Scam Artists' Internet and Telemarketing Fraud on Sharp Upswing--How to Avoid getting Suckered

--With Identity Theft Threatening to Fly out of Control, the Danger Signals are Everywhere, as Scam Artists Explode with New Con Games

Money back? Ha! Fat chance!

If you allow yourself to get suckered by an internet or phone scam artist, he will be the one--not you--who will be laughing all the way to the bank--with your money. Eequivalent to the learned insight of an alcoholic stumbling down a blind alley, you will have given away your identity.

Here are some hard, fast, and true rules to follow--to keep you from the clutches of scam artists--before risking dealing with anyone over the internet or phone that you do not know:

> Always request, and wait for, written material about any offer or charity pitch thrown your way. Seek financial advice from someone you trust where necessary.
As Yogi Berra, in his infinite wisdom, said: If you don't know where you're going, you will wind up somewhere else.

> He who hesitates is last. Always investigate, immediately, unfamiliar companies with your local Better Business Bureau, National Fraud Information Center, Consumer Affairs Division of your State Attorney General's Office, or other watchdog groups. An unchallenged lie quickly becomes the truth. And, scam artists are good at sneaking these past you.

> Always get the salesperson's (often the scam artist's) name, street address, and mailing address before transacting any business whatsoever with him. Also--important; something most people do not think of--get his business license number. Verify accuracy before proceeding further. A good scam artist schemes before he scams. It's best to throw him out at first base, rather than holding your throw after he's hit a triple, seeing if he'll try for an inside-the-park home run.

> Before any charitable contribution find out what percentage is held back for "operational costs." Some scam artists retain 90%--yes, only 10% actually going through for benefit of the charity's recipients. Before generously jumping in, ask yourself, where does charity begin?

> Same for investments. Get a clear figure for sales commissions before investing. Some investments have a big front end load, a big back end load, and a big pre-payment penalty. A complete airing of the dirty linen is highly desirable.

> If you are asked to pay in advance for services, run for the nearest fire exit. Pay for services only after--that's after--they are delivered. This is a rule which should have been etched in stone since the dinosaurs were on earth.

> If the scam artist offers to send a messenger to pick up your payment, a quick thank you but no thank you, is in order. Intent of this is two-fold: 1) To leave no trace of who he is, or where he can be reached. And, 2) To avoid getting ensnared in the postal inspectors' net (postal, wire fraud, etc.) Snap judgments have a way of coming unfastened. Agreement to permit messenger pick-up of your money would be one of these.

> Never pay a handling, shipping, a judging fee, or any other charge, for a "free prize." If the caller (scam artist) tells you this payment is to cover taxes, this is a violation of federal law. Better he sit in a Federal slammer than you for aiding and abetting a felony.

> Never give out any personal information at all, not even your age. Remember, when they say "paper trail," they don't mean the residue left over from stealing a roll of unwinding toilet paper.

If you find yourself uncontrollably singing "Up a Lazy River" while being outfitted with one of those jackets with no outlets for the hands, you'll know it's because you failed to protect your identity from theft.