Consumer Blog
Harsh reality: Scammers will do anything to get money, including faking cancer
I just finished reading an article on ScamBusters.org that really shook me to the core. Unfortunately, in this day and age, almost everyone has lost a family member or friend to cancer. When I read stories of people and families who struggle to battle this disease, my heart breaks—and that is exactly the reaction that some scammers hope to get.
The so-called "cancer fraud" scam works like this: A cancer-free person shares a story with the world that he or she has the disease and isn't financially stable enough to seek medical treatment. This dubious claim is targeted at churches, non-profit organizations and specific people to get money and gifts. Those of us who have lost a loved-one to the disease are good candidates that could fall victim to this type of scam. This rip-off is a hard to uncover, because scammers have found a way to forge records stating that they are sick. Not to mention, it's pretty hard to say, "I need proof that you really have cancer."
Con-artists who are capable of such a wicked offense, have found two effective ways of pulling off their scam. They may reach out to their community by asking for assistance and in return, they receive money and sometimes gifts. Or, they could choose to target their victims via email. The "Nigerian fee cancer emails"--often sent to religious organizations--state that a woman has cancer and needs assistance. The bonus is that she has millions of dollars set aside that she will send when she recovers!
So, how do you protect yourself from this type of scam, but still give to a cause that you care about? Ultimately, it is safer to give to a legitimate organization that helps cancer patients and their families than to give to an individual--whom you don't know--that is making the claim that he or she is ill. Many charities provide their mission and financial information to our office. Visit our our Check-a-Charity page to learn more. Secondly, if you receive an email suggesting you send money to an individual and in exchange they'll send you millions, be wary! This type of email is almost always a scam.
Technorati Tags: Cancer fraud, Cancer scam, Nigerian fee cancer email, cancer email, charitable giving to cancer patients, moagoconsumer, consumer protection
Posted by on January 3, 2008 12:21 pm :: Comments (3) :: Permalink
3 Responses to "Harsh reality: Scammers will do anything to get money, including faking cancer"
says:
January 9, 2008 9:50 am
The LATEST Scam is from people (possibly Nigerians) are sending out EMAIL to property OWNERS from a FISBO and Yahoo/Google Home for Sale list, offering to buy their homes. They "Live" in UK, and are going to send you Money, which you then have to send to their 'agent' who will come and inspect the home for them. this is the Bait and Switch of FUNDS scheme. Advertisers and HOMEOWNERS beware. If you want more information on this let me know.
says:
January 17, 2008 2:08 pm
I'am a career construction professional. I took a very close look at the "foundation repair industry" for a new employment opportunity. What I discovered is an industry where many companies claim to be able to provide "lifetime warranties" to homeowners to correct problems ranging from water intrusion to foundation settling, cracked and damaged foundation walls. The idea of a "lifetime warratable" repair is counter-intuitive simply beacuse it is needed in the first place.
My advice to any homeowner who has a foundation problem, is to first retain an experienced,licensed civil engineer, who specializes in your area . Be weary if he/she recommends a specfic foundation repair company to do the work. Do not rely on the opinion of a foundation repair company salesman.
Most water intrusion problems are the result of the homeowner failing to maintain adequate water drainage measures, such as roofing, gutters and yard grading. Trees, plantings and other landscaping, can over time, cause water to flow towards the foundation. Before any comprehensive repair can be effectively, proper water management must re-established. The collective goal should always be to get water to move outwards, away from the house as much possible. I recommend at least five feet from the foundation, with the yard grade sloping away from the house.
If the civil engineer determines that "structural" wall repair is needed, get at least three bids from at least three different licensed and insured General Contractors. My experience is that you will pay more for a correctly engineered and professionally performed repair, than you will for a "quick fix repair" (ie: piering, wall bracing, wall pullback/tie, water-proofing, etc.) These "quick fix repairs" performed by foundation repair companies are in many cases done without first obtaining a permit from local codes enforcement officials. The reason is because they don't want officals to see what they are doing. If forced to comply with local building codes and permitting procedures, I suspect that many "foundation repair" companies would fold because they rely on charming salesmen, high-pressure sales tactics, and "quick" repairs to "fly under the radar" of codes inforcement officals. The industry standard for "foundation repairs" is a 50% profit margin. The industry proudly calls this "quick and dirty profits".
Additionally, foundation repair salesmen, prey on older and uninformed homeowners, who are desparate to get something done to repair their home, within their budget. I found that most foundation repair companies will "work with your budget", that is to say they will take what you can afford and perhaps provide a slick, half-measure repair.
Construction is a science, governed by building codes that have been adopted into law and specify home construction and repair including foundations. Comprehensive, correct and proper repairs cannot be dectated and determined by how much someone can afford.
This short easy is just the "tip of the ice-berg" so to speak. Consumers should be aware of just how these companies operate. In my opinion the "foundation repair industry deserves a very close examination by local and state oficials.
says:
May 11, 2009 3:12 pm
You (or the author on scambusters) have talked about the funds, donations or charities collected in the name of cancer (fake cancer as you say). That's really terrifying but what is more terrifying to me is the people (patients) are told that they are patients of cancer which most of the time is not true. I am talking about the scam artists who hoard money by playing with the psyche of the people. Cancer is a serious and terrifying disease. The very word "cancer" is enough to scare the socks off of average people. The scam artists of the world know this. They make very, very large fortunes by preying on the fear of cancer that is coupled with a basic mistrust of "the system" that those who are part of the baby boomer generation have. We are involved in a business of curing and informing people about <a href="http://www.mesothelioma-data.com">mesothelioma</a> (type of cancer caused by asbestos) and we hear a lot of same cases most of the times. I've come across to two common types of scam in our field. 1- Patients (without cancer) are told that they are infected with cancer or some diseases which will lead to cancer. 2- Patients (really infected with cancer disease) are devised alternative cure for better health and better results without any side effects. Patients, who are afraid of the side effects of the treatment for cancer, are easily deceived. In both cases, no matter how much you pay for these bogus treatments, they aren't going to work. Well, they WILL work to line the pockets of the creeps that are out there promoting them, but they won't work to cure cancer. To avoid 1st type of scam, it is recommended that one must confirm that whether he is a patient or not. Consulting different doctors and specialists will help a lot. To avoid the second type of scam, cancer patients just need to be aware that so far, there IS NOT a cure within or outside of "the system." There is treatment, though. And more and more cancers are being cured everyday. There IS hope, so don't give up. Don't fall prey to these creeps.
