Experts Recommend Precautions Against Perpetrators of Fraud
October 09, 2008
By Sarah Ruppenthal
Hawai‘i is ranked No. 6 in the nation for cases of identity theft. “Be cautious… but most importantly, be vigilant.”
The phone rings, and the saccharine-sweet voice on the line informs you that you are eligible to win a substantial amount of money, as long as you provide a few tidbits of personal information. Sensibly, you hang up the phone—knowing that you may have just dodged the fraudulent bullet of a scam artist.
These cold-hearted manipulators have become increasingly relentless in their attempts to cheat and swindle unsuspecting victims out of their hard-earned savings. So relentless, in fact, that consumer fraud has become a multibillion dollar industry in the United States. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Website, the most common scams include credit card and investment fraud, charity schemes, health insurance fraud, foreign lotteries and identity theft.
Con artists are skilled at deception, often using high-pressure “sales pitches” to entrap their targets; particularly in selling “get rich quick” schemes that promise a “low-risk and high-yield” investment—a beguiling prospect, especially in these tough economic times.
But for those who fall prey to these scam artists, the damage can be unimaginable. From plummeting credit scores to evaporating bank accounts, victims of fraud often feel the pain long after the initial sting.
in August, the state Executive Office on Aging, the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and the state Department of the Attorney General released the Hawaii Fraud Prevention & Resource Guide, a comprehensive guide that outlines different types of fraud and how to avoid them.
Remember, if it sounds too good to be true—it probably is.
For more information, contact the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs at (808) 587-7400 or the Maui County Office on Aging at (808) 270-7755. To view the Hawaii Fraud Prevention & Resource Guide, visit http://www.hawaii.gov/health/eoa/.
Abridged
SOURCE: Maui Weekly Hawaii,USA
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