The Better Business Bureau warns consumers to beware of an ad popping up on Craigslist.com, promising hundreds of dollars to those who were unemployed last year. This is a scam aimed at getting personal and financial information.
Here’s the pitch:
$600 Financial assistance for children of the homeless and unemployed
Financial assistance program available for children of homeless and unemployed persons. We offer $600 per child per household. The adult must be the legal guardian of the child. The adult must also have been homeless or unemployed in 2009. The child must not have been claimed as a dependent by anyone else for the year. Call now for more information 1-800-217-9750.
Location: Maryland
Compensation: $600
BBB ADVICE
Don’t get thrown by the demographic descriptor: “Maryland.” This ad is running using a variety of location types. If you call 800-217-9750 to claim your $600, someone will identify their location as The Love Foundation.
While that name is employed by some charities, this is not one of them. The second red flag you’ll notice after you call is that the scammers ask you to provide your full Social Security Number.
Never divulge personal or financial information over the phone unless you are 100% sure of who you’re talking to. Beware of Craigslist opportunities that sound too good to be true. Call the BBB for a free report on a company before doing business or visit www.bbb.org.
For more information on this scam, Google “800-217-9750. If you’re a Northern California resident and participated or have more information on this scam, please call Katie at 916-443-6843.
Do not divulge personal information to anyone who solicits information over the phone. Before making any purchase, always be sure to obtain a BBB report as part of your decision making process. For reports on businesses and for information about BBB services, visit our website at www.bbb.org or call (916) 443-6843.