1. Check scams: Would-be victims receive a check in the mail, allegedly for winning a sweepstakes, lottery or promotion.
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.
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.
4. Lottery/sweepstakes notification letters: Epidemic in proportion, these are very much like the fake check scams.
5. Overpayment scams: These usually are found in forms of online ads and typically in places such as Craigslist or other classified forums on the Internet.
6. Mortgage foreclosure rescue scams: Scammers contact residents and offer them a desperate plan that is affordable and supposedly allows them to keep the home.
7. Marketing/investment scams: People are solicited by mail or e-mail and told they can make thousands of dollars working from home by buying a special kit, book or tape collection.
8. Inheritance scam: An e-mail or letter is sent to the victim from someone claiming to be related to them, or from somebody that claims to know that the victim's distant relative is either very sick or has died and left inheritance money.
9. Phishing scams: Generally, e-mails are sent from what looks like a legitimate bank or financial institution, asking for confirmation of account numbers and personal information.
10. Nigerian scam: E-mails or letters are sent from someone claiming to be an official or agent from a foreign country, informing the recipient he or she is seeking a foreign company or individual into whose account they can deposit funds left over from government funds, a business bank transaction or a confiscated family inheritance.
Better Business Bureau of Chicago and Northern Illinoi