Scams

Every day people fall victim to scams of one kind or another.

Some are very sophisticated and can use very persuasive techniques, where others just appeal to greed.

scams

It could be an unexpected lottery win, an opportunity to make millions by helping to get money out of a country, or sending money to someone you met on a dating site to cover medical expenses after an accident.

Everyone is a target, and the scammers see us as a money tree.

The key is to avoid becoming a victim in the first place.

Remember: if its sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

There are warning signs that you can recognize in order to protect yourself and your money from the scammers.

You can prevent becoming a victim of a scam by:

You can also make us aware of any scams you think you have encountered by using our Report Scams.

We have received requests for a concise book on scams that outlines the main scams, but includes some 'Golden Rules' to help avoid most scams, as well as some general tips.

We have added a new feature providing you an opportunity on most of the scam topics to add your knowledge, stories, experience, or tips to help others from being scammed. Look at the bottom of each page to find out if you can contribute.

To speed up finding the topics on this website that you are interested in, there is a search function Sitesearch at the top of the navigation bar on the left hand side. Just type in a word or phrase and Sitesearch will find all references to it within this site.

Please subscribe to our newsletter that provides news, helpful tips and recommendations that will help you protect yourself, and the people you care about, from becoming victims of fraud.

The Google advertising that appears on this site is to help offset some of the costs, and the ads are selected by Google, and not this site.

