Customer Reviews

People Get Screwed All the Time: Protecting Yourself From Scams, Fraud, Identity Theft, Fine Print, and More

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Robert Massi is a fixture on FoxNews, appearing often as a "legal analyst". I'm not a lawyer, but Massi's explanations have left me scratching my head more than once. Often it seems Massi is just filling time without much regard for what he's saying - and not much thought either. He's not dumb - he just seems way to willing to express an opinion on legal matters without thorough consideration of the facts.

In "Peopld Get Screwed All The Time", Massi writes of "real people" who run afoul in one way or another of the law. They also seem to be quite a collection of losers who could qualify for leading roles if Woody Allen ever does a remake of "Broadway Danny Rose", a movie about an agent who represents really weird performers.

Ostensibly, Massi is writing about "Potecting Yourself from Scams, Fraud, Identity Theft, Fine Print, and More". In truth, it seems Massi is simply trying to exploit his minimal fame as a television talking head.

The people, allegedly real, are apparently dumber than bricks. For example, we have one individual who doesn't do anything when fraudulent charges start showing up on his credit card account. For another man, Massi says "[t]he easiest lesson to learn from Milton's story is not to cheat on your wife", after the guy's wife left him and the new girlfriend also left him broke with a massive pile of debt. Of course, Milton didn't bother looking at his credit card bills and "would not have been surprised by Rachel's excessive spending - over $50,000 worth - or that she had failed to pay the monthly bills". In other words, Milton like all of Massi's other subjects is a jerk who put himself in his own misery.

Massi ends each chapter with a "How I would have counseled" the person. It's really bland stuff. Say, Milton, don't cheat on your wife and get her angry enough to leave you and don't be too quick to give the honey you just met full access to all your credit cards and not look at the bills.

On the whole this is a silly book. Massi describes a bunch of not very bright people who get ensnared in the kinds of situations not very bright people find themselves in. It is highly unlikely that such people are going to buy this book before they get themselves into trouble - and nothing in this book will help them out of their troubles.

On the whole, save your money and don't bother with this title.

Jerry

I enjoyed this book (on CD), although it wasn't what I expected. I thought one or two chapters were dull (it may've been the identity theft one) but the stories about custody, frivilous accusations, etc. were interesting, kind of funny but then not, and did expose some failings of our legal/justice system that routinely surprise people (generally at a large cost). I think anyone, and there are many, who suddenly realizes that his or her situation may now actually benefit from or require a lawyer would relate to these stories and the author's point that things really shouldn't be this way. I have recommended it to others and given a copy as a gift. I think it's worth reading (or listening to).

Robert Massi takes his detailed and understandable Fox Network legal analysis to print in this handbook for survival in the 21st Century. Mr. Massi is, first and foremost, a teacher and his explanations and guidance are invaluable to avoiding the modern day beartraps that effect so many. An engaging read that untangles those legal nightmares of modern scams. If you only have one book in your personal library, this should be it.

This is one of those books that should have been on Oprah.

The author uses a version of the law school case study method but written in really simple language that even someone with no more than a sophomore high school education can understand.

Seriously folk, you're never too rich to get ripped off by these scams.

Too bad the author let his publisher decide the title. It could have been a best seller with a good title.

Don't let the copyright date (2007) fool you this information in the current economic climate is even more current than before.

This is a great book and full of information needed by the consumer. Bob Massi has experienced first hand the bureaucracy consumers have to deal with in everyday decision making. The book is a great guide to help prevent mistakes others have made in dealing with purchases of all kinds. Take the time and learn from this informative book.