Favorite Country poll results, plus avoiding scams

You’ve heard it before and you’ll probably hear it again, but it seems that the best way to avoid that dreaded “jet lag” is to (while on the aircraft) do the following:

Don’t drink coffee, don’t drink liquor and do drink plenty of water.

Of all of my columns, the one that created the most feedback (with thanks) was the one on the frauds perpetrated by brigands on the unsuspecting (Feb. ’04, pg. 124). I’ve seen some new material and so will share it. It may seem especially apropos as the scams seem to target those of “mature” years, who do comprise most of ITN’s readers, including its publisher.

A 68-year-old woman in Phoenix, AZ, lost $400,000 from phony promises.

A man in Utah lost $56,000 from a scam that promised 25% return a month. That should have been a tip-off, but many are taken in by smooth-talking crooks.

A college professor and a licensed stockbroker ripped off $2,000,000 from people who fell for the delusion of 40% to 50% annual return.

In Missouri, normally astute folk were enticed by 300% payback in nine months.

In Georgia, a massive, massive fraud pulled over $150,000,000 from victims whose average age was 68.

Promises of “better than CDs and life insurance policies” sent a Maine crook to prison for seven years.

Some thieves throw in mumbo jumbo about a system that was used by the Rothschilds or Saudi royalty.

In New York, hundreds of what were termed “elderly investors” were pressured into liquidating their CDs, annuities and IRAs for “risk free” investments. They were bilked.

The website of the North American Securities Administrators Association has those warnings and more.

A new scam out now — crooks create websites and e-mails that look like those of banks or government agencies and end up getting people’s bank account numbers, credit card numbers, etc. BEWARE!!!