No one ever wakes up in the morning and thinks to themselves, “Today I’m going to become a victim of fraud.” We assume we know the warning signs. We assume we understand the risks. We assume we’ll recognize a scam when we see it.

And yet every day, many of us do fall prey to fraudsters. Educated, informed people — friends, family, neighbours — get taken all the time. How? By being caught off-guard and not recognizing the signs.

With that in mind, here are some simple ways you can protect yourself from fraud of all sorts:

•      Slow down

A common theme in many fraud attempts is the artificial urgency fraudsters employ to prevent you from thinking things through. Don’t listen to them. When presented with an enticing offer, stop and think about it. Give it time to percolate. Does it still seem wise?

•           Apply the ‘Too good to be true’ test

Listen to your gut. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

•          Question everything

Who is this person who contacted you? Do you know them? Is their request unsolicited? Would you trust them to watch your wallet? Why did they approach you? What are the risks?

•            Get a second opinion

If you’re being asked to do something — wiring someone money, for example — and you feel uneasy about it, bounce the idea off of someone else. Contact a trusted friend, a colleague or someone at the credit union and run the proposal past them. Do they think it’s a good idea, too?

•           There’s no such thing as a free lunch

                Many scams play on the appeal of quick, easy money. It's easy to get blinded by the dollar signs.    Don't  let that distract you from making a reasonable, informed, cautious decision. 

That summer road trip may have left you with a bunch of lasting memories, but odds are your car is covered in reminders of a different sort. Hundreds of kilometres of highway travel can leave a car covered in bugs, road tar, dirt and grime. Here are some easy, inexpensive ways to get your car looking like new, using products you probably already have kicking around the house.

               1)    Remove bugs quickly and easily with dryer sheets.

Find an empty spray bottle. Add a little water and a dryer sheet. Let the dryer sheet soak in the water for roughly 15 minutes. Then spray the water on the bug-grime and wipe gently with another dryer sheet. It should come right off!

              2)    Clean your headlights with toothpaste.

Dirty headlights are unsightly — and dangerous. Rub them with ordinary toothpaste and you’ll have them sparkling like new.

              3)    Remove road tar with WD-40.

With just soap and water, you’ll need to apply a lot of elbow grease to remove that tar. But spraying on a little WD-40 should make the job much easier, and it’s completely safe on paint.

So you’ve decided it’s time for a new car and now you’re faced with that age-old question: lease or buy?

BUY

Pros

•        You own the vehicle

•         You can sell or trade in the vehicle whenever you want

•         You can drive as much as you want

•         You can modify the vehicle if you want

Cons

•         Your monthly payments are usually higher because you’re paying off the entire cost of the vehicle

•         When it comes time to get a new vehicle you have to deal with selling or trading in your existing    car

LEASE

Pros

•         Monthly lease payments are usually lower than the monthly costs of a loan to purchase a car

•         When your lease is up and it’s time for a new vehicle, you essentially just return the car

•         You don’t have to worry about depreciation

Cons

•          You don’t own the vehicle

•           You have to limit your mileage to the terms of the lease, or pay extra charges

•           At the end of the lease you must return the vehicle

•         Wear and tear on the vehicle may result in extra charges when the lease is up

•         You can’t modify the vehicle