RIP-OFF ALERT: Clark recently took a call from a listener who was rattled by an insurance seller trying to scare people away from AIG annuities. The caller was told she should bail on her supposedly "unsafe" AIG policy and come to the seller's company.

That's just plain irresponsible fear-mongering. The caller would have faced severe surrender charges if she listened to the salesperson. This kind of "churning" is dishonest, but Clark wishes it were criminal.

Turns out this caller's report is not an isolated one. The insurance departments in New York and Kentucky have warned their residents about this type of scam. Pay attention especially if you have older relatives who could be susceptible because they have AIG policies. Don't allow them to be swindled.

Here's the bottom-line: All AIG policies are solid now that the company has been bailed out by taxpayers. So don't let a pushy salesperson capitalize on fear in the marketplace and get you to make a bad decision based on emotion.

If you're listening and are too embarrassed to admit that you've already been scammed in this way, you need to immediately call your state's insurance department and see what kind of recourse is available to you.

"Call now! Operators are standing by!" Clark wants you to be careful about TV offers. He recalls a fun news story he did about five years ago where he ordered a number of products off television ads. Each one was hyped to be the greatest product ever sold. In the news spot, they first showed the TV demonstration, then they cut to Clark actually using that same item. Not a single product worked like it did in the commercial! One of his favorites was an ultra-strong power washer that attached to your garden hose, with a claim that you'd never need to hire a professional power washer for your concrete or siding again. He hooked it up to his hose, turned the water on high, pulled the lever.... and the water barely dribbled out. Nothing happened. At least it made for some great video!

You probably have been burned by a TV offer before. WCPO in Cincinatti recently did a spot on the "Awesome Auger," one of the top products being sold this year. The reporter said the only thing "awesome" about it was the extra charge you might find on your bill once you ordered it. The product was advertised at $19.95. But the "Shipping and Handling" charges totalled $140! Then he proceeded to list all the complaints the Better Business Bureau had received on the product.

Clark just wants you to know that when you see something advertised on a commercial or infomercial, the sales pitch is geared to create a sense of urgency before you come to your senses. ("But wait! There's more!") Know that you can never be sure what you're going to get. If you do buy something, make sure that you have -- in writing -- your right to return the product for a refund. And only pay by credit card so you can dispute the charge if necessary. But the best thing of all? Just say no.

RIP-OFF ALERT: Here's an oldie but baddie that dates back some 20 years ago to Clark's first days on the air.

According to the FBI, advance-fee loans have roared back into action after years of being off our radars. Business owners and individuals are the typical targets.

Here's the way it works: Businesses are in a cash crunch because so many lenders are reducing or shutting down their lines of credit. That creates a fertile ground for smooth-talking con artists who represent themselves as being industry experts on finding loans. Unwitting victims get taken when they pay them an upfront fee for loan origination -- and never hear from them again.

The Wall Street Journal reports that some 100 business owners lost untold millions recently in one week because of this practice. But it's not always big-money targets the crooks go after. In one instance, the owner of a daycare was taken for $2,000 in the hopes that she'd get a $20,000 loan. On the other end of the spectrum, another business owner seeking a loan of $250 million wound up paying $260,000 upfront.

The answer to the credit crunch is never paying someone a fee to get loan for you.

There is, however, a related gray area -- and that's selling off credit card receivables. It's a way to generate revenue today on income that will be coming to you down the road. While this practice isn't illegal, it does often come with a massive rate of interest that can be upwards of 60%.

So if you're a small business owner in need of funds, see if you can find another way to keep things going. Selling your credit card receivables may be legal, but you may just dig yourself into a deeper hole.

RIP-OFF ALERT: You've seen and heard about the suffering in the Midwest because of flood activity, and the heroic efforts of everyday people who pitched in by sandbagging to reinforce levees.

When bad things happen, it brings out the best and the worst in people.

The FTC has issued a new warning about scamsters who are stealing money by pretending to collect funds for flood relief charities.

You could substitute any other natural disaster in here and still get the same outcome. It could be Hurricane Katrina, the Christmas Day Tsunami or 9/11. These sleaze-balls come out and steal at a time when people are genuinely concerned and open their wallets.

So be wary -- after any disaster -- when you get a call from a solicitor. Don't give them any money over the phone. Ask them instead to send info and then make your decision. Be wary also of phony e-mails.

You only want to give to organizations that you have firsthand knowledge of or that you know to be OK. If you're in doubt, research a potential charity at Give.org.

