The warm weather brings out pests like mosquitoes and ticks, but don't forget to protect yourself again scam artists, too.
These four scams are making the rounds in the region.
The Vacation Scam
Whether it's a travel deal that seems too good to be true or a rental home on Craigslist, do research before handing over any of your money.
“Take some words off the ad, put it into your browser, see if it comes up, because if you see duplicates, that can be a scam artist just literally posting,” Better Business Bureau Greater Maryland President and CEO Angie Barnett said.
The Abduction Phone Call
Scammers troll social media sites and use details from vacation photos posted to help trick family or friends.
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“The most often theme that you hear is that your loved one was involved in an auto accident, has been slightly injured, tried to run away from the family or somebody has abducted that person because they need to pay for what they did,” Barnett said.
Home Improvement Scams
Be wary of landscapers who approach you in your yard.
With any kind of home improvement project, do your homework. Confirm the company or person you hire is properly licensed, and look for reviews online.
Door-to-Door Sales
“They're commission driven, they've got sales quotas they've got to meet,” Barnett said. “They have hard sales stress on them, so they may be a little misleading in their presentations to the homeowner.”
Beware of scare tactics and don't ever show your utility bill to anyone.
Track scams in your neighborhood with the Better Business Bureau scam tracker.
