Online Scams
Protecting your equity, identity, and peace of mind from the modern economy's slickest grifters and hacks.
Spotting a Rotten Ticket Broker: Protect Your Money and Your Night Out
Ticket, Mortgage and Insurance Brokering · You planned for weeks. Your favorite band’s final tour, or maybe a championship game with a lifelong friend. You type the event name into a search engine, click on a site that looks official, and before you know it, you’ve paid three hundred doll...
Insurance Broker Fraud: Protecting Your Coverage
Ticket, Mortgage and Insurance Brokering · When you need insurance, you might turn to a broker expecting someone who will shop around and put your interests first. But in the real world, not every broker deserves that trust. Some are outright thieves. They take your premium payment, promise y...
The Mortgage Broker’s Hidden Commission: How to Tell If They’re Working for You or Their Own Wallet
Ticket, Mortgage and Insurance Brokering · When you sit down with a mortgage broker, you assume they are on your side. After all, they are supposed to find you the best loan, shop multiple lenders, and walk you through the paperwork. But here is the uncomfortable truth: mortgage brokers do no...
The Unreputable Insurance Broker: Red Flags You Can’t Afford to Ignore
Ticket, Mortgage and Insurance Brokering · You’ve seen the ads. A smiling face promises to cut your auto or home insurance premiums in half, then hands you a business card with a glossy logo. But when a claim goes sideways, that same person stops returning your calls. That is the reality of...
How to Spot a Rogue Ticket Broker Before You Get Scammed
Ticket, Mortgage and Insurance Brokering · You want to see your favorite band from the 70s one last time, or maybe you’ve been saving up for a playoff game your grandkids can brag about. You go online, find tickets at a reasonable price, click buy, and feel great—until the day of the even...
The Mortgage Broker’s Bait and Switch: How They Swap Your Loan and Your Wallet
Ticket, Mortgage and Insurance Brokering · You are shopping for a mortgage. You call a broker who promises a 6.5 percent rate with no points and an appraisal fee of five hundred dollars. You shake hands, sign a few preliminary forms, and feel good about locking in a deal that saves you fiftee...
Ticket Brokers: How Bait-and-Switch and Hidden Fees Cost You Real Money
Ticket, Mortgage and Insurance Brokering · You are standing in line for a sold-out concert, or maybe your kid’s championship game, and the only way in is through a ticket broker. You have heard the horror stories: tickets that never arrive, seats that don’t exist, prices that double at ch...
The Mortgage Rate Lock Trap: How Brokers Get You to Pay More
Ticket, Mortgage and Insurance Brokering · You find a mortgage broker who promises a rock-bottom rate. You lock it in, breathe easy, and start planning your move. Then, a week before closing, the broker calls with bad news: rates have moved, and your lock requires an extension fee. Or worse, ...
Ticket Broker Scams: How Middle-Class Americans Get Burned
Ticket, Mortgage and Insurance Brokering · You want to see your favorite band one last time or take the family to the big playoff game. You search online, find a website that looks legitimate, and pay top dollar for seats that never arrive. Or they arrive but are counterfeit, or the section a...
Your Mortgage Broker Might Be Working Against You – Here’s How to Tell
Ticket, Mortgage and Insurance Brokering · You walk into a mortgage broker’s office hoping to lock in a decent rate on your refinance or home purchase. The broker seems friendly, talks fast, and promises you the best deal in town. But what if that deal isn’t really for you? What if the br...
The Mortgage Broker Bait-and-Switch: How That Low Rate Can Cost You Thousands
Ticket, Mortgage and Insurance Brokering · You see an advertisement for a mortgage rate that is a full percentage point below what every other lender is offering. The promise is clear: a 3.5 percent fixed rate when everyone else is at 4.5 percent. You call the broker, who sounds friendly and ...
The Ticket Broker Trap: How Middle-Class Americans Get Fleeced on Concerts and Games
Ticket, Mortgage and Insurance Brokering · You’ve been planning that concert or playoff game for months. The tickets go on sale, and within minutes they’re gone. Then you see a website offering the same seats at twice the price, with a small “official reseller” logo that looks convinc...
How to Spot a Dishonest Mortgage Broker Before You Sign
Ticket, Mortgage and Insurance Brokering · Buying a home is probably the biggest financial move you will ever make. That makes the mortgage broker you choose just as important as the house itself. A good broker saves you thousands and guides you through the paperwork. A bad one can cost you t...
How Mortgage Brokers Can Cost You Thousands: Spotting the Red Flags
Ticket, Mortgage and Insurance Brokering · You are sitting across the desk from a mortgage broker who promises you the best rate on a refinance or a new home loan. He smiles, shakes your hand, and assures you that he has your best interests at heart. Maybe he even shows you a lower monthly pa...
The Warning Signs of a Dishonest Ticket Broker
Ticket, Mortgage and Insurance Brokering · You have saved up for months to take your spouse to that sold-out concert or finally snag floor seats for the big playoff game. You find a website promising tickets at a price that seems almost too good. You click buy, enter your credit card number, ...