The Better Business Bureau of Chicago and Northern Illinois has released its top 10 scam list for 2007. Even though this is a regional list, it fits nicely with what we’re seeing here at Fight Identity Theft:

1. Check Scams

Would-be victims receive a check in the mail, allegedly for winning a sweepstakes, lottery or promotion. The check supposedly covers taxes or other fees (see the text of the letter below). Here’s how the scam works:

• You deposit the check in your bank.
• You then pay the fees described in the letter via a money transfer.
• Unfortunately there isn’t any prize money and your bank eventually will tell you that the check you deposited is a forgery.
• You now owe the bank the money ($2,998.65 in the example below).
• You try to track down the money you sent out via money transfer, which is just about impossible.
• The scammers are now richer and you are poorer.

Here’s a sample of a check one of our readers received in the mail. The scammers will often place a reputable company on the forged check:

2. Advance Fee Lenders

These frequently will contact people by phone after they’ve filled out an online loan application or have found an advertisement in a local newspaper.

This is a similar scam to the check scam described above.

3. Online Employment Offers

Offers that look for "shipping" or "billing managers," "payment processors" or anything with a financial sounding name very frequently turn out to be fraudulent listings that are, in actuality, looking for victims to commit money laundering.

Other bogus online employment offers request money for travel, work visas, etc. Some scammers don’t ask for money, but instead ask for your personal info (name, DOB, SSN, address, mothers maiden name) in order to steal your identity or sell your info to someone that will.

Be extremely careful when dealing with online employment. Don’t send money to anyone. Use a company’s main number and then ask for your contact within the company vs. just dialing direct to the number you’ve been given in order to verify your contact really works at the company you’re interested in.

» Read the rest of the entry - Top 10 Scams of 2007