How to Scam Proof Your Life

In Sid Kirchheimer’s Scam Proof Your Life: 377 Smart Ways to Protect You & Your Family From Ripoffs, Bogus Deals & Other Consumer Headaches, you can learn the best tricks to avoid scams that seem to be increasingly commonplace. If you get an email from the Atlantic Lottery claiming you won a jackpot, chances are it is nonsense. Later, they ask for money to cover “taxes” on the jackpot before they can do anything. That’s not how lotteries work. Still, people fall for it all the time. I even met someone who claimed that she couldn’t remember if she was or wasn’t in Atlantic Canada. That’s where legitimate Atlantic lotto tickets are sold. Speaking from personal experience, that area of the world is hard to forget. Picture puffins, icebergs, Irish sounding accents, and you get the idea.

Let’s say you do have a case of amnesia. Hey, it happens. Probably the best way to tell if you’re looking at a scam is to use a search engine such as Google or Bing. Type in Atlantic Lottery. Here’s the trick, add the word “scam” and something happens. When you type in “Atlantic Lottery Scam” into a major search engine, a whole bunch of information on the scam surfaces from consumer advocates. Also, many email programs such as Windows Live/Hotmail, Yahoo, and Gmail offer some alerts to possible scams.

That’s the great thing about “Scam Proof Your Life.” You can learn about the “sucker list” and how to stay off of it. Pretty much every scam out there is mentioned along with practical advice to avoid being conned. With “377 smart ways,” this book covers virtually everything from automotive repair to student loans. You can even learn about a $2.00 pen that can shield you from much of the identity theft that takes place. Actually, it’s not really that fancy of a deal. Gel ink is difficult to corrupt and resists check washing attempts by crooks.

On Tuesday, March 23 there will be a talk with a special guest from Fort Scott Community College on obtaining a Commercial Truck Driver’s License. If you’re interested in driving the big rigs, this is the presentation for you. The presentation starts at 6 pm in the second floor auditorium at Kansas City, Kansas Public Library. The Main Library is located on 625 Minnesota Avenue. Until next time, catch me in the library.