Life-Shattering Scams: Could It Happen to You?
It's a show that will have you thinking twice before ever signing on a dotted line again.
Every day there's a new headline about a scam you need to be worried about; scams targeting victims via email, social media, phone, dating sites and even door-to-door. These scammers are after your money and your trust. In this episode you'll get the information you need to keep you, your family and your bank account safe.
Today we're meeting victims who say they were not only left with empty pockets, but broken hearts as well, including a couple who allegedly spent $12,000 on an adoption that never happened, a man who was allegedly robbed of his rights as a father, and a woman who claims she unwittingly signed away the rights to their own child.
Plus, it's a home improvement story gone disastrously wrong. Anderson meets a woman on the brink of bankruptcy after having spent approximately $50,000 to fix up her house. She was told by the contractor it would be two weeks. Almost a year later, and after taking out two loans, she is forced to finish the home herself.
Sometimes they are promising services on your family home, or carrying out the most unthinkable deceptions, like taking a baby away from someone.
Have You Been Victimized by a Fraud or Scam? Share Your Story with Anderson.
Angie from AngiesList.com is sharing the information you need... so you're not the next victim of a scam.
Comments
I was scammed last year by a UPS Store... then when I looked online it's an everyday occurrence. These people at MBE.com Mail Boxes etc were really weird. These store owners have been sent to prison for stealing from the mailboxes. They sort mail; have a document shredding business etc.... scarey. They would have access to cc numbers & codes on the back & if store owners could do credit checks....I have a penchant for catching this stuff out. Disability insurance lawyers & companies are no better ... I got that education the hard way... you have no idea what Fortune 500 companies are capable of!
Take a look at Ripoff Reports.com
Emmit Dippold is a snake! He had to have been coached by a lawyer. Not a great one. It's a shame you did not show his picture. It would have allowed people in his community to know what kind of person he is... if he'll do this ... he's doing a lot more! Talk about begging for bad Karma....
From tattoos to scamming...there's the old joke its not if you've been scammed but how many times? I dont know i grew up at a young age trusting my environment more...it just makes people wary about those close to home...strangers scamming us we should be upset at ourselves for trusting in them,but when those we have been intimate with,who share so much,and could leave our life in a disarray...it almost seems a kind of peek a boo inner viciousness...and thats not too enigmatic?
Hello,
We have had contractors that told us they could do the work that we were asking for, but they didn't know how to do it; my husband is going to correct the work himself on his vacation. We even had BBB tell us that the one contractor never had any complaints, and they gave his co. an "A" rating. The gar. "rough opening" was not done as it should have been, and the window they put in our gar. is leaking, and the caulking was done poorly; Jeff knows how to do it, so is going to.
That was so great to see the woman on your show get her work taken care of, and to receive a washer and dryer. Also, it is good to know about Angie's List, but we can't figure out why BBB gave the one co., that did our work, a good rating.
I had been scammed by a contractor. His business was called Custom Garages in Yelm, Wa. His name is Steve Wilson. He had built a recreation/craft (one room house on my land) in which six of us lived while he tore down my existing house to build a new one. My mistake was thinking I really knew him (since he already did some work for me) and I trusted him when he was saying he needed more money to complete the house. When the money ran out, he just disappeared. Steve and his family did make it to my house warming. I didn't change the date having it because my daughter was flying here to Washington from Arkansas. I didn't have money for a lawyer. I found out his bond lic. expired. I became my own contractor. My daughter,her 3 kids, my mentally disabled brother and I lived in one room for 1 1/2 yrs. I hired another contractor to work on the house. I had loads of dirt delivered and my daughters, using wheelbarrels put in the lawn and flower bed as the house had to be landscaped , then inspected before I could move in. He started building in 2004 and July 2006 we moved in. When he left I didn't have sidewalk, driveway and several other things were left undone, it has cost me well over $30,000 to move in this house and there is still small tasks that are left undone. To get paper work changed to my name I went to L&I. While I was there they said unfortunately this does happen more than you would think. I had called BBB but they said they couldn't help me because this wasn't a court case. I just cried listening to what happen to that lady on your program today, I know how she felt. Last month I just signed up to be on Angieslist. I need some work done, but I haven't called yet....it's terrible to feel like you can't trust anyone. But I will call and get estimates like Angie said and hope for the best. We all need to be more cautious when buying items and services. Yes, you think something like this couldn't happen to you, it does.
