Beware of Free Group Scamsby Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger 08 Nov 2008 07:09 AM
Free group scams are modeled after legitimate free, trading and sharing groups. The good groups let you give away items you don't want for free, get items you need for free, and trade your existing non-wanted items for other items that you can use. These groups are great ways to be frugal, save money and make ends meet. These groups never ask for anything other than your participation and willingness to reciprocate when you can offer something of your own to share. In contrast, scam sites want your money, plain and simple. They may charge a fee for joining and promise that you'll get it all back in the form of all of the great free stuff you'll acquire. Or, the service or website may be free to use, but you are then charged an outrageous shipping or handling fee when you find an item you would like to have. Another way that these con artists are scamming frugal folks is by asking for information that they don't need, such as social security numbers, and then using that information to steal your identity. Never give our personal information like this. Legitimate groups may need your name and address, although not always. Finally, even within a legitimate group, you can find individuals that are trying to scam you. If you suspect a person of trying to scam you, contact your groups administrators, who will most likely ban that person from the group. Here are some groups that are legitimate sources for trades and free offers: Freecycle.org, Paperbackswap.org, Swaptree.com, Bookmooch.com and NeighBORROW.com. Click here for more articles by Mary Ann Romans. A New Free Sample Site: Costco! High Value Strategies for Paperback Swap 3 Factory Tours Are Fun And Free!
Just look to the right of this blog and find the subscription center (it looks just like this picture, although you'll have to find the "real" one just above the category listing ). Click on "Subscribe via Email". You'll be instantly subscribed and the email address that you registered at Families.com with will receive an instant notification whenever we post a new Frugal Living Blog! Don't miss a thing - subscribe now! Learn more about Mary Ann Romans  Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat. Relevantfrugal tags User Comments Tashi (1013) 10 Nov 2008 05:52 AMThanks for the info! I've never used those types of web sites before. But it's always good to get tips and reminders like those you gave, in case we do decide to use the "free" sites.  Mary Ann Romans (26791) 10 Nov 2008 07:07 AMIt is a shame that so many people have to try and take advantage of people who are trying to save their resources. Community Tags Freecycle, freebies, paperbackswap, stuff for free Discuss this article
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