As we approach the 10th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks on America, a new round of fake donation scams are being used to defraud citizens. Many of these scams involve requests for donations for various good sounding causes associated with the attacks. Beware of any requests that come to you via telephone or internet. Never make a donation until you have verified that the organization is legitimate. Better yet, look up your favorite charity and make the donation proactively instead of responding to unsolicited calls or emails.
Another new scam involves telephone calls from creditors who have looked you up on the internet. These new scammers have found a way to replace their real phone number with the actual phone number of real businesses, local police, the FBI, or other legitimate phone number. These scammers will know almost everything about you including old debts that still may show on some old records. Be very wary of demands for money and NEVER give your debit account number over the phone. The latest scammers will tell you they will not accept checks or money orders and will only accept your bank account information for direct withdrawal. These are not legitimate requests.