When Jeannette Bajalia, founder of Woman's Worth, an investment management company, received invoices of $2,400 from her hospital, she admits she nearly paid the “outstanding” balance.
“An attachment to an email, that’s a Word document, that’s an invoice," she said as she recalled the message sent to her personal email address. “I’m not going to fall victim to something like that.”
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The veteran author and investment adviser preaches financial independence to women over 50.
Bajalia said many of her clients are “too trusting” and that when the Equifax breach hit, they suddenly realized they could be victims, too.
“It’s scary because they could send the money to…the scammers”, she said.
Topping her list of schemes:
1. Seasonal job scams
• Seasonal employment is very common as people are looking to earn some extra cash.
• A fake job posting will often ask you to pay money upfront for “training costs,” or even a “start-up kit.” If you see information like this in a job posting, that should be a red flag.
2. Gift card scams
• Gift cards are the most popular holiday gift. More than half of consumers say they plan to buy one.
• If you see an online ad or receive an email offering a free gift card, don’t click on the link. It could be designed to collect your personal information. Never give personal information in exchange for a gift card.
• Thieves will also try sending emails saying you’ve won a free gift card, but need to send money to cover shipping and handling.
3. Fake charities
• This is one of the most popular holiday scams as charitable giving reaches a peak during the holiday season.
• Verify that the charity is real before donating and check how much of your money will actually be going to the cause.
For more information about Bajalia's investment group, visit www.womans-worth.com