Help for Avoiding Foreclosures: The fraudster goes through records at the local courthouse listing homes facing foreclosure. He or she then contacts the homeowners and offers assistance to prevent the foreclosure from taking place. Instead, the homeowner is then tricked into signing documents that, in the fine print, transfer the ownership of the property to the fraudster.

"I-Need-Your-Help" Scams: Unlike the previous scams that involve selling or giving something to the victim, here the con artist is asking to receive some assistance... and in the process obtains account information or access to funds. Example: Someone claiming to be a bank examiner, bank security officer or police officer calls asking for help investigating a possible fraud by withdrawing cash from your bank account or providing account information. If the trick works, the bogus investigator can walk away with the money or use the confidential information to raid the victim's bank account.