‘Please, I need your Help…’ – Don’t be Duped, It’s a Scam!

On Thursday, one of the Your Money, Your Matters host received an e-mail with a subject line that read, “Please I need your Help.”  The sender said he and his family were in “great grievance.”  They were attacked by four armed robbers on their way back to the hotel – I know, it’s horrible! 

The email read, “I’m presently in Scotland with my family for a short vacation and we're stuck…We were attacked by four armed robbers on our way back to the hotel…All our cash, credit cards and cellphone were stolen. Our flight leaves in few hours but we've got to settle our bills before we're allowed to leave...Please I need you to loan me some money.  I promise to refund you as soon as I'm back home. All I need is $1,650...”

Now it’s pretty clear that this is a scam; however, there are a lot of scams out there – some more clever and deceptive than others. National Consumer Protection Week runs through March 9, and on today’s episode of Your Money Your Matters we’ll focus on how to protect against scams such as the one mentioned above and others.  We’ll also address how to protect your assets, use credit wisely, shop smarter, and become a more financially savvy consumer.

Your Money. Your Matters is a weekly show broadcasting every Tuesday from 11 a.m. to noon CST. The program features radio personalities Linda Webb-Mañon and Rick Grady, Texas Credit Union League; Courtney Moran, Texas Credit Union Foundation, and Todd Mark, Consumer Credit Counseling Services.  Each month, the four will discuss financial issues of most importance to consumers. Tune in; share your thoughts; or gain helpful advice on how to eliminate debt, set a budget, live within your means, save for emergencies, and invest for the future.