People who cheat other people out of their hard-earned money are the lowest of the low in my opinion. Especially if someone is looking to steal from the elderly, I have zero sympathies for that person's "reasons".

Each Monday, Chris Babin, Vice President, and Chief Operations Officer at the Better Business Bureau of Acadiana, details for us, a local case of where someone has taken advantage of someone else, or an attempt was made to do that.

I like to write about these stories because it takes a very strong person to come forward to say they have been scammed, but they do it for the betterment of others, and in my book, that's righteous. People who haven't been scammed can also report how criminals tried to scam them. Why? Because knowledge is power. These people who make these reports are heroes in my book.

There is a great tool on the Better Business Bureau of Acadiana's website called Scam Tracker. It's a useful and fascinating tool to know exactly what kinds of scams criminals are trying to perpetrate on the kind people of Acadiana. It's useful because you can report a scam, and it's also useful as you can see what scams are being perpetrated in your area.

Babin says that one recent scam has to do with social media. Most people who are wanting to sell items on Facebook Marketplace are legitimate, but there are some people looking to prey on others.

In this highlighted scam a woman claimed to be a veteran whose husband died, and she was trying to sell off his items as they were too painful to look at. She was selling a golf cart for $800. A person in the Broussard/Youngsville area sent her four, two hundred dollar gift cards. She then made a fake eBay email saying they needed six hundred dollars for shipping. The person sent three more gift cards. It was all a scam. She was a big fat liar.

The person who sent the gift cards who lives in the 70592 zip code needs to be commended for coming forward about his experience because he will be helping the next person to avoid getting ripped off.

Babin offers several pieces of advice,

  • If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
  • Never pay for items on social marketplaces with gift cards.
  • Scrutinize invoices, statements etc, including any websites to make sure they are legitimate.
  • Meet in a public place to buy or sell items. Many police departments provide locations for these transactions on their premises.
  • Never let someone pressure you into giving them money or information.

If you would like to check out a business, you can get plenty of information at the BBB"s website. You can also leave a review of a local business and even ask for assistance if you've had difficulty with a company.

Babin says they also encourage anyone who is unsure about a deal, offer, or business practice, to call their office. He says, "That's what we are here for.

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