Dr. Phil

How Not to Get Scammed

With the country facing economic woes, many Americans are on the lookout for ways to generate extra cash. But are those lucrative offers to work from home and get-rich-quick ads legitimate, or scams designed to swindle consumers? Corbie found out the hard way when she says she registered online to become a mystery shopper. The job came with a check for $4,000, so how did she lose $5,000? Next, Blair says she surfed the Net for a part-time job she could do from home. She was hired for a data entry position paying $35 an hour, so how did this one-time high school valedictorian end up losing thousands? Then, Richard and Cynthia say they were about to retire at 59, but were devastated to learn that they lost everything in an alleged Ponzi scheme. Now Richard fears he and his wife will have to pinch pennies in their golden years. Can the couple get over the guilt of losing their investments and move on? Plus, attorney Steven J. Weisman gives you the tools to protect yourself from con artists, and don’t miss the top 10 most popular scams!