The sad truth is that many people will be "once burned, twice shy" when it comes to opening their hearts (and wallets) during the next disaster. That's why it's important to do your homework first before you give any money.

RIP-OFF ALERT: There's a sophisticated ruse going on right now where criminals use the triple threat of e-mail, phone calls and text messages to trick you into yielding your account information.

This trio of messages will look and sound completely legitimate. They may prompt you to call a seemingly legit toll-free number and talk to an "investigator," or direct you to a website that looks real with logos from your bank, credit union or brokerage house.

The truly scary thing is that the criminals already have access to all your contact info. The Kansas City Star reports that the FBI and Secret Service are aware of this scam. So beware if you get hit with this trifecta of phishing (e-mail), vishing (voice mail) and smishing (text).

What should you do if you think you're on the receiving end? Don't divulge your PIN number or other sensitive information. Go to your real bank's website, look for the contact info and call them that way. Don't respond back to what you see in an e-mail, even if it looks legit.

Yes, Clark wants to make you paranoid.

Think you may have already fallen prey? Contact your bank and tell them to check into it before the suspected crime progresses any further.

RIP-OFF ALERT: The FTC has announced the largest-ever bust of telemarketers as part of its “Operation Tele-PHONEY.”

Here’s the scoop: Scammers were trying to sell people all kinds of things over the phone, from advance fee loans to big savings on Rx to magazine subscriptions to household products for seniors. Though they were many independent telemarketers, the common thread here is that they all sought to get your checking account information. Once they had it, they would bill you and try to empty out your account.

The banking industry continues to have zero security in place for drafts on your account. A legitimate person trying to cash a hardcopy check will be put through the ringer at bank. But if you just have an account number and present a draft, they’ll pay it no questions asked. This is a true Achilles’ heel that can easily be exploited by criminals.

The takeaway is simple: Never give out your check routing number over the phone or on the web. Pay via money order if you’re dealing with a collection agency. Sure, you may pay a nominal fee to do so, but this is the only truly safe way to settle up your debt.

RIP-OFF ALERT: Clark recently read an article in The Los Angeles Times about a woman arrested for running a Ponzi scheme in California, Nevada and Georgia. Jeanetta M. Standefor is the woman behind Accelerated Funding Group, an alleged investment group that operated under the guise of a mortgage rescue operation.

About a year ago, Clark distinctly remembers getting a call from a listener who was gung-ho about the "virtually risk-free" investment option being offered by Accelerated. Here's how things went down: You put money with the group and you were supposed to get a 50% return in 6 weeks. So people rushed to put in about $18 million. They were told their money would be helping people avoid foreclosure.

But this was just a classic Ponzi scheme. Early investors were simply paid with money from those who came in later. There was no investment activity going on at all.

Today's low interest rates on savings mean that we're overly susceptible to scams like this. But there are other sneaky things going that aren't illegal, but could easily prove to be a major pitfall. Seniors should be particularly wary of newspaper ads promising really good CD rates. When they call up for further info, they get pitched on variable annuities by insurance salespeople.

The reality is that the bum interest rates are here for the time being. But it won't be this way forever. So don't do anything outlandish or you may be separated from your money.

RIP-OFF ALERT: There's a new breed of scam popping up all over the country that's targeting our elders. It's called equity stripping or foreclosure rescue, and what it boils down to is people trying to steal your home without a gun. It all starts when you get a flyer or a visitor at your door talking about how they can help you stay in your home and give you money. People desperately want to believe these kinds of lines. They're asked to sign a contract and in doing so sign over ownership of the house.

One criminal ring was recently indicted for stealing over 100 houses in this way. Meanwhile, the FBI has received 60K complaints about equity stripping scams. If you have aging parents, Clark wants you to be nosy and make sure they're not falling for this ploy. You don't want to get a phone call one day and learn your folks are renting or staying with a friend because they lost their home.

RIP-OFF ALERT: Whenever Clark delivers a speech to seniors, he's always approached by those interested in doing reverse mortgages. Reverse mortgages offer a way for retired folks who are running out of cash to be able to remain in their home and get a check each month by borrowing against the value of the property. This can be a good option if you don't want a family member to inherit the house. Historically, however, the fees on reverse mortgages have been about 300%-500% higher than those associated with a regular mortgage.

