Prizes/Sweepstakes/Free Gifts
Friendship & Sweetheart Swindles
Computers: Equipment and Software
Phishing/Spoofing
Fake Check Scams
Scholarships/Grants
Advance Fee Loans, Credit Arrangers
Charitable Solicitations
Recovery/Refund Companies
Consumers paid with phony checks for work or for items they’re trying to sell, instructed to wire money back to buyer
Requests for payment to claim fictitious prizes, lottery winnings, or gifts
Con artist nurtures an online relationship, builds trust, and convinces victim to send money…
Scammers claim to offer “technical support” for computer problems and charge a fee to fix a nonexistent problem
False promises of business or personal loans, even if credit is bad, for a fee upfront
For a fee, a “search company” offers to conduct customized search for scholarships or grants for students. Scammers take money and run or provide a worthless list
Scammers contact victims claiming to represent non-existent charities (or real charities they don’t actually work for) and ask for donations.
Emails pretending to be from a well-known source ask consumers to enter or confirm personal information
Scammers contact victims and claim the consumer owes money on a fictitious debt or to help recover money lost in a previous scam
