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12/30/2009

Lexington, KY - It's been another busy year at your Better Business Bureau as we continued to warn you of scams hitting the area in our "Don't Fall for It!" alerts. With your help, your Better Business Bureau has been able to warn other Kentucky residents about the latest scams aimed at taking their money during this past year. Here are a few of the more notable scams that surfaced in central and eastern Kentucky.

One scam that brought hundreds of phone calls and emails to your BBB was a round of automated phone calls people received despite being on the "Do Not Call" list. We warned you about these companies' deceptive tactics, and the authorities were able to take action against some of them and shut them down.

The down economy brought a huge surge in foreclosure rescue operations we warned you about….these businesses seemed to offer to save people's homes from foreclosure….but ended up taking their money and doing nothing for them.

Unemployment rates across the nation went up…that meant more activity on legitimate job search websites. Con artists took advantage of that by patrolling those sites hoping to lure desperate job seekers into their scam job offers.

When people lost their jobs, they lost health insurance coverage. That made faxes and phone calls offering what looked like low cost health insurance all the more tempting. But these offers turned out to be medical discount plans, not insurance…some folks paid and THEN later found that their doctors did not accept the limited plans.

And more scams in the areas of sweepstakes, mystery shopping and government grants are still going strong. In the new year, your Better Business Bureau reminds you that if you see a deal that sounds too good to be true, check it out first with your BBB, and don't fall for it!

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Be a "Don’t Fall for It!" informant! If you have something to share you believe may be a fraudulent offer or scam, please let the BBB know! Call us at (859) 259-1008 or toll-free, 1-800-866-6668, or email us at info@lexbbb.com.