While it is good to be frugal, more and more con artists are popping up to take advantage of people who are frugal. There is a lot of focus on frugality right now, and the bad guys know this. Be on the look out for free group scams, especially if you are new to the frugal living lifestyle.
Free group scams are modeled after legitimate free, trading and sharing groups. The good groups let you give away items you don’t want for free, get items you need for free, and trade your existing non-wanted items for other items that you can use. These groups are great ways to be frugal, save money and make ends meet. These groups never ask for anything other than your participation and willingness to reciprocate when you can offer something of your own to share.
In contrast, scam sites want your money, plain and simple. They may charge a fee for joining and promise that you’ll get it all back in the form of all of the great free stuff you’ll acquire. Or, the service or website may be free to use, but you are then charged an outrageous shipping or handling fee when you find an item you would like to have.
Another way that these con artists are scamming frugal folks is by asking for information that they don’t need, such as social security numbers, and then using that information to steal your identity. Never give our personal information like this. Legitimate groups may need your name and address, although not always.
Finally, even within a legitimate group, you can find individuals that are trying to scam you. If you suspect a person of trying to scam you, contact your groups administrators, who will most likely ban that person from the group.
Here are some groups that are legitimate sources for trades and free offers: Freecycle.org, Paperbackswap.org, Swaptree.com, Bookmooch.com and NeighBORROW.com.
Click here for more articles by Mary Ann Romans.
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