Clark knows that most insurance salespeople are decent. But then there are those awful ones looking to perpetrate an equity stripping scam. They gain the confidence of an elder; strip the equity out of their home as a lump sum (instead of a monthly payout); and put it into piece-of-trash annuities, which net massive commissions for the salesperson.

If you have aging parents or other elderly loved ones, Clark wants you to put the warning out for them. Only a small sliver of insurance agents are this sleazy. But the sad thing is that if they're caught, they may only have to give the money back. How is that supposed to discourage them from doing it again? States need to pass criminal sanctions that will allow for hard time for equity strippers.

One final note: There's only one type of annuity that's absolutely fine for seniors -- immediate payout annuities, also called life annuities. The irony is that you won't hear about these from most insurance salespeople because they have tiny commissions.

RIP-OFF ALERT: In times of economic uncertainty, you're more likely to be taken in investment scams. With CDs, treasuries and stocks all hurting, people are desperately searching for a safe and profitable place to stash their money. Even Schwab is being sued over its YieldPlus Fund…and that's a legitimate company that made an honest mistake.

In a separate instance, The Los Angeles Times recently reported on a duo selling private investments in public equities (PIPEs) with the promise of returns of about 40% a year! The duo stands accused of conning more than $40 million out of everyone from retirees to sophisticated investors. One of alleged cons bought 2 multi-million dollar homes in Nevada, jewelry, clothing, cars and more. People trusted them and they were able to exploit that trust.

Meanwhile, Clark was recently approached by someone at the studio asking him about foreign CDs promising a "guaranteed" return of 18% a year. Anyone promising a number beyond 4% or 5% annually for a "safe" investment is suspect. "Safe returns" and "decent returns" are mutually exclusive. People just have to get used to the idea that right now you can't keep up with inflation. For long-term investors, Clark's advice is to get past your fear of the stock market and diversify your portfolio -- that's the key to creating wealth in the long run.

Clark is getting calls about a new kind of tax ID theft, plus a WTMJ listener recently told him her own disturbing story. The latest scam involves someone using your Social Security number to provide false tax info and apply for a refund as if they're you. Then when you go to file your taxes, you're told that you can't file twice. The ways people get our Social Security numbers are myriad, and there's not enough attention paid to this area. Another scam listeners are telling us about involves getting a notice from the IRS saying you owe money because you did not report all income for a prior tax year. What actually happens is that someone working illegally files a W-4 in your name and that income gets reported by the employer.

Clark has a somewhat radical suggestion that's a twofer: It deals with tax ID fraud and would eliminate the hiring of illegals. Clark recently joined the trusted traveler program and agreed to have his eyes and fingerprints scanned. This allows him to speed through security at select airports. Now Clark thinks it's reasonable -- in an era where nobody seems to know who we are anymore -- to be fingerprinted upon accepting employment or filing a tax return. Does this idea creep you out? Tell us by voting in our poll!

RIP-OFF ALERT: The Berkeley Center for Law and Technology analyzed corporate America to see which companies have the highest incidence of ID theft. The No. 1 company? Bank of America. BoA is the nation's second largest bank. (If you look at the numbers based on total customer base, BoA then actually comes in second behind HSBC). AT&T occupies the second slot, followed by Sprint (No. 3), JPMorgan Chase (No. 4) and Capital One (No. 5). Think about it: 3 of the first 5 are banks, which is understandable. But why are two phone companies way up there? The reason is because they do a credit check when you apply for phone service, and open yourself up as a potential target when they get your info. In the No. 6 spot, we have Citibank. As the nation's largest bank, Citibank has one-third less incidences of ID theft than the smaller BoA! Verizon, American Express, Washington Mutual and Wells-Fargo all round out the top ten. View the complete list online at the Berkeley site.

Now the inevitable question: Why do these institutions have high rates of ID theft? Clark speculates that it must have to do with the way they internally handle your information. Interestingly, the bank with the lowest incidence of ID theft is ING Direct. You would think they'd be up at the top of the list since they're Internet only. But being a newer bank, they've been dealing with outsmarting ID thieves since they launched. It's much tougher for a legacy financial institution to retroactively patch good protection into systems that were built decades ago. ID theft has not grown significantly -- it still happens to about 10 million people a year -- but it's still a major issue. Finally, from the "no they didn't!" category, the New York City Department of Finance sent tax forms to 1000s that showed people's Social Security numbers through the envelope. C'mon people, this is 2008! Get with the program.

