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From fake anti virus software to crazy weight loss claims we countdown 10 unbelievable scams
that people actually fall for.
#10 Ponzi Scheme - Named after Charles Ponzi this scam became notorious in the 1920’s.
Usually starting off as a legitimate business, the operator convinces individuals to invest
money in the company with promises of extraordinary returns with little risk on the original investment.
The operator generates returns for older investors by acquiring new investors, and perpetuates
an ever increasing flow of money to sustain the scheme.
#9 1-900 Phone Number Scam - Usually promising you a product or service these swindlers will
try to keep you on the phone for as long as possible. You may be told you’re the winner
of a sweepstakes, or if you have bad credit you may receive a credit card by calling one
of these phone numbers. In reality, the longer you’re on the phone, the more it will hit
your wallet. These scammers charge insane per minute fees, and you may end up with a
charge of $50 or more on your phone bill
#8 Sucker List - Known as refund and recovery scams, vile scam artists specifically target
people who have already fallen victim for a scam. They then contact these victims claiming
they can help recover their items or money for a fee, when in reality it’s just another
scam to con these people out of more of their hard earned cash.
#7 Money Order Over payment Scam - This scam is popular on websites like craigslist and
kijiji. Someone posts an item up for sale, and the scammer claims they want to buy it,
usually for more than what you’re asking. The seller is sent a money order for more
than the amount of the purchase, and the scammer asks you to send back the difference. The
money orders look so real they are usually accepted by banks, but they are fake. The
seller then loses the difference in cash they’ve sent, as well as the item that was shipped.
#6 419 Scams - Sometimes called the Nigerian Prince scam, the number 419 refers to the
section of the Nigerian Criminal Code that deals with fraud. This scam became popular
in the 1980’s, people receive a letter or email stating they are the beneficiary of
a large estate worth millions or more. To get this money, you simply have to hand over
your personal finance information so the funds can be wired to you. The con artists are then
able to simply drain the victims bank account, or steal their identity.
#5 Lottery Scam - This scam starts off with the victim receiving an unexpected email claiming
they are the winners of a lottery they never entered. The scammers use the names of legitimate
lottery organizations, and claim you need to pay a transfer or processing fee to have
access to your winnings. If you pay a fee, the fraudsters will come up with another reason
to ask for more fees trying to squeeze out as much money as possible. As soon as they’ve
received as much as they can, they will disappear with your money, never to be heard from again.
#4 Weight Loss Scam - These scams come with the promise of losing weight with little to
no effort. They may sell products such as pills or creams that claim to be “revolutionary”
and require no exercise or diet change to shed the pounds. Using attractive people or
celebrities to sell their products, these con artists prey on people eager to improve
themselves.
#3 Fake Anti Virus Software Scam - This rogue security software scam relies on an unexpecting
user installing a malicious program on their computer. For example you may stumble upon
a website that displays a warning stating that your computer is infected with a virus
and encourages you to install software to have it removed. Unfortunately, these programs
usually have a trojan horse component, that may entice the user to purchase additional
software by displaying fake viruses or simulating a system crash or reboot.
#2 Work At Home Scams - The idea of working at home is appealing to a lot of people, wake
up and work in your pajamas sounds good right? Well be careful as some of these jobs are
too good to be true. Usually advertised through spam emails or notice boards most of these
are not real job offers. They require upfront fees for promises of money earned through
sales of products or other services. Once the money is paid, generally you receive no
more information, or just a set of instructions on conning other people to join the same scheme.
#1 Phishing Scams - The most popular scheme on our list, phishing is the illegal attempt
to acquire sensitive personal information such as passwords and credit card numbers.
It starts off with an email, made to look like it’s from the victim's bank, or another
popular service they may use.The email looks completely legitimate, and states the user
needs to update their information with a link to a website. Unfortunately, the website is
fake, and once the information is entered it’s sent off to the scam artists who are
able to use it to steal the victim's identity and money.