As temperatures rise, so do certain types of scams. Here are three scams to watch out for this summer.
1. Moving Scams
Summer is peak moving season. Common moving scams include shady movers who demand large upfront payments, moving companies that hold belongings hostage for more money, or movers who never show up at all. Many fraudulent moving companies use vague contracts, change names frequently, or lack proper licensing.
If you or someone you know is planning a move this summer – or anytime – here are a couple things to keep in mind:
- Hire established, trustworthy movers. Moving takes a lot of patience, time, and most importantly, trust. Vet potential moving companies on the Better Business Bureau’s website.
- If a quote seems too good to be true, it likely is. Scammers often lure customers in with lowball prices, then either charge excessive fees or refuse to deliver your items until more money is paid. Shop around and get multiple estimates so you can spot an unusually low sum as a red flag.
2. Ticket Scams
With warmer weather and more free time, people are likely to spend more money on tickets to concerts and events in the summertime. Whether your favorite musician is on tour or there’s a big event you want to attend, here are some tips for not getting duped by ticket scammers.
- Buy directly. Scalpers can be tempting but more often than not, they lead to trouble. These days, even the authorized sellers will include resell options on their website in order to prevent ticket scams.
- Never wire money or use cash to buy tickets. Use a traceable method of payment. When buying online, use a credit card as they offer the highest level of fraud protection.
See more helpful tips on avoiding ticket scams here.
3. Utility Scams
Especially here in Iowa, we all know how important air conditioning is in the summer. In a heat wave or extreme temperatures, panic sets in if our utilities shut off. Scammers feed off this fear with various tactics. Here’s what to watch for.
- Don’t give into urgent demands. Whether it’s over the phone, via text message, in an email, or from something in the mail, scammers will use urgent language and demand immediate payment. If you don’t pay, they threaten to shut off your electricity. For customers behind on payments, legitimate utility companies will send written notice well in advance before shutting off services.
- Be wary of unsolicited door-to-door workers. This is one type of scam where the fraudsters are somewhat likely to come knocking at your door. It’s easy to throw on a vest and hard hat and pretend to be a utility worker. These scammers may claim you need to upgrade, fix, or check on your air conditioning. Don’t let these people into your home. Call your utilities companies directly to handle any concerns.
Don’t let scammers ruin the season for you! At Guthrie County State Bank, we want to make sure our community is having a safe, restful, and fun summer. Stay alert to these summer scams and other trending types of fraud with future Fraud Friday articles from GCSB.