Table of Contents

SiteSearch: SiteSearch helps you find what you are looking for quickly and easily
Scam Book: Your concise guide to scams, fraud and identity theft
Scam Ezine: The ezine for scam conscious people who want to protect themselves against fraud
Scam Alerts: Scam Alerts provides you with a quick, brief update on the latest scams doing the rounds. Some items will be too small to warrant a page of their own, whereas other topics will be covered elsewhere on the site.
Report Scams: You can report scams to us and we may include that information in future updates or Web pages
Publishing Scams: When writers get an offer to make their publishing dreams come true, they think fame and fortune are just a click away. Find out how the publishing scams work!
Internet Scams: The internet is an exciting frontier but anonymity is easy and provides boundless opportunities for internet scams. The best protection is education!
Craigslist Scams: Craigslist is known worldwide for their classifieds for just about anything - from toys to furniture. Just as common are the Craigslist scams.
Online Scams: Online scams target anyone with a computer, of any age, background or income level. Their goal is to steal your money or your identity. Learn how to avoid the online scams
Money Making Scams: The Internet is full of money making scams. The challenge is recognizing them before you lose your hard earned cash to them. Learn how to avoid becoming a victim.
Business Scams: Small business owners today face business scams from well-trained, tech-savvy criminals who often operate from countries beyond the reach of the law. With the current technology, it’s easy to copy or modify letterheads, create fake websites, or obtain business details such as your name and address through public listings, or from your website.
Network Marketing Scams: Network marketing scams or multi-level marketing scams exploit people's desire for a 'work from home' opportunity, get rich quick scheme, or easy way to earn money.
Work at Home Scams: Work at home scams are everywhere. They promise great rewards for seemingly little work, but the catch is you will normally have to pay some money before you start work, and sometimes you may even get caught up in illegal activities.
Mystery Shopping Scams: Mystery shopping scams are jobs that only pay the scammers. Find out how to spot a genuine mystery shopping opportunity from a scam.
Paid Survey Scams: In the world of online surveys, paid survey scams dominate. There are genuine market research companies that will pay you for your opinion, however the challenge is finding them amongst all the scams. We show you how.
Perfume Scam Hoax: Is the perfume scam hoax for real? People's inboxes over the last few years have received various emails warning women to watch out for 'parking lot scammers'. Find out here
Door-to-Door Scams: Door-to-Door scams are alive and well and contiunue to provide an opportunity for scammers to profit. Find out how you are vulnerable and protect yourself
Bank Scams: The most common bank scams are online bank scams. First the scammer steals your logon name and password, and then uses this information to transfer your money to other accounts and then withdraws the funds
Credit Card Scams: Credit card scams are increasing and becoming more sophisticated. protect yourself by recognizing the different forms of credit card scams
Scams on Cash Advance Company: Have you searched for 'scams on cash advance company' because you are not sure if you have been the victim of a scam? Read more to find out about the scam
Investment Scams: Investment scams will always try to appear more attractive than conventional investments by claiming unrealistic returns with little or 'no risk' involved and statements about urgency and secrecy.
Foreclosure Scams: To protect your home and home equity and avoid falling victim to foreclosure scams, recognize and understand the signs of mortgage fraud. Know how to report fraud to state and federal authorities so they can stop scam artists from preying on innocent borrowers.
Mortgage Scams: Mortgage scams are increasing, especially in the current financial environment due to increases in foreclosures, declining housing prices, and decreased demand, placing pressure on lenders, builders, and home sellers. Would you be able to recognize the main mortgage scams?
Romance Scam: If you use online dating sites you will need to recognize a romance scam because they are so common. Protect your heart and your wallet by learning what to look for.
Internet Romance Scams: If you use the internet to find relationships, you should be educated in internet romance scams.
Job Scams: Job scams are now widespread and involve the theft of money, identities, social security numbers and bank account numbers. The scammers can pose as either recruiters or employers and offer attractive employment opportunities. Find out how it is done!
Adoption Scam: Victims of an adoption scam can be filled with hope, and often decorate nurseries, renovate their homes, or buy bigger houses. Some plan for maternity leave or even quit their jobs. Victims can recover from the financial loss of an adoption scam, however the emotional trauma can last a lifetime.
Travel Scams: Holidays are supposed to be relaxing, happy, carefree times, however, travel scams are never far away! Don't let them ruin your holiday - find out how they work!
Timeshare Scams: Some timeshare offers are genuine, but there are enough timeshare scams around to give the industry a bad reputation. Do you know how to spot a scam?
Scams: This top 10 list of scams shows the most popular ways scammers are targeting the unwary, the get-rich-quick and the gullible.
Car Buying Scams: Watch out for car buying scams whether you are buying from the internet, classifieds, or through a dealer. Understand how the scams work in the automobile industry
Government Grant Scams: The government is giving away free money!! This is the echo of Government grant scams. The scam sites claim these grants can be used to start a business, pay off debts, purchase a home, buy a car, education, even take a holiday - and the best part is that because it is a grant, it does not need to be repaid!
Medical Scams: Medical scams can range from useless supplements, fake diet products, cures for cancer, unqualified people practicing as doctors, miracle cures to fake online pharmacies. Can you pick a medical scam?
Scholarship Scams: When trying to avoid scholarship scams, it is important to remember one thing - scholarships do not ask students for money, they give students money!
Lottery Scams: Lottery scams usually begin with an unexpected email notification that "You have won!" a large sum of money in a lottery. Its a scam. Find out why!
Infomercial Scams: Infomercial scams come in several varieties including shipping and handling, guarantees, refunds and quality of product. Being aware of the different types of scams will lessen the chances of you being scammed.
Real Estate Scam: A Real estate scam targets people buying or selling a house, refinancing their mortgage, or considering investing in real estate. Find out how to recognize and protect yourself from these scams
Credit Scams: Your credit report is an important file that the credit bureaus store about you, as this credit report lets other lenders know whether you are trustworthy or not. Recognize credit scams before they damage you credit file.
Global Warming Scam: Is the global warming scam a lot of hot air? Is global warming caused by man, or are there other causes? A lot of scientists are supporting another theory.
Phone Scams: Phone scams can include the consumer scamming the phone company, the phone company scamming the consumer, or a third party scamming either of them. Can you recognize a phone scam?
Acting Scams: With acting scams, the scammers are in the business of selling dreams, rather than fulfilling them! They promise fame and fortune, however are only interested in your money
Jury Duty Scam: The jury duty scam is predominantly an identity theft, although can also be an opportunity to steal money as well.
Money Order Scam: In most of the cases involving a money order scam, the unsuspecting person is given more money than needed [in the form of money orders] to complete the purchase, and then asked to wire the excess money back. Sound familiar?
Top Scams of 2011: The top scams of 2011
About Me: I built this site to help educate people about how to recognize scams, and hopefully avoid becoming a victim.
Scam Resources: These scam resources may be helpful to you, especially if you believe you have been a victim of a scam.
Privacy Policy: Information on our privacy policy and your private information

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Scams are designed to steal your money or identity!