Tip of the Day

"Crooks are taking advantage of the difficult economy, including tighter credit and higher unemployment, to trick people into accepting fraudulent and deceptive offers that seem beneficial on the surface but actually could cost a lot of money or result in identity theft," said Michael Benardo, manager of the FDIC's Financial Crimes Section.
Here are some common schemes being reported:

Mortgage rescue schemes

Other credit-related scams involving upfront fees

Work-at-home scams

"Mystery shopper" scams
  
As in anything finance related, use common sense, and realize if it sounds to good to be true...it certainly is.

Never give out personal info, such as: social security number, account numbers, credit card numbers etc...unless you are positive you are dealing with someone reputable. When in doubt walk away or hang-up. Better to be thought rude than be in the poor house.