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A practical guide to avoiding the most common scams, from a fraud-fighting expert
U.S. consumers lose billions of dollars each year to scam artists—and the next victim could be you. While anyone can be targeted, many victims are older. In AARP's Outsmarting the Scam Artists, renowned fraud-fighter Doug Shadel offers practical advice for consumers who want to protect their money as well as the financial assets of their parents and families.
Despite the rise of scams, many people are embarrassed to admit they've been victimized. The author helps break the cycle of shame by including accounts from the people who've been scammed as well as tips from a surprising source: convicted con artists who reveal how they've defrauded people like you.
Scammers are everywhere. But with Outsmarting the Scam Artists in hand, you can protect yourself and your money.
Preface xi
Part I The Scam Artists’ Playbook
Chapter 1 Inside the Con Artist’s Mind 3
Chapter 2 Ether: The Con Artist’s Central Strategy 19
Chapter 3 The Stages of Fraud 29
Part II Con Artists in Action
Chapter 4 Exploiting Ego: The Oil-and-Gas Scam 49
Chapter 5 Exploiting Faith: The Religious Ponzi Scam 63
Chapter 6 Exploiting Fear: The Gold Coin Scam 77
Chapter 7 Exploiting Boredom: The Movie Scam 85
Chapter 8 Exploiting the American Dream: The Business Opportunity Scam 93
Chapter 9 Exploiting Hope: The Lottery Scam 107
Chapter 10 Exploiting Credit: An Interview with an Identity Thief 117
Part III How to Fight Fraud
Chapter 11 Who Are the Victims? 129
Chapter 12 Become a Fraud Fighter 145
Chapter 13 Fraud Prevention That Works 159
Appendix A The Fraud-Vulnerability Quiz 173
Appendix B Fraud-Prevention Resource List 177
Notes 181
About the Author 185
Index 187
Anonymous
Posted July 10, 2012
This book is too preachy and repetitious. There is very little new information given. I think most scams can be avoided if you ask yourself; is this too good to be true? If the answer is yes, you can avoid a scam by saying no to the scammer.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted April 2, 2012
1) Alabama, America
2) I was sick with the strep throat
3) You klive in Virginia (hope I got it right)
~Tigerheart
0 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Overview
A practical guide to avoiding the most common scams, from a fraud-fighting expert
U.S. consumers lose billions of dollars each year to scam artists—and the next victim could be you. While anyone can be targeted, many victims are older. In AARP's Outsmarting the Scam Artists, renowned fraud-fighter Doug Shadel offers practical advice for consumers who want to protect their money as well as the financial assets of their parents and families.
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