Tag Archives: scams

Homeowners Gamble by Not Paying Their Mortgages

June 4, 2010 – 12:22 pm

Last summer, we touched on whether refusing to pay your debt at some point becomes a moral issue. In this week’s New York Times, the topic proves timely still. The article follows the Pemberton family in St. Petersburg, Fla., who have stopped paying their mortgage so they can put their money to more fun use, such as trips [...]

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Retailer Tricks That Only Pretend to Save You Money

September 15, 2009 – 3:41 pm

No doubt about it, retailers have been hit hard by the reduction in consumer spending. But a few new trends in retail marketing could lead even the savviest shoppers into a financial trap. MSN Money columnist M.P. Dunleavey wrote last week about the way outlet malls use psychology to seduce consumers into paying more for [...]

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Protect Yourself From These Nasty New Scams

June 26, 2009 – 4:13 pm

An unfortunate side effect of a recession is that it provides easy pickings for opportunistic scammers. Thieves earn their bread and butter when people are in a panic over their finances, so it’s important to recognize the warning signs of a deal that’s too good to be true. The FBI recently compiled this list of [...]

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Scam Watch (and other useful tools)

May 20, 2009 – 10:10 am

The FTC has great resources including a Scam Watch that takes a useful look at a lot of the mortgage rescue scams that are abounding right now.

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Mortgage Scams Proliferate in Hard Times

April 24, 2009 – 4:07 pm

When newspaper headlines focus on the mortgage crisis and foreclosure rates, crooks’ ears tend to perk up. And that means more and more people are getting sucked into mortgage scams. Because government foreclosure documents are public record, many homeowners are receiving personalized letters filled with false promises of hope. The people who fall for these [...]

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Don’t get fooled by “Free”CreditReport.com

March 23, 2009 – 11:49 am

“FreeCreditReport.com’s” annoying jinglers are hoping you forget to cancel your “free” account so they can hit you with the associated fees. Those commercials don’t come free you know. As the FTC says, “Despite the musical claims of some TV commercials, the only authorized source to get your free annual credit report under federal law is AnnualCreditReport.com.”

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