1. Know who you’re dealing with. Do business only with companies that clearly provide their name, street address, and phone number.  

2. Protect your personal information. Only give out your credit card or other personal information when buy­ing from a company you know and trust.

3. Take your time. “Resist the urge to act on impulse.” Most if any offer, that’s good today will be good tomorrow, too.  

4. Rate the risks. Every potentially high-profit investment is a high-risk investment. That means you could lose your investment — all of it.  

5. Read the small print. Get all promises in writing and read all paperwork before making any payments or signing any contracts. Pay special attention to the small print.  

6. “Free” means free. Throw out any offer that says you have to pay to get a gift or a “free” gift. If some­thing is free or a gift, you don’t have to pay for it. End off.

7. Report fraud. If you think you’ve been a victim of fraud, report it. It’s one way to get even with a scam artist who cheated you. By reporting your complaint by dialling 999 you are providing important information to help the police track down scam artists and stop them!