RIP-OFF ALERT: Clark's wife recently received a letter about inclusion in a "who's who" organization. The pitch proudly proclaimed how there's no cost to be recognized in her given field for outstanding contributions. In reality, there isn't any cost; this is more of a classic rip-off than a crafty scam. Here's the scoop: There are a number of vanity organizations that send out these query letters. There is no cost to reply and have your name included in their listings. But once you respond, they try to sell you framed pictures, books, plaques and more to turn a profit.

When Clark was in college, his mom got taken in a similar rip-off. Clark was supposedly "selected" as one of the nation's top college students. Yet there was no selection process other than his mom filling out the form and sending it back in. So for his birthday, she gave Clark a plaque and a book that she ordered. The book featured Clark listed with all the other kids who had parents that also gotten taken!

Here's what you need to know: If you get a letter like this, Clark wants you to buy a frame at the dollar store and hang the letter on your wall. Don't respond and don't buy any extras goodies from the vanity organization itself!

RIP-OFF ALERT: Clark gets very steamed whenever he hears about children or seniors getting ripped off. Here's a scenario that affects the latter group: Clark has been getting a lot of reverse mortgage questions. Reverse mortgages offer a way for retired folks who are running out of cash to be able to remain in their home and get a check each month by borrowing against the value of the property. This can be a good option if you don't want a family member to inherit the house, but historically the fees on reverse mortgages have been too high. Now Kiplinger's reports that insurance salesmen and women are convincing seniors to do reverse mortgages, cash out the value of their homes and…you guessed it…buy variable annuities. AARP finds that 1 in 10 people doing reverse mortgages were conned into doing so with the promise of such pseudo-investments.

This is unconscionable. Clark doesn't know what goes on in the minds of the banks, brokerage houses and insurance companies who push these modified reverse mortgages. The variable annuity shtick is bad enough, but it's really infuriating that they're pouring salt into a wound by stripping the equity from a home. Clark believes it's not enough to fine people who push this stuff; the only way to stop this is to send them to prison. The fines that can be levied are never enough and just reinforce the idea that crime pays. So you must be the cop on the beat for your elderly relatives. Be nosy and find out what's going in their lives. Hopefully they were there for you as a young person, so try returning the favor by being there for them in a time of need.

RIP-OFF ALERT: Zombie debt is a lucrative and illegal part of the debt-collection world that Clark wants to warn you about. Scavenger collectors buy up expired debts that can be up to 30 years old for as little as 1 penny on the dollar. Then they unleash vicious collectors to try to collect, and frequently violate the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act in the process. They may be going after debts set aside in bankruptcy; stemming from ID theft; or that have passed the statute of limitations, which is typically 4 years on credit card debt. There is no legal way they can collect these debts, but that doesn't stop the scavengers from trying to intimidate you.

This is not a discussion about whether or not you should pay your bills; this is about what your rights are on old debts. The scavengers are so good that they typically collect about 13 cents on every dollar. Many of them also engage in illegal activities by wrongfully putting old debts back on your credit report; harassing you over the phone; or secretly taking money out of your account. If you're being harassed by a zombie debt collector, send them a certified letter stating the debt is invalid and instructing them to stop contacting you. But beware that scavengers don't care if the debt is valid. They've declared war on your wallet and will use any tactics. Be tough and know your rights.

RIP-OFF ALERT: Presidents' Day weekend is the biggest sales time for mattresses. But beware because the bedding business has historically been filled with snakes. When you're looking at their colorful inserts and TV ads, know that they are listing promotional price bedding. Manufacturers make a tiny percent of their production runs to be used for this purpose. When you lay down on a promo mattress in a store, you'll probably think the floor would be more comfortable. This is done on purpose so the salesperson can then steer you to a more expensive mattress. It's the old bait-and-switch. They also make comparison shopping difficult because they never use the same model number. You can look at the same mattress at several stores, but you'll never know it because it's been given a different model number each time.

ConsumerAffairs.com recently reported on the worst places around the country to do your mattress shopping. But Clark wants you to know there are people in the business who play it straight and aren't rodents. You can tell when they don't start with the bait-and-switch and instead actually offer a comfortable bed for a good price. Even still, take a picture of the tag on the mattress to show the model number of what you're buying. This prevents them from later trying a reverse switch and delivering something other than what you purchased. And always remember to pay with a credit card so you're protected from delivery problems or phony additional charges.

