I wish that I wouldn't have to write a letter to tell the community to beware of scams and frauds that prey on our hard-earned income, but the truth is this letter could be written at least once a week.
Every week someone in our community is being bombarded by mail, e-mail and faxes with offers that are too good to be true. These offers play on human nature; we all would like to be able to get something for nothing. Let me put it bluntly; you won't get something for nothing, and if it appears too good to be true you're probably in the middle of a scam.
There are several different kinds of scams, but many of them have you receiving a check addressed to you that looks real. The sender tells you of your great fortune and then asks that you deposit the check, keep some of the money for your trouble and then send what's left back to the person that sent you the letter. Sounds harmless, right? Don't bite on these scams; put them where they belong -- in your recycling.
There are other scams, but they all end with you losing your hard-earned savings. If you get an offer and you just aren't sure if it's legitimate or not please give us a call before you send your money off in the mail. You can call our department 24 hours a day at 372-2136.
