How to Avoid Being Scammed
The best way to avoid a scam is to spot it right away. Consumer scams can take many forms and are often tempting because they seem too good to be true. However, in many cases, scammers aren’t just getting you to buy a faulty product—they attempt to repeatedly taking advantage of a consumer. Common examples of scams include:
- False advertising
- Misrepresenting products
- Providing phony records when selling automobiles or facilitating any other large purchase such as a boat, home, etc.
- Deliberately overcharging or tacking on additional made up charges
- Encouraging (and often compelling consumers to invest in pyramid schemes)
- Charging way too much for old, faulty, used, or sub-par goods and products
- Phone calls from people pretending to represent your bank, internet service provider, or other trusted party and requesting that you provide personal financial information such as credit card numbers, etc.
- Unsolicited emails requesting personal information (often banking and credit card information, though not exclusively)
What to When You Fall Victim to a Scam
As a general rule, don’t ever give out your personal information over the phone or online unless you are absolutely certain of the legitimacy of an operation. Remember: Your bank, doctor, cell service provider, credit card company, and other legitimate organizations will never call you to request your card number or Social Security number. However, sometimes scams are well-executed and difficult to see. If you’ve been scammed or taken advantage of by an organization, company, or individual, there are a few things you can do in the immediate aftermath:
- File an official complaint. You can do this by gathering as much information as possible about the incident and the scam artist and reporting it to the National Consumer League Fraud Center, the Federal Trade Commission, local news outlets, the Kansas Consumer Protection Agency, and the Kansas State Attorney’s Office. This doesn’t guarantee that the offending parties will be brought to justice, but it is important to make law enforcement aware of criminal activity in their jurisdiction.
- File a lawsuit against an organization, company, or individual. If you know exactly who hustled you, you can bring a lawsuit against that person or organization. By going to small claims court, you can take local businesses, contractors, and scammers to task for dishonest practices, although this approach may not work if the offending party is not local.
- Meet with a consumer fraud lawyer right away. You don’t have to go in alone or go after scammers by yourself. In fact, with qualified legal representation on your side, your chances of getting justice are vastly improved.
Speak with a Wichita Consumer Fraud Lawyer Now
We are prepared to roll up our sleeves and help you build your case right away. Call the Hutton & Hutton Law Firm, LLC right away and take the first steps to holding fraudsters accountable for the harm they have caused you and other members of your community. Get a Wichita consumer fraud attorney on your team as soon as possible.
To schedule your complimentary consultation, email us or call us at (316) 688-1166 today.