- The salesmen pushes you to buy or sign right now. He uses words like, "hurry" and "last chance" and conveys a sense of urgency by saying "It's a great deal, buy today!"
- The offer is too complicated to be easily understood.
- The offer sounds too good to be true; there is a promise of great reward for little risk.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
How to Spot a Scam (The Obama Jobs Bill, for example)
Listening to the radio today, an expert on consumer scams listed several red flags that we should be watchful for in avoiding scam artists. He suggests we walk away if:
Unintended Consequences
When we make decisions, we should always keep in mind the unintended consequences of those actions. Thomas Sowell, author of the book Basic Economics, makes the point, "..consequences matter more than intentions." This is true in our personal lives as well as laws, rules, and regulations (or the lack thereof) set in place by our government.
It's not enough that we want to help people, but we must always ensure that what we do to "help" isn't hurting the very people we intended to benefit.
The lack of border enforcement allows illegal immigrants to come to America, ostensibly for work and a better life. Many kind-hearted people and church groups support an open border. They feel bad for poor people across the border. They want to help them. But the reality is that these immigrant's undocumented status hurts them in ways far beyond what most people realize.
Recent cases of farm slave labor have been tried in Florida. Yes, you read that right. Slave labor. Here in America. Right now. Illegal immigrants from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, etc...were smuggled into the U.S., stuffed into vans driven to Florida, and sold to crew bosses to work in tomato fields. They were locked in un-airconditioned trailers at night, some were even chained to prevent escape, and forced to work in the fields daily. Beaten if they tried to escape, some were captive for years. The gangs of thugs that sold them into slavery warned that their families back home would be in danger if they escaped or told authorities.
Distrustful of police, afraid of being caught for their illegal status, lack of English or education all contributed to these captives being held against their will, but it was their undocumented status that made them vulnerable in the first place.
Unscrupulous employers can abuse illegal immigrant workers knowing they won't be reported to authorities. Basic work and safety conditions are not met; wages are far below the legal limit; exposure to dangerous chemicals is common. The list goes on and is not limited to the tomato industry in Florida; sex-slave rings, child pornography, sexual abuse, drug trafficking, and kidnapping all under the radar in communities with large undocumented worker populations. These people are not living the American dream. We're not "helping" them by allowing them to enter the U.S. illegally.
Doesn't it make sense to expand our worker-visa program to accommodate enough farm workers? Doesn't it make sense to control who comes into our country? Doesn't it make sense to create immigration policies based on reality and not just good intentions?
It's not enough that we want to help people, but we must always ensure that what we do to "help" isn't hurting the very people we intended to benefit.
The lack of border enforcement allows illegal immigrants to come to America, ostensibly for work and a better life. Many kind-hearted people and church groups support an open border. They feel bad for poor people across the border. They want to help them. But the reality is that these immigrant's undocumented status hurts them in ways far beyond what most people realize.
Recent cases of farm slave labor have been tried in Florida. Yes, you read that right. Slave labor. Here in America. Right now. Illegal immigrants from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, etc...were smuggled into the U.S., stuffed into vans driven to Florida, and sold to crew bosses to work in tomato fields. They were locked in un-airconditioned trailers at night, some were even chained to prevent escape, and forced to work in the fields daily. Beaten if they tried to escape, some were captive for years. The gangs of thugs that sold them into slavery warned that their families back home would be in danger if they escaped or told authorities.
Distrustful of police, afraid of being caught for their illegal status, lack of English or education all contributed to these captives being held against their will, but it was their undocumented status that made them vulnerable in the first place.
Unscrupulous employers can abuse illegal immigrant workers knowing they won't be reported to authorities. Basic work and safety conditions are not met; wages are far below the legal limit; exposure to dangerous chemicals is common. The list goes on and is not limited to the tomato industry in Florida; sex-slave rings, child pornography, sexual abuse, drug trafficking, and kidnapping all under the radar in communities with large undocumented worker populations. These people are not living the American dream. We're not "helping" them by allowing them to enter the U.S. illegally.
Doesn't it make sense to expand our worker-visa program to accommodate enough farm workers? Doesn't it make sense to control who comes into our country? Doesn't it make sense to create immigration policies based on reality and not just good intentions?
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