Don't get ripped off by these new scams

Scams are so common these days that you can usually guess with some degree of accuracy which ones to expect by simply taking a look at the news.

So I'm not surprised that our recent floods have produced at least a trickle of con games ranging from shoddy repair work to people trying to dump some flood-damaged cars.

The state Attorney General's Office recently warned people of potential scams, reporting that the Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management had been warned of one by a homeowner.

The homeowner said a caller claiming to be a federal employee offered a low-interest loan to repair flood-damaged homes, according to Kristin Alexander of the Attorney General's Office.

She said the agency suspects the caller was either trying to gain personal information that could be used for identity theft or was trying to get money directly.

Bailouts from the feds are pretty common these days, but I think it's safe to say that federal employees aren't cold-calling people on the telephone to give them a low-interest loan.

A much more common practice is for people to be offered repairs by unlicensed electricians, plumbers, roofers and others. The repairs done by such people can be ridiculously expensive and often involve shoddy work or equipment. The workers generally aren't bonded or backed by insurance.

Before hiring any worker, check with the state Department of Labor and Industries to make sure he or she is licensed and registered. You can do that by visiting www.contractors.lni.wa.gov.

Submerged wires and equipment shouldn't be re-­energized by an unqualified worker because they can cause a fire or electrocution. The last thing you need is someone who doesn't know what he or she is doing.

For the same reason, the Attorney General's Office warned people to carefully inspect any used cars they're considering buying during the next few months. Cars submerged in the floods may seem normal, but they usually have problems once the waters subside. Typical are chronic mildew or corroded wires that can lead to electrical failures, Alexander said.

She recommended that potential car buyers research the title and vehicle identification number and have a trained mechanic carefully inspect the vehicle inside and out.

Another scam that showed up in my inbox in recent weeks was an e-mail purportedly from the Internal Revenue Service that contained a "Stimulus Payment form it's ready for you to submit."

The note was pretty straightforward.

"After the last annual calculations of your fiscal activity, we have determined that you are eligible to receive a Stimulus Payment. Please submit the Stimulus Payment Online Form in order to process it. To submit you Stimulus Payment form, please download the document attached to your e-mail.

"Note: If filing or preparation fees were deducted from your 2007 Refund or you received a refund anticipation loan, you will be receiving a check instead of a direct deposit.

"Regards, Internal Revenue Service"

I didn't check the form because I don't like to open up e-mail attachments from people I don't know that could include viruses or other bad things. But I'm sure the message was a scam, probably trying to get me to put a bunch of my financial information onto the form so someone can use it to rip me off.

Just as I'm sure the feds aren't cold-calling people with cheap loans, I'm also pretty sure they aren't doing any "annual calculations of (my) fiscal activity..."

Oh well. Another day of news, another scam.

I didn't see any scams last week about the inauguration of our new president. But I'm sure they're out there and I would expect to start seeing them soon.

Mike Benbow: 425-339-3459 or benbow@heraldnet.com.