Advertise on podcast: Better Beware! – WFHB

Big thanks to a regular Better Beware listener! He sent an email to [email protected] telling about a scam he spotted in time. He was smart enough to avoid being ripped off by a phony ad on Facebook Marketplace, and it turns out to be a nasty, sneaky tactic that could be applied in lots of …

The outrageous ways some phony charities steal people’s money to enrich their founders and operators can be pretty hard to believe when you do a little research into the subject. It’s imporant to know just how bad things can get — and even more important to understand why WFHB isn’t anything like that — not …

Please Give! You hear that all the time these days, everywhere you go, and there are very good reasons why you should — more people than ever need more help than ever…along with pets, wildlife, the environment, research, and a great many other good causes. More money than ever is going to charity, and scammers …

Robocalls have exploded and the explosion continues to grow like a mushroom cloud, partly thanks to scammers who use AI. You probably get robocalls and robo-text-messages all the time these days. Here’s a look at the extent of the problem, and a good method to reduce the annoyance to something you can live with. This …

The internet is now a worldwide war zone. Scammers in many countries have whole buildings full of people working scams online, and many of those are actually slaves, forced to work for starvation wages. But there’s some news which is both good and shocking: Cambodia cracked down on the “scam industry” in their country, and …

Are you responsible with money? Can you be trusted to pay your bills? Are you in debt? Your financial affairs aren’t just between you and your bank anymore. Three major companies are tracking your spending, and what they think about you can make a big difference in your life. Here’s the basic information on how …

We all get hit on all the time now, don’t we? Here are some of the failed attempts con artists have recently made to steal my identity, and my money. Here’s how I knew they were scams, and how I protect myself from the relentless barrage of fraud that threatens us every day. Any time …

They did it again – made the happy mistake of leaving a scam voicemail on my phone. Here’s the whole pitch, with a detailed analysis of how obviously fraudulent it is, and why. It’s actually a lot of fun to point out the many ways you can tell when a call from someone you don’t …

This is a relatively new problem but it’s getting worse and worse so fast that it needs another mention, even though we covered it earlier this year. Back then I’d only heard about it, and now I’ve run into it quite often. The CAPTCHA program you’re seeing on more and more websites is used to …

The FBI is warning about a bit upsurge in real estate fraud — especially on land that’s out in the country, and land that isn’t being used. Vacant lots, farmland, pastureland, or any place that hasn’t been developed. Fake sellers bamboozle honest real estate agents into selling, and the real owner may not find out …

On the old “A-Team” TV show, George Peppard used to say “I love it when a plan comes together.” Well, I love it when the swindlers do my work for me! And with perfect timing, too. Just as I was trying to figure out what to say in this episode, a nasty — and extremely …

People who live out in the country often feel more isolated than city-dwellers, and that can make them better targets for some kinds of fraud. Rural communities have fewer resources — like law enforcement and social services — and they’re not as easily available as they are “in town.” Rural fraud is on the upswing, …

They’re all over the internet. You see them on all kinds of websites, especially news websites, and they are found on ALL social media websites. There’s a headline or a picture that says something intriguing, and makes you want to find out more. If you click the link, it usually turns out to be disappointing …

Con Artists can get extremely creative — and bold. Here’s a look at a couple of famous swindles that succeeded simply because they were so audacious the victims couldn’t believe anyone would try something that crazy. The “Big Lie” is a well-proven tactic, used by scammers, dictators, politicians and others…because it works.

Travel can be expensive — and if you get ripped off, it can be REALLY expensive. There are so many ways scammers prey on travelers, when planning a trip, booking a trip, and while on a trip that we can’t possibly mention them all, but here are some basic ways to stay safe and not …