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Last Updated on by SCARS Editorial Team

SCARSSCARS SCARS - Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. A government registered crime victims' assistance & crime prevention nonprofit organization based in Miami, Florida, U.S.A. SCARS supports the victims of scams worldwide and through its partners in more than 60 countries around the world. Incorporated in 2015, its team has 30 years of continuous experience educating and supporting scam victims. Visit www.AgainstScams.org to learn more about SCARS.™ ScamScam A Scam is a confidence trick - a crime -  is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their trust through deception. Scams or confidence tricks exploit victims using their credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, irresponsibility, or greed and exploiting that. Researchers have defined confidence tricks as "a distinctive species of fraudulent conduct ... intending to further voluntary exchanges that are not mutually beneficial", as they "benefit con operators ('con men' - criminals) at the expense of their victims (the 'marks')". A scam is a crime even if no money was lost. Basics: Trial Subscription ScamsScams A Scam is a confidence trick - a crime -  is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their trust through deception. Scams or confidence tricks exploit victims using their credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, irresponsibility, or greed and exploiting that. Researchers have defined confidence tricks as "a distinctive species of fraudulent conduct ... intending to further voluntary exchanges that are not mutually beneficial", as they "benefit con operators ('con men' - criminals) at the expense of their victims (the 'marks')". A scam is a crime even if no money was lost.

Scam Alert: How to Recognize and Avoid a Subscription Trap

You’re reviewing your bank or credit card statement when you stumble upon a charge that you can’t recall. The description doesn’t help either. The following month, the same charge appears, and again the next month. You may have fallen into a subscription trap.

Subscription Traps Entice Consumers To Sign Up For A Free Trial To Access A Limited Time Offer, Or An Online Service, A Publication, Etc.

You might see them in advertisements on social media, sponsored news articles, or pop-up surveys on websites. The companies may offer a variety of goods like health or beauty products.

Dishonest companies may sign you up for a monthly subscription without your knowledge. They may hide the link to the terms and conditions or pre-check sign-up or acceptance boxes. Others resort to strict cancellation clauses that make it difficult to stop delivery and billing.

WHAT TO DO BEFORE YOU SIGN UP FOR A FREE TRIAL:

  1. Research the company. See what other people are saying about the company’s free trial. Many complaints from other customers might be a warning that it’s a subscription trap.
  2. Read the terms and conditions. Look for information about how to cancel an order or return a product, time limits, or charges for more products. If you can’t find or understand the terms, don’t sign up.
  3. Check if the signup form has pre-checked boxes. These may sign you up for unwanted products and charges. If you see them bail out!

WHAT TO DO AFTER YOU SIGN UP FOR A FREE TRIAL:

  1. Know when the trial offer ends: Mark the date so you know when to cancel to avoid unwanted charges.
  2. Read your credit card statements and look for unauthorized charges.
  3. If you have difficulty canceling your subscription, you can contact your credit card provider, your local consumer protection organization, or your local law enforcement agency for help.

However!

Many times your financial institution will not be able or not willing to provide significant help to stop a specific charge. In these cases the most effective solution is to report the charge as FRAUDFraud In law, fraud is intentional deception to secure unfair or unlawful gain (money or other assets), or to deprive a victim of a legal right. Fraud can violate civil law (e.g., a fraud victim may sue the fraud perpetrator to avoid the fraud or recover monetary compensation) or criminal law (e.g., a fraud perpetrator may be prosecuted and imprisoned by governmental authorities), or it may cause no loss of money, property, or legal right but still be an element of another civil or criminal wrong. The purpose of fraud may be monetary gain or other benefits, for example by obtaining a passport, travel document, or driver's license, or mortgage fraud, where the perpetrator may attempt to qualify for a mortgage by way of false statements. A fraud can also be a hoax, which is a distinct concept that involves deliberate deception without the intention of gain or of materially damaging or depriving a victim. to your financial institution and change your card number – if it is an ACH that comes directly out of your checking account ask you bank to change the account number – just remember that important payments or deposits could be linked to this. If you change numbers remember to notify your business or government entities for the new numbers immediately to avoid interruption of important services.

Remember that YOU are responsible for the charges that appear in your account and active review is essential to avoid fraud!

 

TAGS: SCARS, Important Article, Information About Scams, Anti-Scam, Scams, Scammers, Fraudsters, Cybercrime, Crybercriminals, Credit Card Fraud