Summer is back in full swing and that means plenty of BBQs, concerts, and people looking for affordable Liverpool Hospitality Packages. With summer also comes a variety of scammers looking for their next victim. Don’t worry, Better Qualified has put together this list so you can take the right precautions to avoid being sucked into these summer scams.
Vacation Scams
The weather is heating up and so is the desire to get away. Majority of vacationers plan their trips for the summer, when the weather is fine and the kids are out of school. Hot spot vacas like Disney or cruise lines seem to be among some of the more popular locations. However, with the masses of people lining up to get away summer also brings the height of vacation fraud. Make sure you look out for these red flags:
What to Lookout For
Vacations aren’t cheap, especially in the summer months when everyone else is looking to escape. So when you see one of those “Too good to be true!” offers, most of the time it probably is. Vacation scammers use fake websites, Facebook ads, and even phishing emails to reel in their victims. Do your research and stick to well-known, reliable sources before committing to your trip.
Concert Scams
Nothing says summer like an outdoor concert or festival. The warm summer nights, the rocking music, the smell of…. well, you get the idea. Summer is indeed the season of music. Seasonal venues are open, the majority of annual festivals take place, and swarms of consumers gather to watch their favorite artists perform. Scammers jump at this opportunity to sell fake or stolen tickets to consumers.
Concert fraud is nothing new, just a few months ago hundreds of people lost their chance to see comedian Kevin Hart. 130 tickets were stolen and then resold as part of a massive ticket scam.
What to Lookout For
When looking to attend a show, always make sure you’re getting your tickets from a reliable source. Go through first party sources like livenation.com, ticketmaster.com, or the box office of your local venue. Always make sure you read the fine print and check your total amount before confirming your purchase. Never buy tickets from craigslist or scalpers as this is where most fraudulent tickets are sold!
Moving Scams
It’s no secret, summer is the best time to move. Warm weather, peak home buying season, and summer vacation make moving more desireable in the summer months. In fact, 11 to 13 percent of moves take place during summer months as opposed to 8 percent or less during all other months of the year. Much like vaca and concert scams, moving scams are also at their peak during the summer. Summer moving scams can come in two forms: moving companies and false listings. Moving companies may offer to move your belongings for a cheap price, then hold your stuff hostage until you pay more money. Cragslist becomes flooded with fake listings asking consumers such as yourself to wire money in return for the house key.
What to Lookout For
As stated previously, do your research and look for reliable moving & real estate companies. When the price seems too good to be true, it usually is. Check the moving company’s reputation through the Better Business Bureau or with review sites like Yelp, Google and Facebook. Never go through Craigslist when looking to move. Craigslist is swarming with scammers out for your money. Always go through a real estate company to ensure you don’t get swindled.
Job Scams
I believe it was Alice Cooper who said “School’s Out for Summer.” With the hordes of teens and young adults returning home from college, employers will start to hire for seasonal summer jobs. Scammers will use employment fraud as a way to steal an applicant’s identity.
What to Lookout For
Any jobs that make you pay fees for training, require background checks, or claim “no experience needed!” should be handled with caution. Never accept a summer job over the phone without actually visiting the place of employment. As always do your research and ask questions as needed. If something seems fishy, trust your gut.
More Tips
Scammers will never stop and with today’s technology are often hard to bring to justice. Following these general tips will ensure your aren’t the next victim of summer scams:
-Research your findings, only go with reliable sources
-Never give out personal information, especially over the phone
-Be Wary of fake emails and social media ads
-Never Wire Transfer Money
ID Theft Victim
If you suspect you’ve fallen victim to a scam, your identity may be in jeopardy. If that’s the case, follow these 6 Steps to Handling Identity theft. Make sure you know what’s on your credit report. If you need help going over your report. fill out the form below for a free credit consultation.