Released: July 24, 2006

Five scams consumers need to know about

Source: By Elizabeth Leamy, ABC News

The National Consumers League says more consumers than ever are reporting that they have been victims of consumer fraud. On average, a consumer fraud victim today loses between $2,000 and $3,000.

Most scams are recycled over and over again with new twists, so if you can learn to recognize a few classic cons, you can fight back against the crooks.

No. 1: The Phony Job Scam. One woman posted her resume online and got a job offer to ship computer parts. She didn’t want to reveal her name because of security concerns.The supposed employer sent her a check, and she was supposed to cash it, wire the funds overseas, then wait for the parts. She did as she was told, but then her bank called.

“They said they had gone back to the bank, that the check was drawn and that the account was closed,” she said.

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