How to recognize a swindler?

If it's an investment, the caller may say something like, "the market is starting to move even as we talk." For a product or service, the urgency pitch may be that "there are only a few left" or "the offer is about to expire." The bottom line is that swindlers often insist that you should (or must) make your decision right now.

 

You should be aware that some phone swindlers are becoming very sophisticated. They may make statements that sound just reasonable enough to keep you from hanging up. Or they may make three or four statements you know to be true so that when they spring the big lie for what they're selling, you'll be more likely to believe that, too. That's where the verbal camouflage comes in.

 

A swindler may ask you for your credit card number – or, in the most brash cases, several credit card numbers – for "identification," or "verification" that you have won something, or merely as an "expression of good faith" on your part. Whatever the ploy, once a swindler has your card number it is likely that unauthorized charges will appear on your account.

 

While honest firms may promote free phone offers to attract customers, the difference with swindlers is that you generally have to pay in some way to get whatever it is that's "free." The cost may be labeled as a handling or shipping charge, or as payment for an item in addition to the "prize." Whatever you receive "free" (if anything) most likely will be worth much less than what you've paid.

 

Trust is a laudable trait, but it shouldn't be dispensed indiscriminately – certainly not to unknown persons calling on the phone and asking that you send them money. Even so, "trust me" is a pitch that swindlers sometimes employ when all else fails.

 

 

 

-          www.swindler.eu – a biography of Charles Ponzi

-          www.femodeen.eu – everything about feminism

-          www.eco-diesel.eu – information concerning bio-diesel

-          www.graspop.eu – “metal meeting”

-          www.impostor.eu – impossible torque

-          www.landeninfo.eu – information about countries

-   www.managerweekly.eu & www.manager-weekly.eu – something for managers