Satire: Has a Nigerian Prince Reached Out to You for Help?

Plus, some other scams to be aware of.

Sucker born every minutePhoto byCartoon by Lambert-King

The quintessential scam artist is the unknown Nigerian Prince. It seems His Highness has often had to resort to relying on the kindness of strangers to help him get over some rough spots in his life. Often The Prince often has trouble accessing his funds. So, what’s a prince to do when he can’t access his funds? Access your funds.

While The Nigerian Prince might be the king of scams (See what I did there?) there are plenty of other scams out there trying to separate you from your money. Take a look at some of them.

1: Work at home scams: Lots of people, especially seniors, like the idea of working at home. The problem with many work at home “opportunities” is the opportunity is limited to paying for materials you will need up front. Be cautious whenever an employer wants you to pay them. Ah, the old Wimpy ploy, “I’ll glad pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.”

2: Collection scams: The fact that you don’t owe the debt is irrelevant. The company sometimes figure you’ll pay regardless, just to get them off your back.

3: Identity theft: Generally speaking, I’ve felt that my identity was protected by poverty and a complete lack of interest in my life, but even I’ve had my identity stolen. I was able to resolve the situation without any serious damage but was taken back by the complete lack of interest the police had in taking any action.

4: The David Copperfield School of Home Improvements: Once again, seniors are the primary targets of these home repairs. Scammers show up after a weather event offering to do repairs and the repairs are invisible, or the workers are invisible after taking the homeowners money.

5: The are you you text: You get a text, allegedly from your bank asking you to verify your financial information. As you a rule of thumb, never share your info when you’re not sure who you’re dealing with.

6: A star is born scam: Scammers prey upon aspiring entertainers in an effort to get them to pay for an audition. While it’s true, some entertainers ought to pay the audience, that’s not generally the way it works.

7: Pay in the name of the law: You get a call, allegedly from a law enforcement agency informing you that you will be locked up, unless you pay a fine. It might be corrupt, but it is streamlined.

8: Hot babes seeking middle-aged losers: For whatever reason, some damsel is in distress and needs your help. In the form of money.Keep in mind this damsel might well be a chain-smoking, beer gutted 50-year-old guy. All potential white knights beware.

9: You’re a winner! You are contacted saying you’ve won something but have to pay a processing fee or give personal information to get your prize. If you respond, you’re likely a loser.

10: Make passive income easily: Send some money to find out how. Well, the other party has just made money by scamming you. Keep in mind passive income often becomes comatose income.