The list of scams you need to be aware of may not quite run from A to Z but it isn’t far away! This indicates that there is a broad range of scams to be aware of and no matter how much money you have or how much risk you expose yourself to, you’ll find that there is a style of fraud that could seriously impact on your life.
When it comes to fraud starting with A, Advance Fee Fraud is a very well-known fraud, and this is one that many businesses need to be aware of. The notion of paying up-front for a good or service lends itself to the fraudster providing nothing, or at least nothing of value, in return to the victim. In some businesses and industries, this could see fraud of a major scale take place.
- Accommodation fraud
- Advance fee fraud
- Auction fraud
Understandably, business fraud occurs a lot under B, but there is also a need to be aware of bogus tradesmen fraud. This is where someone will impersonate a person of authority or who represents a company who may require access to your home. Once inside your home, they may be looking for money to steal or further information that will allow them to carry out further fraud.
- Bogus tradesmen fraud
- Business directory fraud
- Business opportunity fraud
- Business trading frauds
There is a wide range of frauds listed under C and some of these are very old and traditional style frauds, cheque overpayment fraud being a notable form of traditional fraud while click fraud is a style of fraud that has come to prominence in the internet era.
- Career opportunity scams
- Charitable publication scams
- Charity donation fraud
- Cheque overpayment fraud
- Clairvoyant scams
- Click fraud
- Companies – fraudulent
- Computer Software Service frauds
- Counterfeit goods fraud
Dating fraud has always been something to look out for but with the rise of on-line dating sites and apps, it has become a very notable form of fraud in recent times. People looking for love are often susceptible to believing other people because they are keen to find romance and this is something that fraudsters have taken advantage of.
- Dating fraud
- Domain name scams
Employment fraud is the main fraud for E and this commonly comes about with someone acting as a recruitment agent and taking money in return for providing better employment opportunities, which never materialise.
- Employment fraud
Fraud recovery fraud can be particularly harrowing because it impacts on people who have already been a victim of fraud. Many fraudsters share information and details of people they have been defrauded, which means that many people are targeted time and time again.
- Fraud recovery fraud
Goods sold as investment style fraud is very similar, if not the exact same, as a boiler room scam fraud. This style of fraud promises a big return for the initial investment and the goods will either be worthless or will not be provided to the investor.
- Goods sold as investment
- Government agency scams
Given that so many people are keen to lose weight, fraudsters have realised that there is a market to make money and health scams may involve products that claim to reduce people’s weight or which trap them into monthly subscription fees.
- Health scams
- Holiday club fraud
- Holiday fraud
From invoice scams to internet auction fraud, there are a considerable number of frauds listed under I.
- Impersonation of officials
- Institutional investment fraud
- Intellectual property fraud
- Internet auction fraud
- Invoice scams
Lottery scams are a long running style of scam and they are generally regarded as a form of advance fee fraud. Usually people will be informed that they are a winner but to gain access to their winnings, they need to have over some money. Of course, the winnings never materialise.
- Land banking scams
- Lottery scams
- Mass marketing fraud
- Medical scams
- Miracle health scams
- Mobile phone fraud
Have you been a victim of these frauds?
Online fraud is a growing area while office supply scams is a traditional fraud that has been going on for decades.
- Office supply scams
- Online fraud
- Online shopping fraud
Premium rate phone line scams are still prominent and thanks to the internet have seen a resurgence in recent years.
- Premium rate phone line scams
- Prize draw scams
- Pyramid scheme fraud
Given the competitive nature of the recruitment market, recruitment scams, where the fraudster acts as a recruitment agent in return for a fee, are becoming increasingly common.
- Racing tipster scams
- Recruitment scams
These scams can be closely linked with slimming cure scams taking off in the online era.
- Shopping fraud
- Slimming cure scams
Ticket scams, such as taking money for tickets that don’t exist or for tickets which have been counterfeited is a growing area of fraud, boosted by the emergence of the internet.
- Ticket scams
- Timeshare fraud
A vehicle matching scam is an advance fee fraud and it usually involves someone contacting a seller and saying they have a buyer for the car, but they want a fee to connect them.
- Vehicle matching scams
If you have spent any time on the internet, you will be familiar with work from home adverts, and many of these are scams, looking to take money from people without offering any benefit or return.
- Website domain name scams
- Work from home scams
Andrew Reilly is a freelance writer with a focus on news stories and consumer interest articles. He has been writing professionally for 9 years but has been writing for as long as he can care to remember. When Andrew isn’t sat behind a laptop or researching a story, he will be found watching a gig or a game of football.