Scammed

A leading consumer advocate reveals how to protect your money, time, and integrity from corrupt businesses Once upon a time store prices were simple and fair, businesses stood behind their products with guarantees free of fine print and loopholes, and companies genuinely seemed to care about their valued customers—but those days are long gone. In this groundbreaking exposé, consumer advocate Christopher Elliot reveals the broken relationship between American consumers and businesses and explains how companies came to believe that fooling their customers was a viable, and profitable, business plan. Scammed explores how companies control information to mislead, distort the truth, and even outright lie to their consumers. Exposes the various ways companies have led their war against information—from seductive ads, disingenuous fine print, and unconventional promotions that involve seeding discussion forums and blogs with company-friendly comments Offers consumers insider knowledge of the system, reasonable expectations, and a clear understanding of the games businesses play Christopher Elliott is one of the nation's foremost consumer advocates Protect yourself, your time, and your money from the predators of the consumer world. Armed with knowledge, readers will become far more discerning and every business's worst nightmare.

The Canadian edition of The Little Black Book of Scams is a compact and easy to use reference guide filled with information Canadians can use to protect themselves against a variety of common scams. It debunks common myths about scams, provides contact information for reporting a scam to the correct authority, and offers a step-by-step guide for scam victims to reduce their losses and avoid becoming repeat victims. Consumers and businesses can consult The Little Black Book of Scams to avoid falling victim to social media and mobile phone scams, fake charities and lotteries, dating and romance scams, and many other schemes used to defraud Canadians of their money and personal information.

The series that began with The Deceivers continues in Scammed, the second twist-filled installment from Kristen Simmons, author of Article 5 and The Glass Arrow. The stakes are higher. The cons are riskier. And nothing is what you think it is. Brynn Hilder is living a life she never dreamed possible: She lives in a mansion, getting a top-rate education at Vale Hall. She has friends and an almost-boyfriend. Anything she wants, she can have. The only catch? To stay in this life, she has to help the director of Vale Hall take down the bad guys of Sikawa City by collecting secrets and running cons. Getting everything she wants and fighting evil doesn’t seem like such a bad deal. The thing is, she’s not so convinced anymore that Dr. Odin is really going after bad people after all. And the friends and almost-boyfriend that have made her life so different are all liars and con artists—so can she trust that any of it is real? At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

These days fraudsters operate on a massive scale that was previously unimaginable. Thousands of people from all walks of life are relieved of billions of pounds each year. No-one knows the full scale of fraud because embarrassed victims often fail to report it. Despite all the press coverage, people keep falling for old tricks that often re-emerge in new guises. Scammers are ingenious, utterly ruthless and without conscience. Rodney Hobson, author of the best-selling beginners guide to stock market investing Shares Made Simple, has produced the first definitive guide to scams, categorising the different types, listing tell-tale signs and advising how to spot a fraudster and avoid becoming the next victim. This makes the basic principles behind each type of scam more recognisable and it shows how scams have evolved and re-emerged over time. Danger lurks for those unwary souls who part only too readily with their hard-earned cash and this book will help you be alert to the risks. It is also meant to entertain, as we learn to grudgingly admire as well as despise the ingenious crooks who lurk in the shadows.

This Element is an excerpt from The Truth About Avoiding Scams (9780132333856) by Steve Weisman. Available in print and digital formats. Don’t be the easiest victim! Simple, practical ways to significantly reduce the chances that you’ll be scammed. There are things that you can do to lessen your chances of becoming a victim. Some are simple. Some require a little work. Many people are lazy and don’t want to take these steps. They’re the easiest victims. So, first, do you really want to receive those unsolicited offers of credit cards and insurance that provide opportunities for identity thieves....

Learn financial and business lessons from some of the biggest frauds in history Why does financial fraud persist? History is full of sensational financial frauds and scams. Enron was forced to declare bankruptcy after allegations of massive accounting fraud, wiping out $78 billion in stock market value. Bernie Madoff, the largest individual fraudster in history, built a $65 billion Ponzi scheme that ultimately resulted in his being sentenced to 150 years in prison. People from all walks of life have been scammed out of their money: French and British nobility looking to get rich quickly, farmers looking for a miracle cure for their health ailments, several professional athletes, and some of Hollywood’s biggest stars. No one is immune from getting deceived when money is involved. Don’t Fall For It is a fascinating look into some of the biggest financial frauds and scams ever. This compelling book explores specific instances of financial fraud as well as some of the most successful charlatans and hucksters of all-time. Sharing lessons that apply to business, money management, and investing, author Ben Carlson answers questions such as: Why do even the most intelligent among us get taken advantage of in financial scams? What make fraudsters successful? Why is it often harder to stay rich than to get rich? Each chapter in examines different frauds, perpetrators, or victims of scams. These real-life stories include anecdotes about how these frauds were carried out and discussions of what can be learned from these events. This engaging book: Explores the business and financial lessons drawn from some of history’s biggest frauds Describes the conditions under which fraud tends to work best Explains how people can avoid being scammed out of their money Suggests practical steps to reduce financial fraud in the future Don’t Fall For It: A Short History of Financial Scams is filled with engrossing real-life stories and valuable insights, written for finance professionals, investors, and general interest readers alike.

We are continually bombarded by charts, graphs, and quotes from various studies with the goal of influencing our opinions, health, or buying habits, yet we seldom know if we are being manipulated, deceived, and lied to by those presenting the data. Scammed by Statistics uses countless real examples to illustrate the good and evil of numbers and in the process, exposes the numerous techniques that are used to distort and misuse numbers. Readers will never again be able to read the news, watch TV, or read a magazine without a degree of healthy skepticism.

Are you at risk of being scammed? Former con artist and bestselling author of Catch Me If You Can Frank Abagnale shows you how to stop scammers in their tracks. Maybe you're wondering how to make the scam phone calls stop. Perhaps someone has stolen your credit card number. Or you've been a victim of identity theft. Even if you haven't yet been the target of a crime, con artists are always out there, waiting for the right moment to steal your information, your money, and your life. As one of the world's most respected authorities on the subjects of fraud, forgery, and cyber security, Frank Abagnale knows how scammers work. In Scam Me If You Can, he reveals the latest tricks that today's scammers, hackers, and con artists use to steal your money and personal information--often online and over the phone. Using plain language and vivid examples, Abagnale reveals hundreds of tips, including: • The best way to protect your phone from being hacked • The only time you should ever use a debit card • The one type of photo you should never post on social media • The only conditions under which you should use WiFi networks at the airport • The safest way to use an ATM With his simple but counterintuitive rules, Abagnale also makes use of his insider intel to paint a picture of cybercrimes that haven't become widespread yet.