RING, RING — IT’S A ROBOT
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM PHONE SCAMS AND ROBOCALLS call-blocking apps available on Android and Apple devices, but if you subscribe to a blocking service through your phone provider, these apps are unnecessary. Finally, you can sign up for the Federal Trade Commission’s “Do Not Call” program (DoNotCall.gov). While the Do Not Call program can help cut back on calls, this list is largely ignored by scammers. If you’re getting a ridiculous number of robocalls every day, signing up can offer you some brief respite. Thankfully, Congress is already attempting to fix this problem by making it harder for scammers to call you. But until they are able to pass tough, effective legislation, it is up to us as consumers to remain vigilant and do what we can to keep our personal and financial data safe and secure.
Two of the most common scams are phone scams and robocalls. These calls are incredibly annoying and can trick you out of valuable information if you’re not careful. While it might seem like these scams are inescapable, there are some precautions you can take to avoid their traps. GIVE THEM THE SILENT TREATMENT. One thing you can do to avoid these fraudulent, time-wasting calls is to simply hang up. If possible, it is best to not answer at all. It’s always good to have a list of numbers you can reference, so you never have to guess who is calling. Think of it as going one step beyond caller ID. In some cases, answering and then hanging up can actually do more harm than good. Answering the phone gives the scammers confirmation that the number works and that they should try again. Once your number is confirmed as active, it often gets put on an “active number” list that can then be sold to other scammers who market in these types of phone numbers. If you can’t verify who is calling without picking up, don’t answer. Let it go to voicemail. If it’s important, the person will leave a legitimate message and you can respond afterward. PUT UP SOME DETERRENTS. You can even go a step further and block the calls. Many phone service providers offer call-blocking options, including AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon. You can sign up for this service in-store or on your service provider’s website. Each service costs about $4 per month. There are also a number of
HAPPENINGS AT HEARTLAND
WE’VE CLOSED ON THE WILDWOOD APARTMENTS!
It’s always a great day at the Heartland office when we snap up a new property, and just a few weeks ago we snagged a great one for our investors: the 128-unit Wildwood Apartments complex. Located on Old Marion Road, northeast of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, this well-appointed complex is filled with fully occupied one-, two-, and three- bedroom units. The location is desirable for renters because it’s situated right next to the Elmcrest Country Club Golf Course. Heartland’s strength is finding properties that we can turn a profit on, and this one is no exception. Leads on properties like Wildwood often come from what we call “behind-the-scenes” work and networking with property owners. Because of our tenacity, many of those owners end up calling us when it’s time to sell. They know that if they work with Heartland, their property will be sold quickly and at a profit.
We were the first to step in and make an offer on the Wildwood complex, which was fortunate because other offers kept rolling in after ours was accepted. We acted quickly because the property appraised for much more than the purchase price and Darin was confident it would sell above the appraisal if put back on the market. It seemed like a perfect opportunity to offer our investors, and they responded so enthusiastically that we were soon oversubscribed. Even though we ended up obtaining financing, we could have easily purchased the property with cash. Darin will continue to manage and oversee the operations at Wildwood, giving the partnership that purchased it peace of mind as their investment grows. If you’d like to join our Priority List of investors so you can be among the first to learn about these opportunities in the future, contact Darin at darin.garman@gmail.com today.
2 WWW.DARINGARMAN.COM
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