10 Scams To Watch Out For In 2010

1. The job opportunities scam

With unemployment boosted by the recession, this scam is growing in popularity. There you are, scanning a jobs website or the small ads in the hope of earning an honest wage. Or maybe an e-mail arrives promising the job of your dreams. Either way, the job description, company logo and website look legitimate, but when you get to the application form, it demands enough information to impersonate you and borrow money in your name. Double check the company or recruitment organisation independently, using the phone book and friends. If necessary, go the address you're given to be sure it's legitimate.

2. The ticketing scam

You're desperate for tickets to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, the Glastonbury festival or another major event but you've left things too late. Then you see an advert promising the tickets you want at a price you can afford. Often, these simply don't turn up but you could be sent fakes. Worse still, the information you give could be used to target your home for a burglary or your identity for a fraud. Stick to official ticket agencies or hospitality companies. It's better to miss an event than to lose your money and identity.

3. Account suspended scam

If you have an e-mail account, there's a fair chance you've received one of these scam e-mails. The mail looks like it's from a legitimate bank and warns you that your bank account has been suspended. Some are pretty convincing, while others can be pretty amateurish (with spelling mistakes and so on). You are then urged to follow a link to the bank's site, which is of course fake and designed to garner your bank details. Your bank should never send you an unsolicited message asking for your details, so it's best to ignore these e-mails. If you are still concerned, you could look up your bank's number online and give them a call.

4. The lottery scam

This type of scam is becoming increasingly prevalent. The criminals contact the victim telling them they have won a substantial prize. However, before they can claim the prize they are told to transfer cash into a nominated bank account. The criminals are then able to funnel cash out of the account. Recently, an elderly woman was scammed out of a whopping £24,000 using this technique. She wasn't even aware she'd been a victim until her bank contacted her. Police said this was a sophisticated ploy in that payment was paid into a genuine and unsuspecting British company's account, which was used as payment for vehicle parts sent to another part of the world, which in turn were sold on by the criminals. It goes without saying that you should be extremely suspicious of anyone phoning or mailing you about a lottery win and its best to avoid.

5. The investment opportunity scam

With interest rates at rock bottom, watch out for offers of brilliant investment opportunities delivering stellar returns. Of course, you have to set up an account with the genius behind this scheme, who not only collects the cash you want to invest but gets the bonus of your full personal and bank account details. Anything that seems too good to be true almost certainly is too good to be true, so don't get involved.

6.The get-rich-quick scam

With money too tight to mention, many people are looking for a second source of income and turn to promises of easy pickings when you work from home, often in your spare time. The price for this opportunity can be high and you never get the information, advice and support you've paid for. Be wary of get-rich-quick schemes that don't tell you what you have to do and how to do it. And look for a money back guarantee if you're not satisfied - genuine companies offer them.

7.The card security code scam

You get a call from someone purporting to be from Visa or MasterCard and asking if you have bought a specific item for a certain price. You say no and they tell you that the transaction has already gone through but they'll refund the money - if you give them the security code on the back of the card. These crooks already have your name, address and card number and can now use the card on the phone or internet. Never give this information out to cold callers. Instead, call the organisation that issued your card - the number will be printed on it - and tell them what's happened. They'll block your account and get you a new card.

8. The charity donation scam

The Haitian earthquake will trigger an outpouring of generosity. This is a classic opportunity for crooks to send e-mails and letters and create websites asking for donations to help the survivors. The money ends up in criminal pockets instead and, if you've paid by credit or debit card, your account could be maxed out as well. Natural disasters, victims of conflict and global health issues are the causes most commonly hijacked in this way. Indeed, the FBI was already warned of a number of fake sites looking to profit off the Haiti tragedy. Look for the Charity Commission number on any communication, then visit www.charity-commission.gov.uk and type it in. If there's no number or you can't find the charity listed, give your money to a reputable organisation such as the Red Cross or the Disasters Emergency Committee.

9.The inheritance/assistance scam

This fairly common scam is as lacking in sophistication as it is in tact. You receive an email saying you've inherited a load of cash from a hitherto unknown relative, or perhaps a political coup or civil war (generally in Nigeria) means someone needs to smuggle large amounts of money out of the country. If you would be so kind as to open a bank account for them, you'd be richly rewarded. As a general rule, people do not contact strangers and offer them huge sums of money. Common sense (and the delete button on your keyboard) should be enough to beat this particular type of email scam.

10. The security update scam

You're sent an e-mail that seems to come from your bank or card provider, telling you that the security parameters for your account need to be verified or reset. You click through to an apparently genuine website and give all your account data to the criminals who set it up. One variant asks you to renew a direct debit or transfer arrangement. Another downloads a virus onto your hard disk when you visit the website. Always call the organisation the e-mail claims to come from before giving out any information using a number you already have or look up independently, rather than using contact details given in the e-mail or related website.

If you're worried that you've been scammed, report the incident to the police or organisation concerned. Then check your bank and card statements thoroughly