💵 Consumer Money Pitches & Offers

Practical, jargon-free checks you can do before sending money or personal info. Everything opens in a new tab and points to official sources.

Quick reminder: Don't Get Bunked! teaches you how to evaluate offers. We don’t give financial, legal, or IT/security advice.

💹 Investment Scams

What it looks like: “Guaranteed” high returns, insider tips, crypto doubling, or pressure to move retirement funds fast.

Quick checks:

Verify the person/company on FINRA BrokerCheck or the SEC’s Investment Adviser Public Disclosure. Search the exact offer wording in quotes — scams reuse scripts.

Red flags: Guaranteed returns, secrecy, unregistered seller, pressure to keep it “confidential.”

Respond safely: Refuse urgency, check registrations, never share keys or send money.

Authoritative links:

U.S. SEC – Investor Education

🌐 https://www.investor.gov ↗️

FINRA BrokerCheck
🌐 https://brokercheck.finra.org ↗️

🧾 Insurance Add-Ons & “Gap” Coverage

What it looks like: Add-on insurance at checkout or “too-good” policies from unknown sellers.

Quick checks:

Compare the add-on cost vs. realistic replacement value. Verify the insurer is licensed in your state (Dept. of Insurance).

Red flags: vague coverage, exclusions that cancel the benefit, unreachable third-party sellers.

Respond safely: read full terms, confirm licensure, skip if you can self-insure.

Authoritative links:

NAIC Consumer Tips
🌐 https://content.naic.org/consumer.htm ↗️

State Insurance Departments
🌐 https://www.naic.org/state_web_map.htm ↗️

💼 Work-from-Home & Side Hustles

What it looks like: Easy-money reshipping, mystery-shopping, or “we’ll send checks” jobs.

Quick checks:

If they pay after you buy a kit/training, walk away.

Reshipping = stolen-goods mule; “training checks” = counterfeit.

Red flags: up-front fees, crypto/gift-card pay, “earn $1,000 week 1,” requests for bank access.

Respond safely: never pay to work, avoid reshipping, verify employers on reputable boards.

Authoritative links:

FTC – How to avoid work-from-home job scams

🌐 https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2025/06/how-avoid-work-home-job-scams ↗️

U.S. Postal Inspection Service – Avoid common scams
🌐 https://www.uspis.gov/tips-prevention ↗️

🏢 Business Opportunity / Franchise Pitches

What it looks like: “Turnkey” vending, ATMs, e-commerce kiosks, or franchises promising fast ROI.

Quick checks:

Demand the FDD (Franchise Disclosure Document) and a 14-day review window.

Call existing franchisees not on their referral list.

Red flags: earnings claims without audited numbers, refusal to share FDD, sign-now pressure.

Respond safely: read FDD Items 7, 19, 20; compare royalties/fees vs realistic sales.

Authoritative links:

FTC – A Consumer’s Guide to Buying a Franchise
🌐 https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/consumers-guide-buying-franchise ↗️

SBA – When To Say No To A Franchise Opportunity
🌐 https://www.sba.gov/blog/when-say-no-franchise-opportunity ↗️

🏖️ Timeshare Resale & “Exit” Services

What it looks like: “We have a buyer waiting,” “money-back exit,” or up-front fee guarantees.

Quick checks:

Contact your resort/HOA directly about deed-back options. Refuse large up-front fees; verify licensing/bonding.

Red flags: wire/gift-card requests, fake escrow, secrecy from resort.

Respond safely: insist on written contracts, verify escrow independently, check AG complaints.

Authoritative links:

How to Protect Yourself from Timeshare Scams
🌐 https://www.connor.law/post/how-to-protect-yourself-from-timeshare-scams ↗️

State Attorney General Consumer Offices
🌐 https://www.naag.org/find-my-ag ↗️

✈️ Travel Deals & “Free” Vacations

What it looks like: Free cruise/flight if you pay taxes/fees now or attend a sales pitch.

Quick checks:

Price the same trip on major sites; if “fees” ≈ real fare, it’s not a deal. Verify directly with airlines/cruise lines — no “voucher only” numbers.

Red flags: added fees, blackout dates, gift-card/crypto payment.

Respond safely: book only with reputable providers, read cancellation terms, decline voucher locks.

Authoritative links:

FTC – How to avoid travel website scams
🌐 https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2025/06/how-avoid-travel-website-scams ↗️

U.S. DOT – Aviation Consumer Protection
🌐 https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer ↗️

⚠️ If you already paid or shared info

Contact your bank or cardholder immediately for chargeback/dispute.

If you sent wires/crypto, contact the exchange/bank — speed helps.

If you shared SSN/PII, place credit freezes with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion and monitor accounts.

🛡️ Reporting — Fast Links

FTC ReportFraud

🌐 https://reportfraud.ftc.gov ↗️

FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center
🌐 https://www.ic3.gov ↗️

State Attorney General Offices
🌐 https://www.naag.org/find-my-ag ↗️

📌 Sam’s Tips

Pause. Screenshot. Verify. If something feels rushed or “limited-time,” slow down and check it.

Follow the money — Who gets paid, how, and when? Misaligned incentives often signal risk.

Do your own lookup. Search the company or offer with words like “complaints,” “scam,” or “lawsuit,” and check official registries before you trust marketing pages.

Never pay to start earning. Up-front fees, gift cards, crypto deposits, or wire transfers are built for loss, not income.

Scammers reuse scripts. Search suspicious phrases in quotes — you’ll often find identical wording reported elsewhere.

Slow down the pitch. Real opportunities can withstand questions. Fake ones rely on urgency and secrecy.

Check licensing every time. Investment advisers, insurance sellers, and franchise operators must be registered — if they aren’t, walk away.

Validate numbers, not narratives. “Proof” screenshots and earnings testimonials are often staged or purchased.

When in doubt, get distance. Leave the page, open a new tab, and verify independently before deciding.

💵 Quick example

A message promises: “Earn $2,000 a week from home — no experience needed. Just buy our starter kit to begin.”

Stop — high earnings with zero qualifications is a classic lure.
Investigate — searching the company name plus “complaints” and “scam” shows identical pitches reported across forums.
Find better coverage — reputable outlets and the FTC warn about “kit purchase” jobs linked to reshipping scams and counterfeit check schemes.
Trace — the domain is only weeks old, and the “training materials” page redirects to anonymous sellers overseas.

Conclusion

This offer fails verification. The up-front payment requirement, recycled script, and lack of legitimate employer information indicate a scam.

Why

• Real employers pay you, not the other way around.
• Fraudulent work-from-home schemes often require buying a “kit” or “training” before ghosting.
• Script recycling and fresh domains are strong markers of illegitimate operations.
• Government agencies have repeatedly flagged these pitches as high-risk.

Bottom line:
If you must pay to start earning, it’s almost always a scam.