no longer available. Perpetrators ….

no longer available. Perpetrators claim to send refund money to the victim’s bank account but falsely claim that too much money was refunded. Perpetrators then induce victims to send payments (often through storedvalue cards such as gift cards), purportedly to reimburse the tech support company for its “over-refund.” Victims have lost hundreds or thousands of dollars to this refund scheme.

—Federal Trade Commission

Lottery Scam

Fraudulent telemarketers based in Jamaica and other countries are calling people in the U.S., telling them that they have won a sweepstakes or foreign lottery.

The fraudulent telemarketers typically identify themselves as lawyers, customs officials or lottery representatives, and tell people they have won vacations, cars or thousands—even millions— of dollars. “Winners” need only pay fees for shipping, insurance, customs duties, or taxes before they can claim their prizes. Victims pay hundreds or thousands of dollars and receive nothing in return, and often are revictimized until they have no money left. Lottery scams operating from abroad often use U.S.based money mules to receive victim payments and transmit proceeds to perpetrators.

—U.S. Embassy in Jamaica

IRS Impostor Scam

IRS impostor scams are aggressive and sophisticated phone scam targeting taxpayers. Callers claim to be employees of the IRS but are not. They use fake names and bogus IRS identification badge numbers. Victims are told they owe money to the IRS, and it must be paid promptly through a wire transfer or stored value card such as a gift card.

Victims who refuse to cooperate are threatened with arrest, deportation or suspension of a business or driver’s license. IRS impostor scams operating from abroad often use U.S.based money mules to receive victim payments and transmit proceeds to perpetrators.

—Internal Revenue Services

Romance Scam

Millions of Americans use dating sites, social networking sites and chat rooms to meet people. And many forge successful relationships.

But scammers also use these sites to meet potential victims. They create fake profiles to build online relationships, and eventually convince people to send money in the name of love. An online love interest who asks for money is almost certainly a scam artist.

Romance scams operating from abroad often use U.S.based money mules to receive victim payments and transmit proceeds to perpetrators.

—Federal Trade Commission