Don't Get Ripped Off at New Year's, Schemes to Avoid

OHIO - Attorney General Mike DeWine doesn't want you to lose your money this holiday season, and neither does Patch. That's why we're sharing some of the most important tips to remember going into 2017, and what scams tend to unfold around this time of year.

First, almost everyone wants to shed a few pounds in the coming year. One of the ways we try to motivate ourselves is spending money to commit ourselves to the act of working out and eating healthy. Namely, people join gyms.

Yet, by the time June rolls around (or February for some), most of us are back to worrying about our day-to-day family and business obligations, not hammering leg day. So it can come as quite a shock when that gym membership bill smashes your account and leaves your checkbook feeling sore for days. Some gyms will also try and fool people into signing up for multi-year contracts.

DeWine notes in a statement that, "Under Ohio law, consumers generally have three business days to cancel a contract with a fitness center, and the contracts generally shouldn’t last longer than three years."

Second, use those gift cards people. If your family or friends shelled out for a gift card to your favorite restaurant (or Amazon, or whatever), you'll want to check when it expires. Most will last five years. That said, promotional gift cards sometimes expire sooner. Don't get stuck with a useless piece of plastic. Oh, and the longer you have them without spending them, the more likely you are to lose them.

Good Practices for 2017

DeWine also offers some good practices to follow as we enter a new year. Start by changing the passwords you use. If you're using something simple (like your child's birthday, or your last name) you'll want to get something more complex and unique. Try to concoct a password that involves a gaggle of numbers and phrases that people may not immediately associate with you.

If your child has a credit record, parents and guardians can now legally freeze that record to halt identity thefts. You can also freeze your own account, if you're an adult, to get similar protections. As a rule, it's good to regularly check your own bank accounts as well. The holiday season is a popular time for thieves to grab your identity and pilfer what they can.

"Following holiday purchases, review your credit card charges and bank account statements. Compare them to your receipts," DeWine says. "If you find unauthorized charges, immediately contact your bank or creditor to dispute the charges."

Protect Yourself All Year

Finally, let's review a few tips that are good to remember year-round. Let's start with the one your parents probably taught you: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. That free Caribbean vacation you won last week? That's a scam. The winning lotto ticket you're pretty sure you didn't buy? Also a scam. That 50" television online that costs only $100? You guessed it...scam.

Ultimately, any offer that seems to good to be true, probably is.

Also, be cognizant of the fact scams take many shapes and forms. Anyone that is claiming to be an official of any variety who claims you have to pay a fine via gift card or wire transfer is scamming you. Gift cards and wire transfers are extremely difficult for police to track and recover, which is why thieves like to default to those methods of payment.

Don't open links or attachments that are questionable, even if they come from the hilarious guy at your office or your brother. Some links online are designed to download malware to your computer, so be careful where you're clicking and what you're opening on your computer.

We all have a lot to look out for in 2017, but following these tips will help protect everyone from future scams.

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