[PDF] Common business scams The scammer hopes that the

What do scammers look for in a scam list?

Scammers keep and sell lists with information about people who have already lost money to fraud. It can include your name, address, phone number, the kind of scam that tricked you, and how much money you paid. Scammers buy, sell, and trade these lists, expecting that people who have been scammed once are good targets for being scammed again.

What is the scammers' Black List?

It contains the Scammers' Black List to help you identify and avoid the 10 most common methods scammers use to get at you.

How many scams did consumers report in 2019?

In 2019, U.S. consumers reported more than 3.2 million scams to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), according to the agency’s report of the top scams in 2019. The FTC is a government agency whose purpose is to protect consumers by preventing unfair, deceptive or fraudulent practices in the marketplace and maintaining healthy business competition.

What is an email scam?

Unsolicited commercial email, or “spam,” is the starting point for many email scams. Before the advent of email, a scammer had to contact each potential victim individually by post, fax, telephone, or through direct personal contact. These methods would often require a significant investment in time and money.