How to Recognize a Con Attempt

When it comes to scams and con artists, most Americans think they're immune. Believing they're too smart to fall for such trickery, they're often caught off guard when it happens to them. If you want to recognize a con attempt before you get burned, you have to learn to think like a con. With a little bit of education, you can protect yourself and those around you from getting scammed.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Ask lots of questions and demand answers. The things that cons don't like are questions, because it gives them too many opportunities to slip up and say the wrong thing. So ask as many questions as you can think of and then listen to what they say. If something sounds fishy, it's probably a con.
2. Look out for the get-rich-quick schemes. If someone is offering you money over the phone, by email or by letter, it's probably a scam. Money doesn't grow on trees, so no one is that willing to just give it away to complete strangers.
3. Take note of the exaggerations. Con attempts are full of exaggerations and white lies. They have to make things sound better than they really are.
4. Watch the clock. You can recognize a con attempt when someone offers you something for a limited time only. If someone says that you can make a great investment but you have to do it today because the offer is off the table tomorrow, it's a scam.
5. Read the fine print. A real company will have tons of literature for you to read as well as a website and an 800 number. While a con artist could pull an elaborate scheme and have all of these things, it's unlikely that they will go as far as to fill in all the particulars. Look for legal information on their website as well as in their documentation before doing business with anyone.

Tips & Warnings

• Never make promises or put anything in writing until you're absolutely sure that the company is legitimate.
• Never give out your banking, credit card or other personal information to anyone who sounds suspicious.
• If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.