The reality is everyone wants to be richer than they already are. If they bump into something that dangles the promise of making more money than they already have, they will most likely jump on it. That is why fraudsters have a field day stealing from people because they know they will always find someone who falls for what they say. Some of the most common money making scams people use include:
Investment scams
These always come packaged as no-risk investments that you can engage in and start earning profits almost immediately. Most of them also have ‘beneficiaries’ giving testimonials on how the investment has worked for them and they are encouraging more people like you to join. The pressure to sign up is always too high, with phone calls, email reminders and all manner of things told to make you subscribe.
Pyramid schemes
The pitch in this is that you will make money joining a group or promoting a product, and you will continue earning even much more if recruit more people to join. There are multi level companies that operate on this premise, but they only succeed if they are providing services or products that people actually need. Most pyramid schemes collapse before long because they are not sustainable.
Work from home too good to be true jobs
Before you sign up to work with a company, check out the reviews on what people are saying about them. Do basic research and see if they are legit. If possible, run them in the list of companies that exist and see if their name will appear. Do not sign up and provide your personal details before confirming that the company recruiting you is licensed. You may end up as a victim of identity theft.
Inheritance and wealth left behind
You have probably ever received an email from someone claiming to be a royalty member from either Africa or Europe and is looking for someone with whom he/she can share wealth. The claim is always that they have no family and they have been diagnosed with a deadly disease and are reaching out to anyone who would want to inherit their wealth. Run as fast as you can if you read such in your inbox.
Bogus check
If someone owes you money and insists on sending you money through a check, be very careful with the transaction. Most of these types of scammers go online and in newspapers to see items for sale and come back as potential buyers writing a check.