If you ever get notified that you have won a contest or prize, make sure that you actually entered the contest or purchased a ticket. It is impossible to win a contest without entering or buying a ticket. This fact alone should tip you off that the e-mail is a scam. Another sure sign that the e-mail is bogus is when you are asked for money up front to claim your prize or to pay shipping. Delete the message right away.

The general rule when it comes to avoiding scams is to be wary of anyone who approaches you. This is especially true when you are offered a deal, or in this case an investment, that sounds too good to be true. One of the most common schemes is when the scammer asks you to invest a small amount of money to get a huge return often over 300%. In the real world, even the riskiest and highest paying investments really return more than 15%.

Have you ever been down a busy street and seen a big crowd of people in the middle of the sidewalk? Most likely, you are curious to see what the fuss was all about. You might even be tempted to join in. If you see any kind of card game or shell game going on, just keep on walking. These type of street games are illegal and are designed to get your money from you. The scammers have total control over who wins or loses each round. They will often let you win a game or two to entice you to play more.

One of the most common scams today is the work at home scam. The scammer sends an e-mail saying you can make a huge sum of money by working right at home. You just need to send a small sum of money for supplies and shipping. Never send any money without researching the company first. This is especially true if it involves assembling products or stuffing envelopes. The scam works especially well with people who have lost their jobs and are unemployed.

The home repair scam not only robs you of your money, but could also lead to substantial damage to your home. Never accept work from someone who approaches you from the street as this is almost certainly a scammer. The scammers will often claim you have smoke coming from your chimney from a furnace that is about to explode, or that they have extra materials from another job and can give you a discount. Ask these people to leave your property immediately.

Scammers will often attempt to steal your personal information over the phone posing as a bank or credit card company. Banks and credit card companies never ask for personal information over the phone. Once a scanner gets this information, they can steal your identity and drain the money from your accounts and charge up your credit cards. Never give bank account or credit card numbers over the phone.

It is a fact of life that some people are more gullible than others. People often times believe everything they hear and automatically think that it is true. Unfortunately, con artists use to their advantage. Unless you know the person and can trust them, such as a family member or friend, don't believe everything you hear without researching it first. Failing to do this could cost you a large sum of money and possibly your identity.

Beware of the e-mail that links to a legitimate looking website asking for personal information such as bank account or credit card numbers. This is a rapidly growing new version of scamming called phishing. Never click on a link from within e-mail and type in the web address yourself. If you look closely at the URL from a phishing e-mail, you will see that it is slightly different from the real site. Report it to the real institution immediately.

Scammers are always on the lookout for lonely desperate people. This is especially true with senior citizens and retirees. However, empty-nesters are not immune from this type of attack either. If you are single and live alone, be especially aware of anyone that seems to be attracted to you, but asks to borrow money or to go in with them on some sort of business deal. You'd be best to leave the person or least do some research first.

Con artists like to prey on people who have been through a hardship, such as death or divorce, as they are more vulnerable at this time. A scammer can pick up on these weaknesses fairly easily and in a very short period of time. For this reason, especially if you have just been through a hardship, it is best to walk away from suspicious strangers immediately. You don't want to fall into their trap and be taken for a bumpy money robbing ride.

You fall into the category of lowest risk for falling prey to a con artist or scammer. However, no one is totally immune to the constantly changing schemes and cons that seem to crop up every day. Your life situation could change suddenly, making you more vulnerable to being scammed. Continue to be cautious and ask questions whenever you come across someone who seems suspect. Avoid anyone who approaches you on the street. Keep on top of the latest scams by reading the news or browsing the web for forums and blogs about the latest schemes. Hopefully, you'll never fall prey to a con artist.

Although you are not in a high-risk category, you may need to work on being a bit more careful about any suspicious e-mails or phone calls you may receive. It appears you may be a bit too curious when you come across an e-mail from a con artist or scammer. You may think it is safe to simply look at an e-mail or website from a scammer without actually entering or clicking on anything. However, this is not always true as the link or website can take you to a page that will attempt to install a virus or malicious software on your system. Once the malicious program is started, it can retrieve passwords and other vital information off of your system, or worse yet, use your computer as a zombie to send spam e-mail to other people.

You are an average risk to being scammed or conned. This is also the largest group of people in this quiz. It is still unlikely that you will fall prey to scams such as the home repair or Three Card Monte schemes. A vast majority of the population has enough common sense to avoid these. Still, the average person can still fall prey to newer scams such as phishing or investment type scams. The con artists are very good at what they do and can convince almost anyone to take part in their malicious deals. Staying up-to-date on the latest schemes and asking lots of questions will work best to protect you.

Unfortunately, you are at a higher risk than average to being scammed. This does not mean that you will fall prey to every person who approaches you, but you are more likely to be drawn into their malicious ploys. A little research and common sense can go a long way to reduce your chances of being conned. If you live alone or have been through a traumatic event such as a death or divorce, then you need to be especially careful. If any e-mail, phone calls or even people who approach seem even the slightest bit suspicious, delete, hang up or walk away. Asking lots of questions and for extra time will also help. A person who avoids your questions or tries to rush you is most definitely a con artist. This is one of their very few weak points and could save you lots of money and trouble in the end.

You fall into the highest risk category for being scammed by a con artist. It is very likely that you have already fallen for some scams already and may not have even realized it. Because you are a likely target for being conned, you need to be extremely careful and very strict about any interaction with a person, phone call or e-mail that you do not recognize or know. Always walk away from a stranger who you do not know. Hang up the phone unless you know the person or company that you are speaking with. Delete all e-mails unless you are familiar with the person or institution that is sending it. This can be a brick-and-mortar building or a website. If there is some hint of familiarity, then go to the familiar source yourself whether it is a friend or a company you're dealing with. Con artists often do some research about you and use something you are familiar with to draw you in. Remember to ask lots of questions and for extra time to think about something. If the person avoids your questions or tries to rush you, then get out as fast as you can.

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