Clark also recommends mattresses from the warehouse clubs because they have little markup. He wants to commend Sam's Club for having pullout mattresses available for you to check out. That way you don't have to pull a mattress off the wall. When you do try a mattress out, get a book and chill for a while to thoroughly vet it before buying.

RIP-OFF ALERT: File this one in the "News of the Weird" bin. An Internet-based virtual world called Second Life has spawned rip-off artists who scam users out of very real money. Second Life is a virtual community where you create a new you and live out a second identity in a digital world. Scammers got into Second Life and set up a virtual bank. But it's not real, right? Well, here's the rub: They got people to deposit real money with the promise of large returns. The Chicago Tribune reports the scammers made off with $75K.

This whole strange episode is an early warning signal that even in your play area on the 'Net there are people who aren't playing at all. Folks are more likely to let their guard down in Second Life. But this is no different than going on vacation and getting your wallet or camera stolen because you didn't safeguard it. Clark also says to be wary anytime you're promised huge returns; it could be a classic Ponzi scheme. Beware when words like "guaranteed" are thrown around. The only thing that's guaranteed is that your wallet will get burned. Meanwhile, the Better Business Bureau has put out an alert that's particularly timely: As people have financial hiccups because of the slowing economy, they're more likely to be susceptible to a variety of "Get Rich Quick" schemes. For example, Clark recently took 2 calls on currency exchange scams. Be sure to avoid this one.

Longtime listeners know that Clark despises the gift card market. The only exception to this rule is when you get more than what you pay for from a retailer or merchant. Examples of this include getting a $125 gift card for $100 or getting bonus services thrown in during the purchase. Business Week recently ran a story that reinforced why retailers push gift cards so hard. It's like stealing money without a gun; they know a large percent of the cards won't ever be redeemed. You may have heard that Home Depot holds more than $100 million in unredeemed gift cards. But now Business Week has discovered that Best Buy is sitting on a whopping $500 million in outstanding gift card revenue!

States are now wising up and enacting laws that require retailers to turn over unredeemed gift card money after a certain period of time. If people go to redeem the card, they'll have to get their money back from the state. Clark recently was in Austin, Texas, visiting his affiliate station KLBJ-AM. There he spoke to a member of the state legislature who told him Texas enacted its own law after hearing one of Clark's gift card rants. The worst kinds of gift cards are the ones issued by banks, which come with a ton of fees. The federal regulators have not put any rules on the banks as of yet. That alone tells you who they work for -- and it's not you and me.

There are a lot of pseudo health insurance companies out there selling fake plans to employers and individuals. The Wall Street Journal reports that some 200,000 businesses have been taken in these kinds of rip-offs. Small businesses crushed by high premiums are very susceptible to the lure of cheaper health care. But when somebody gets sick, the insurance card comes back as a fake and all the bills go unpaid. This has been happening in state after state. Insurance is regulated by the states, not the feds, so the rip-off artists can just bounce around from state to state pulling their scams. What do you need to know to stay safe? First off, be wary if you get a pitch for a great deal with drastically lower premiums. But don't let your skepticism stop there. Contact your state insurance department and ask if a prospective company is licensed to do business in your state. Make sure the name matches exactly because sometimes the rip-off artists will use a name that's very similar to that of a legitimate business. Seniors also have to be especially careful of fake prescription plans. Once again, call your state insurance department to verify if a health insurance salesperson represents a legitimately licensed company. Preventative steps are the best medicine for your wallet.

Clark wants to warn you about a new e-mail scam making the rounds. Criminals have been gaining access to e-mail contact lists and sweeping out all the addresses. They then send out a very distressed note in your name to every contact on your list. The e-mail will claim that you're in financial, legal or medical trouble and that you desperately need money right away. The criminals hope that even one or two of your closest friends will respond with an offer of funds. Public e-mail services such as Yahoo! have been hit by this scam, according to The New York Times. Sometimes the criminals will even change your password while they're in your account. At that point, it can be very difficult to reclaim your e-mail address. So if you get a suspicious e-mail from a relative or friend, call them first and find out what's going on before you give them your money. On a related note, there's now a $5 security key that really helps secure your PayPal account. The key generates a random code every 30 seconds that you must use to access your account. Even if a thief has your e-mail address and password, they still won't be able to get in without the code. These kinds of security keys have become so inexpensive yet so invaluable. Clark hopes that brokerage houses and banks will soon be offering these devices to customers.

