Lamb on the Run: Just in time for the holiday season, lots of scams coming your way

Some Green Valley folks have recently reported what appear to be scams…You never know if you’ve fallen for a fraud until you don’t get the promised goods…

…Helen Clark said her husband James Soule got a card saying it was an “Article Release Notice” and added he’d have to forward a $6.95 storage fee to get it in the mail…

…The card indicated there was an envelope holding $50 worth of jewelry awaiting his payment…

…I guess the package of jewelry is still waiting in Naples, Fla.…

…And also last week tax accountant Audrey Mehlhaffe said she got a call from someone saying he could help reduce the interest she pays on her credit cards…The caller said he represented two banks, and she’s not a customer of either…After a few questions by Audrey the caller hung up…

…And the Arlington, Texas Police Department has a list of suggestion to keep your life fraud free...

One tip-off to a telephone solicitation scam is a very low-priced offer. Few legitimate businesses can afford to give away things of real value or substantially undercut everyone else’s price. Be cautious if you hear the following types of offers:

An offer of free gifts that requires you to pay shipping and handling charges, redemption fees, or gift taxes before delivery. The gift may be worth less than the extra charges.

Get-rich quick schemes that promise “high-profit, no risk” investments in gold, oil, gas, real estate or gems. No high-profit investment is free of risk.

High-pressure sales tactics to get you to “act now” because the offer will not be available tomorrow. If it is a good deal today, it is usually a good deal tomorrow.

“Buy one, get one free” travel, vacation or similar deals. The first one may cost more than the entire package is worth.

Your favorite charity: some telephone solicitation schemes claim to be acting on behalf of charities.

Callers may claim to work for charities that do not exist or are not legitimate.

Often, these callers will use a name that sounds like that of a well-known charity.

Phony contests offering prizes. Usually no contest has been held, and everyone is a winner.

To claim your prize, you may be asked to provide your credit card or bank account number for verification purposes.

The prize may have very little value, and the telephone solicitor may take your credit card number or bank account information and bill you for merchandise that you did not order.

Newspapers or magazine ads offering jobs, credit repair services, or personal loan services. You are instructed to dial a toll-free 800 number for more information, and are then given a sales pitch and told to call a 900 number to get further information.

Dialing a 900 number costs you by the minute, from a few dollars to more than $50 per minute.

These charges then appear on your phone bill.

Often, the “job listings” are nothing more than what you find in the classified section of the newspaper.

Foreign lotteries. Although it is illegal to purchase tickets in a foreign lottery, scam artists will sell you tickets under the pretense that you are part of a pool of ticket purchasers sure to win and split the proceeds.

…And don’t look now, but it’s NOT illegal to buy to Mexican lottery tickets if you go across the line into Nogales…But you can’t bring them home with you legally…

For eight hours on Nov. 26, the day before Thanksgiving, the Arizona Department of Public Safety stationed police vehicles every 20 miles on Interstate 40 and Interstate 10…Says the state cops, “During this eight-hour period which began at 3 p.m. and ended at 11 p.m., there were a total 505 photo enforcement activations resulting in 436 notices of violations…

…Wouldn’t you hate to get a ticket, and then 20 miles up the road get another?…

…Since Sept. 26, there have been lots of camera enforcement tickets handed out, including two separate incidents of drivers going 130 miles an hour…

Some interesting things to do this weekend…Tubac Luminaria Nights from sundown to 9 p.m. Sunday…

…The Cascabel Fair’s final day is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m…Take the road north of Benson’s Exit 306 to mile marker 20…Lots of local arts and crafts and there’s food available for lunch and snacks…

…And at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 10, the Tubac Singers will perform a Christmas concert in the old church at Tumac‡cori…Tickets are $20 and to make reservations call 398-2371, the Tubac Center of the Arts…

Jim Lamb’s a reporter for the Green Valley News, and a very careful driver, he says…He says the only time he’s driven 130 miles an hour was in reverse to the top of Mount Hopkins…just kidding,

jlamb@gvnews.com | 547-9749