The Truth -- Is your friend a scam victim?

The Truth column is dedicated to teaching you, the reader, how to know if you are being scammed.

This week, you’ll learn how you can tell if your friends or family members are victims of scams, thanks to a little help from AARP.

The group said con artists often convince their victims to keep the deal a secret from everyone — including family and friends — by telling them the deal won’t be as good if more people knew about it.

“As a result, you may have to read between the lines to determine if your friends or relatives are likely targets of scam artists,” said an AARP bulletin.

The group offered the following six “tip-offs:”

1. Frequent calls during your visits from folks offering money-making opportunities or seeking charitable donations.

2. Lots of new, cheap stuff lying around. Look for items like watches, pens and pencils, small appliances, water filters and beauty products — all of which flow from “order to win” or “receive a valuable prize” offers.

3. Secretive behavior regarding mail or phone calls.

4. Payments to unfamiliar entities or irregular withdrawals. These can show up as checks or wire transfers, and they are often for increasing amounts of money to out-of-state or unfamiliar companies.

5. New subscriptions to magazines they don’t need or haven’t received previously.

6. Financial troubles. Watch for a sudden inability to buy food or other necessities or pay bills.

Source: AARP

Read The Truth next week to learn how AARP recommends addressing this problem.

For information, visit www.aarp.org/bulletin/consumer.