Major Scams That are Common Today

1. Advance Fee Fraud "419 scam"

   • The advance fee fraud involves enlisting the victim to "retrieve" money from a place that cannot be reached. Multiple variations have grown from this scam. This scam is in essence the "get-rich-quick" scheme. The victim is enticed to quick earnings through a little help in reaching hidden funds. The victim is led, by their own greed, to follow through with the scam. The initial amount requested start out small at first and usually increases with time. The best way to avoid these scams is to avoid and ignore these scams as they come. When an offer sounds too good to be true, it usually is.

2. Phishing

   • Phishing is a widespread scam that looks very legit, while easy to avoid. Phising employs deception which can easily be defeated with a little diligence on the part of potential victims. Con artists will create websites that look very similar to the potential victim's bank or service provider. At such imitation sites, victims will be asked to "verify" their credit card numbers, bank account numbers as well as other private information. Ways to avoid these scams is to check the links of such emails and to call your bank or service provider before entering information into these sites.

3. Gambling Scams

   • Gambling scams range from a simple card bet on the street to a complex lottery ticket scam. All of these scams rely on the lack of awareness of the victim and also in some cases the greed of the victim. From a street scam such as the Three Card Monte, which entices the victim into entering a street bet, the scams extend to the production of fake lottery tickets. These scams should be avoided. As these scams give victims the impression that they have a very good chance of winning, it is best for the victim to practice self-control and to avoid these scams.

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