Fraudulent Schemes

Fraud Scheme Examples

Investment Schemes

Watch out for "get rich quick" plans for which you have to invest upfront with "good faith money and investments that promise unusually large returns. Another example of fraud techniques are someone claiming that you owe money for an item ordered by a deceased relative.

Sales Schemes

Criminals will also pose to be door-to-door sales selling supplemental Medicare insurance, miracle cures, glasses and hearing aids at prices too good to be true.

Bank Schemes

Beware of a phony bank examiner contacting you for help in catching a dishonest bank employee. Banks never use this procedure, only con artists.

Charity Schemes

Telephone charity scams are common and many times the con artist claims to represent a police or fire organization. Before giving, ask questions. Ask for a call back number to verify if the charity is legitimate. Contact the local police or fire organization to verify the charity. Do not feel pressured to make an immediate commitment; "deadlines" are characteristic of a scam.

Report Any Suspicions

Anyone who receives suspicious calls should refuse to cooperate, hang up and contact the police.

For more information on fraud read through this FBI Fraud Alert.