Money makes the world go round and although some of the best things in life don’t require money many of the best things in life do require it. This means that the vast majority of us have to spend our time working to get money to buy the things that we need for ourselves and our families.
We work hard for our money and when someone steals it from us it is both frustrating and debilitating. Today there are all types of characters who specialize in separating good people from their hard-earned cash. There are however some things that you can do to protect yourself and these things vary depending on the thing that you are doing.
Buying Art and Antiquities
Purchasing arts and Antiquities takes a lot of knowledge about the particular piece that you are interested in, particularly if it is expensive. You should get to know the artist who created the piece, and the history of it as well. This information will help you to determine that the piece of art that you are purchasing is in fact authentic.
Scammers count on being able to offer hard to acquire art at great prices. If the price of a piece of artwork is much less than it would normally cost, there’s a good chance that the person selling it to you is not legitimate. In fact when you purchase artwork or antiquities, where you purchase it is often more important than what you actually purchasing in terms of determining whether it is authentic. You should purchase the type of art you’re interested in from an art seller who has a background in that style of art.
For instance if you’re interested in purchasing Egyptian artifacts, you need to work with Sadigh Gallery because they are licensed experts who sell these particular antiquities. They can assist you in selecting the right pieces and will guarantee the authenticity of anything you purchased. Buying through a reputable dealer is the best step you can take to avoid being scammed.
Buying Luxury Goods
Luxury goods often seem vastly over price and we can be tempted when we see what appears to be the same Goods at discount prices. The truth is however, luxury goods really go on sale for huge discounts. So if you see a vendor selling designer handbags for 90% off, chances are that those handbags are not authentic.
You should limit your purchasing designer Goods to the actual designer retail outlet or a certified reseller of their products. These include department stores, and certain discount outlets. If you see anyone on a street corner or a tiny storefront selling designer items, chances are they are not authentic.
Telephone Calls
One popular way that scammers take money from unsuspecting people is through fake phone calls from bill collectors or the IRS. These groups operate large call center type set ups and acquire phone list from the black market. They have access to a lot of your personal data, so when they call they sound authentic. They will then request an immediate payment that they can take over the phone via credit card or they might demand that you buy gift cards and give the gift card information to the company who will then put those amounts towards your outstanding bills.
It is important to note that reputable collection agencies and certainly the IRS never operate this way. If you have a suspicion that someone is trying to scam you, you should hang up the phone and call back to the company’s official number that can be found on their website. They will let you know if you in fact have been contacted by their office or if you would nearly the victim of scammers.
The best line of defense against scammers is to always check with a reputable source about anyone that you suspect. Never give money without being absolutely sure that the people you’re dealing with are reputable.