One thing Massachusetts residents can agree on is gas prices need to decrease. The price at the pump is slightly decreasing. I recently saw prices at a few locations in Great Barrington and the other southern Berkshire towns as well as Pittsfield hovering around $4.70 per gallon. That's not as bad as a few weeks ago but the prices really need to drop significantly if we want to be able to build up savings or pay for our mortgages, rent, food...you know take care of paying for other everyday necessities. There's no doubt that many Massachusetts residents are feeling cost of living pains.

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Of course, whenever people are in a desperate or vulnerable state, scam artists come out to play as they want to be our saviors, giving us a glimmer of hope all while draining our bank accounts and/or stealing our credit card information. That is exactly what is happening in a recent gas gift card scam.

Massachusetts Residents Including Residents of Berkshire County Should Be Aware of a Recent Gas Gift Card Scam

According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), the way the scam works is you see an online post or email, or survey that says you won a $500 gas gift card. All you have to do to retrieve the gas card is pay a very small fee. Once you do this you get a charge or multiple charges on your credit or debit card. Of course, these are all bogus charges. Now the con artist has your credit card information and can continue to run up charges that you never approved. Don't fall for this scam. Go here to find out how you can avoid this scam. Remember, you should never have to pay to win.

KEEP READING: From losing money to saving money. Here are some thrifty ways you could be saving money right now.

LOOK: Here are 25 ways you could start saving money today

These money-saving tips—from finding discounts to simple changes to your daily habits—can come in handy whether you have a specific savings goal, want to stash away cash for retirement, or just want to pinch pennies. It’s never too late to be more financially savvy. Read on to learn more about how you can start saving now. [From: 25 ways you could be saving money today]

READ ON: Here's how to apply for rent relief

 

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