man traveling all the time and am in Chicago moving to Hawaii, I want your bicycle and I want it shipped to Hawaii, but never fear my agent will pick up the bicycle and ship it. I will send you $200 extra for the shipping and you keep $50 for tip for your trouble in holding it until my agent gets there. The text ask what is your mailing address? I was suspicious of this arrangement but new at the game of selling bicycles, so I fell for it. The person texted me numerous times over a three day period asking if I received the Cashiers Check yet? After the third day I did receive a priority mail envelope with a check for $2,500. The asking price for the bike was $175 and he told me to keep $50 as a tip. I texted the person and ask what is the $2,275 for? He responded it was for the shipping money and for some other bills that his agent was going to pay for. He said,just cash the check and give the $2,275 to my agent when he comes to pick up the bike. I told him I was not a bank and I suspected the check was not a cashiers check even though it said Cashiers Check , the address at the top was from a CPA firm. He kept insisting I take it to the bank and said they will take it. The truth of the matter is that a bank will take a check like that but if the check bounces a few days later the person cashing the check is liable and their bank account will be charged. The person might also be charged with trying to deposit a fraudulent check. Since there was no return address on the envelope or check I ask where do I send the check to return it because I am not interested in doing business with you. The person got testy and said, “Take the check to bank and cash the Damn check! The person would not give me a return address so I texted that I was submitting the check and text messages to the FBI. I never heard from him again. There is a FBI form any US Citizen can complete that is used to report fraud to the FBI. I completed the form on line. Two days later I had a person in Florida that wanted to purchase that same bicycle and have their agent pick up the bike and ship it. I told them I did not accept out of town purchasers that did not come and get the bike personally. They had ask for my address at the beginning of the text messages which I gave to them. Two days later I get a priority mail envelope with a check for $1,500 for the $175 bicycle. When I texted the person and ask where to send the check back because I did not do business that way , they refused to give me an address and insisted that I deposit the check and give their agent $1,200 when he comes to pick up the bank. I texted back that the check and text message scripts had been referred to the FBI. Now Craigslist has a caution warning to not accept any deals like these two because it is a national crime ring using this technique throughout the country.

Friends of one our our close personal friends in New Brunswick in Canada had their furniture for sale. A couple came and said they wanted the furniture. They ask if the people would accept a personal cashiers check? The sellers agreed to accept a cashiers check. The purchasers explained that they had the cashier’s check for $250 more than the amount and ask if the people would give them the $250 to pay for the truck rental so they could pick up the truck to move the furniture. The sellers agreed and gave them $250 in cash and accepted the cashiers check for $5,250. The sellers took the check to the bank and deposited it to their account. A week later the bank charged their account for $5,250. The people did not have a bank account and the cashier’s check was fraudulent. The people lost their furniture and $250. IF the seller had not given the bank the $5,250 they could be charged with fraud for depositing a fraudulent check. Even then the bank referred the case to their attorney to determine if the account holder should be charged with depositing a fake cashier’s check.

Another bike scam used recently in Phoenix was a couple that came to a garage sale which had two bikes for sale. They ask if they could ride them a few blocks and see how they performed. The garage sale people did not see a car , they ask for some security. The man looker said here is my billfold and it has my driver’s license in it , is that enough security. The garage sale people took the billfold and laid it on a table. The guy and his companion rode off on the bikes never to be seen again. The garage sale people looked in the billfold after they decided the people had been gone too long. All there was a torn up pieces of paper nothing else in the billfold.

Beware of financial people that want to roll over your annuity or retirement account money , there have been cases where the owner of the annuity or retirement account have agreed to a rollover and ended up with all of their money being transferred to an account that they cannot identify. If the sales person promises earnings much higher than the average investment rates for your type of retirement account, there is a good change the risk you would take by transferring is not worth it.

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I recently opened an online store marketing bicycle accessories such as baskets, mirrors, lights, helmets, odometers, and more. The name of my online store is Popsbicycles. You can access the store by CLICK HERE