With the cost of groceries, housing, gas and many other things rising, we are all looking for ways to cut costs. And, as usual when things get tough, scammers always take notice.
Scammers may zero in on your anxiety over money in several ways. They might say they’re from the government and giving away grant money for home repairs or unpaid bills. Or they have an investment that’s guaranteed to deliver quick and high returns. Or they know of a high-paying job that’s yours as soon as you pay a fee or give them your personal information.
To spot and avoid these types of scams, here are some BBB warnings:
•There are no government grants for individuals. Government won’t call, text, reach out through social media or email you. In fact, real government grants require an application, are completely free to apply for and are always for a specific purpose.
And if you receive a wonderful message on Facebook or Instagram from one of your friends who tells you they got thousands of dollars from a government grant and had to pay only a few hundred dollars to apply, it’s a fake. Your friend never sent the message; their address book was hijacked by a hacker.
•All investments have risks. No one can guarantee a specific amount of return on an investment, or that an investment will be successful.
•Honest employers won’t ask you to pay to get a job….
