Scammers Take Advantage of Digital Switchover Confusion

Scam artists seem to be everywhere you turn, so it probably doesn’t come as much of a surprise to many that there are scammers looking to take advantage of people that are confused by the switchover to digital television broadcasting.

According to a recent scam alert put out by the Better Business Bureau, a company that is calling itself Universal TechTronics is currently running ads in an attempt to bilk people out of their hard earned cash. More specifically, they are offering to provide consumers with free converter boxes – all they need to do to get these boxes is sign up for a five-year warranty that costs $59 to purchase. Victims are also asked to pay shipping fees for the converter boxes, which brings the cost up to almost $100.

Of course, with the coupons the government is issuing for the converter boxes, you can get a box for far less. In fact, most people should be able to get one for only $20 per box after using the coupon. So, unless you want to spend $80 on a warranty you likely won’t use and that probably isn’t worth its weight in gold, stay away from these ads and purchase your box from a company you know and trust.