Sorry but she just seems like a moron. This is her SECOND out-of-wedlock baby with a loser. The first doesn't have anything to do with his child, this one took the kid for his wife. Didn't she research this guy? She signed something about her baby without bothering to check it out and have a lawyer look it over?
The child is with her father and maybe a stable marriage with a smarter mom.
I watched your show again today where the lady from Florida was ripped off by Turner construction. I don't understand why they can't catch these people. I bet it is the same Turner construction that took all my money too. I worked with Pam Turner who was telling me that her husband Dave Turner owned Turner construction and he was not getting any jobs. I felt sorry for them and wanted to help them out. She was leaving our company for a different job but we needed a roof over our deck so I gave him the job. Long story short, he slowly made excuses that he needed the money upfront to get the materials to do the job, didn't get a permit to do the work which got us in trouble then took off with our money. We ended up in debt trying to get someone else to at least put our roof and deck back to the way it was because it couldn't be left the way it was without causing more damage to our house. We didn't have anymore money to get our deck roof since the Turner's took all of our money. I also checked with the BBB ahead of time and thought that I knew them enough since I had worked with her for about a year.
I'm sorry---part of my message did not go through.
An added suggestion - which is free - go to the BBB online to check on a company with whom you are deliberating to do business. The Better Business Bureau reports on ALL companies not just those who are members. Very good resource. Also, I ALWAYS read before I sign and most places and/or people get perturbed with me that I am taking up their valuable time. Catherine Sheerin - Sylvania, Ohio
sorry- not just companies who are members.
Catherine Sheerin
Sylvania, Ohio
I saw the show about scams. I was amazed. It was a wake up call.
so sad
interesting story.
mom died and left me her trailer, my friend told me about private contracter ,he took 2,500.00 all i got was a front door walls torn down not replaced ,one closet door and bottom floor nothing on top ,he has electrical sockets hanging in my bedroom, lost my job and could not hire anyone else. bad experience, and lost all that money for a few things not finished. thank you Yvette Hogan
Education Scam
Not only are "immigrants" taking advantage of the free medical benefits in our country, they are also taking advantage of free educational opportunities for their children. Foreigners can research the best schools online (on special websites as well as published test scores). They send their child to live with a friend or relative in that school district, sometimes rent a home there for a year, or even lie about their residence. The non-english speaking child will receive free language (ESL) services and any other services (resource, private tutors, etc) they can qualify for. Providing these services is putting a strain on school districts' budgets and teachers' time in the classroom. I taught in a district that is one of the top in the nation and have experienced this problem first hand. It is so unfair to our own children and tax payers. My own daughter qualified for resources but was denied because she had a district transfer. The laws need to change to protect our own!
I have been scammed and ripped off by an internet company that I have found out to be raking in a fortune from one company that gets your money and then funnels it though through other company names who claim to be financial institutions. If you wanted to cancel they draw it out and claim you didn't meet the deadline of a contract agreement which you have not formally signed in the first place. they use scare tactics and threats to take you to collection. I have filed a complaint with BBB and have since researched Vensure Int'l and their cohorts. I watched your Life-****tering scams & fraud show 6/5/12 I write with hopes that one day you can revisit this topic.I have found many sites with unhappy people such as myself who were duped and ripped off of money some can't afford and should not be forced to pay for a service that does not deliver.
My prayers are with the men and woman who have lost or given away their rights to their children. Everyone should be aware of the laws that govern them but we know this is not possible in all cases. My own mother was almost ordered to give me to my birth father Thank God the judge did not fall for the tricks of this man. He was married and had a family just not a girl, he lied to my mother and the judge about these things and was found out, so the judge found in my mothers favor.