Be On The Lookout For Mass Marketing Scams: An Overview By Faisal Abidi

Mass marketing fraud is a situation of misconduct carried out by fraudsters using mass media as a tool. Fraudsters hide behind emails, letters, phones, or adverts to create fictitious stories and false promises to lure the victims. The scammers spare no one regardless of the individual’s age and their walks of life; they claim that you have won significant amounts of money as cash prizes or that you will be getting an opportunity to get “free” goods and services by paying up-front fees, taxes and sometimes donations.

It won’t be misleading to call mass marketing scams a form of consumer fraud. In a recent interview with marketing experts like Faisal Abidi, it was observed that you might be on the verge of getting scammed if:

• Someone is pitching their sales ideas for something they don’t even have. It might be a sign to back out; otherwise, you’ll be paying in exchange for nothing.
• Someone is thrusting their sales ideas on you using oppressive marketing tactics. It would help if you backed off before falling into the trap and becoming a marketing fraud victim.
• Someone asks you to buy a meager or average product for a rather sizable amount of money. In that case, you must drop the offer. 

Impact Of Mass Marketing Scams

Faisal Abidi takes a serious dig at mass marketing scams and states how it has become an international concern; a recent study showed that millions of people lose millions of dollars yearly to them. This kind of marketing spam impacts the victims financially and jeopardizes their psychological health. It is also shameful how criminals hide online and engender trust within victims until they give up the amount of money.

Here is the list of common scam tactics persuaded by the criminals:

1. Foreign Lotteries & Sweepstakes
2. Credit & Loan Scams
3. Charity Scams
4. Overpayment Scams

Scroll down to the next section and learn more about the scam tactics one by one.

Mass Marketing Scams You Need To Beware Of

Foreign Lotteries & Sweepstakes

Say you receive a call/email/letter stating that you have won a sweepstake or a lottery, and it could be anything from an iPad to a new car; you must not entertain such calls. Scammers try to catch your attention by exaggerating about the lottery or prize you have “won,” then they will ask you to pay money to claim those things. This is one of the most prevalent consumer frauds until now.

Credit & Loan Scams

As the marketing and advertising enthusiast Faisal Abidi pointed out, fraudsters specifically target victims who have non-existent or poor credit and are also in need of a credit card or loan. Moreover, you might also receive a call or an email stating that your credit score is low and you are in desperate need of credit repair services. But none of the services you are offered would require an advance payment to start the process.

Charity Scams

The worst kind of mass marketing scam is the charity scam; in charity scams, fraudsters take advantage of an innocent’s generosity who wants to do good for the society. Scammers solicit donations in the name of a charity that doesn’t even exist or will exist, for that matter. Criminals are aware of how people open their hearts while donating to help veterans, the elderly, or people who find it difficult to rebuild their lives after a drastic disaster. 

Overpayment Scams

Having years’ worth of experience in the marketing world, Faisal Abidi suggests that you need to be skeptical when someone claims that they have “accidentally” paid extra for the purchase through check or money order and now they need the payment difference. These checks or money orders you receive are counterfeits, and your financial institution can press charges against you while fraudsters enjoy running far away with your money.

Now that you are familiar with the types of mass marketing scams you need to be aware of, you must learn some strategies to use to protect yourself against them. Check out the next section to gather battling tips against the marketing scams.

Tips To Protect Yourself From Getting Scammed

If you think that you are trapped into being a victim of mass marketing fraud, below-mentioned are some of the prevention tips; check out:

First-Aids To Fight Mass Marketing Scams

• No matter how enticing it might seem, don’t believe every word you are told; if you find a scheme too good to trust, then simply don’t. Do your research and take some time to retrospect if you really want to participate in the scheme or not.
• Say ‘NO’ to a business proposal that requires you to pay upfront to claim a prize you earned; you shouldn’t pay for something already yours!
• Ensure you verify the representatives’ credentials before doing business with them. Also, do not forget to get all the offers, prizes, and lottery details in legitimate writing so you’d have proof even if things go south.
• Don’t deposit checks from companies that claim they’re being sent to pay lottery prize fees or taxes.

Second Step

• Empowering businesses through exceptional branding and marketing solutions, Faisal Abidi suggests that there is nothing to be embarrassed about. 
• Fraudsters work slyly and are highly-trained con artists; report scams at their initial stage, and you might find your way out as soon as possible.
• You stand a high chance of getting your money back and bringing the fraudsters to justice if you report the crime promptly.

Conclusion

There are a few hallmarks related to mass marketing fraud that you must overcome to rejoice in the marketing landscape safely. It is good to be skeptical if a scheme appears too good to be true, you are asked for an advance payment in exchange for the services, offers you receive are unsolicited or financial information is being requested over a phone call. Fraudsters urge you to buy a scheme by creating a sense of emergency and luring you into their oppressing marketing tactics; do not entertain schemes that you don’t trust or take professionals’ advice to get out of the situation seamlessly.