Fraud Guides - Site Map

Use the Fraud Guides site map to help you navigate our site and find the information you need on Ripoffs, Scams, Schemes & Fraud.

Tax Fraud
Just in time for tax season! A listing of many of the top tax-related scams. These can be even mor dangerous than losing your money because you are responsible for paying your taxes even if you were fooled into doing something wrong. Use these pages to help you know what's bad advice or just plain criminal. The last thing you want is the IRS explaining it to you.

2008 Dirty Dozen Tax Scams from the IRS
2007 Dirty Dozen Tax Scams from the IRS
Roth IRA Abuse
IRS Audit Red Flags
Claim of Right
Credit Counseling
Home Based Business
Corporation Sole Statutes
Offshore Tax Shelters
What are Offshore Tax Havens?
Not Withholding
Tax Professional
Tax Refund Loans
Illegitimate Trusts
Tax Protesting
African-Americans
Con for Dodging Your Taxes
Tax-Related Identity Theft
Sharing Tax-Credit Dependents
Tax Scam Terms

Consumer Fraud
Consumers face fraud from every direction. It could be in the home, or at work or you could experience it while out shopping.

Affinity Fraud
Airline Ticket Web Site Phishing Scams
The Top 5 Travel Scams
The Worst Hotel Scams
Travel Club Scams
Contest Scams
Sweepstakes Scams
N.M.E. Pat Haines Sweepstakes
Lottery Scemes
ATM Card Fraud
Credit Card Debt Elimination
Credit Card Fraud
Raising your FICO Credit Scores
Credit Card Validation Code Scams
Consumer Credit Fraud
Gift Card Fraud
Identity Theft Guide
Identity Theft Tips
Check Fraud
Home Based Business Scam
Home Product Assembly and Crafting Scams
Envelope Stuffing Scams
Medical Billing or Home Transcription Scams
Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) Scams
Reshipping Fraud
Turnkey Website Scams
Inheritance Scams
Living Trust Scams
Manufacturer Rebates
Modeling Agency Scam
Mortgage Fraud Soars
Moving Scams
Appraisal Fraud
Closing Fee Kickback Scams
Mortgage Foreclosure Rescue Scams
Is Optoutprescreen.com a scam?
Phony Charities
Katrina Charity Scams
Product Counterfeiting
Property Deeds
Protecting Children From Identity Theft
Scholarship Scams
Rent-to-Own - Expensive and Risky
Tsunami Relief Scam

2005 Consumer Sentinel Annual Report

Auto and Car Dealership Scams
While most car dealerships are honest there are more than a few that will try and trick you into paying more for your car than it's worth or into financing your loan at a higher interest rate than you could. These are some of the biggest auto and car dealership scams and our advice on how to avoid them.

10 Most Stolen Cars
Airbag Scams
Gas-Saving Devices - Do they work or are they scams?
Beware of Flood Damaged Cars
Car Dealer Scams
Car Insurance Accident Scams
Auto Insurance Practices
Auto Insurance Referral Scams
Car Leasing Scams
Car Repair Scams
Top Auto Scams
Curbstoning
Odometer Rollback Scams
Parking Lot Scams
Prep Service Fee Scam
Risky Credit Rating Financing Scam
Car Title Loans
Title Washing
Towing Scams
Warranty Expiration
Yo-Yo Financing Scam
Buying Used Cars
Finance a Car
Lemon Laws

Medical Scams

Bird Flu Scams
Hospice Fraud
Hospital Billing Errors
Medicaid Fraud
Medical Insurance Scams

Investment Schemes
Everyone wants to make money and that includes both honest investors and scam artists. Investing is a natural place to find fraud because people are usually so eager to make a quick buck that they sometimes let their greed get in the way of their judgement.

Bulk Email Ponzi Schemes
Business Opportunity Fraud
Credit Card Skimming
Post-Hurricane Investment Scam
Mining Investment Scams
Oil & Gas Investments
Precious Metal Trading
Forex Scams
Multilevel Marketing Plans
PIPs PureInvestor
Ponzi Schemes
Prime Bank Scams
Pump & Dump Schemes
Short and Distort Scams
Pyramid Schemes
Investment Scams Targeting Seniors

Internet Fraud
All scams that have been done via other mediums over the years can be done even easier because of the anonymity of the internet. The con artists will use the chat rooms to tout their product, send unsolicited emails and build web sites to attract you to them. Try to keep aware of these scams and recognize them for what they are. A little caution will go along way.

Advance Fee Scams
Auto Dialers
BBB Phishing Email Alert
How to Block Popups
The FBI Warns of Chinese Quake Email Donation Scams
Counterfeit Money Orders
Craigslist Scams
Craigslist Apartment Rental Scams
Craigslist Car Scams
Craigslist Escrow Service Scams
Craigslist Ticket Scams
ebay Scam Prevention Tips
Top Email Scams of 2007
FTC's Dirty Dozen Email Scams
Fake Escrow Scam
Identity Theft
Nanny Site Scams
Lottery Scams
FBI Surveillance Email Hoax
Nigerian 419 Email Scams
Nigerian Email Scam #2
Online Auctions
Online Dating Scams
Phishing Scams
Spear Phishing
Phishing Schemes Getting Sneakier
Harry Potter Phishing Scam
Spoofed Email Detection
Spyware Delisting
What is a Firewall?
What is Adware?
What is Spyware?
Internet Security

Telemarketing Scams
Most telemarketing calls, although highly annoying, are made by legitimate telemarketing companies. Unfortunately, there are many large telemarketing scam rings out there that like to prey on unsuspecting consumers.

Fax Scams
Telemarketing Travel Scams
809 Area Code Scam
Boiler Room Schemes
Canadian Lottery
Telephone Cramming
Fake Charities
Federal Grant Scam
Federal Telemarketing Regulations
Magazine Sales
Office Supply Scams
Phone Phishing
Recovery Room Scams
Rip and Tear
Get on the National Do-Not-Call Registry
State Do-Not-Call Lists