There are around 150 million Americans on the Do Not Call list. That has really frustrated insurance salespeople who would like to rip off a lot of old folks they're now forbidden to contact. So some marketing companies have come up with lead-generating programs to break the Do Not Call barrier. Here's how it works: The marketing company mails a postcard to a senior telling him or her that there's a problem with their Medicare or Social Security benefits. Some postcards even had the AARP logo or official government addresses on them to suggest credibility. When someone responds to the postcard, they're exempting themselves from the Do Not Call list. Insurance companies then pay big money to the marketing companies for the rights to get those numbers and set up appointments to pitch elders on bad investments.

The Wall Street Journal reports that in one instance, an 83-year-old man fell for this rip-off tactic and was sold nearly $180,000 in annuities that wouldn't mature until he was 90. The salesperson made a commission of around $20,000. Some of the companies that have been involved in these postcard scams include ChoicePoint, American Family Prepaid Legal Corporation, Aviva PLC and many others. In fact, AARP won an injunction against ChoicePoint for using their logo. So if you are a senior or if you have elderly parents, know that these phony postcards are being used to con elders out of their hard-earned money. Clark thinks the real solution here would be to criminalize the sale of variable annuities to people over a certain age.

Clark works with a sales representative who is very charitable with his money. After being solicited by someone trying to collect money for firefighters, the sales rep agreed over the phone to give $25 to the cause. But when the pledge card arrived in the mail, there was a message stating it was not a charity and contributions were not tax deductible. The rep was in a classic moral dilemma; he wanted to honor his commitment, but no longer felt comfortable about it. Clark told him not to give the $25 in this instance.

With the holidays approaching, we're susceptible to being taken advantage of through our generosity. So anytime a solicitor calls seeking funds, your standard answer should be, "I don't give money out over the phone. If you'd like, you can send me some literature on your organization so I can make an informed decision." If you say that to a scammer, you'll probably hear Mr. Buzz -- the dial-tone -- because they'll be on to the next caller. There's a grey area here with phony solicitors seeking money for fire departments, police departments and the military. Clark recently heard of one group raising money for soldiers. But it turned out only a third of 1 percent of the money was actually going to soldiers. That means 99.7 percent was being stolen from people like you with false promises. You also need to beware of union-collection activities. Any contributions you make are not deductible and do not go directly to the benefit of fire or police workers. They instead go to union-funding efforts in law enforcement and public safety fields. The bottom line is that you should have firsthand knowledge of any group you're considering funding. Many legitimate charities are inefficiently run, so only pennies may actually go to the intended recipient. Give your money instead to organizations you know you can trust and believe in. The best organizations for this are ones you're involved in yourself. Clark has compiled some tips to help you know exactly how your charitable donations are being used.

There is an unpatriotic segment of the population that has been thriving by ripping off members of our military with usurious loans. Clark thinks it's disgusting that the soldiers who lay their lives on the line for our freedom are being taken advantage of by scum. This issue directly impacts our national security when military personnel can't deploy because they're burdened by mountains of debt and can't get security clearance. Some of these locust payday lenders have been stationing themselves outside of military posts and making loans with interest rates beginning at 390 percent! Many military recruits have fallen for this because they're young and not sophisticated in the ways of finance. Congress previously outlawed these sickening loan practices, but only now has the Pentagon formalized rules to protect the young men and women in our military. It is now a federal crime for a payday lender to rip off a soldier. The rules also extend to loans offered to the spouses of soldiers. Other provisions of the new rules ensure that soldiers will soon have access on their posts to financial advice 24/7 and extra low-cost loans.

Sometimes people call in to the show and complain about having credit cards with interest rates of 28 or 30 percent. But that pales in comparison to something Clark recently heard about. The Kansas City Star reports that some online lenders make loans in the amount of $500-$2,500 dollars at 650 percent interest! These people are loan sharks and they're spreading like locusts because of the Internet -- even in states that don't permit lending of this type. But these lenders are still making illegal loans across state lines. The people who make these loans are complete and total scum, according to Clark. These lenders say they're taking on big risk by lending to people with bad credit or no credit. They're also arguing in various federal courts that they are not subject to the state laws where they're lending, but rather only in the states where they're set up. That's the same deal with the credit card companies. Many years ago the Supreme Court ruled it is legal for a bank to set up its credit card operation in a state where there are no rules. That's why so many credit cards are based in South Dakota or Delaware. So now these scum Internet lenders are invoking these rights too. Will it fly? This will ultimately be decided as it works its way through higher courts. All you need to know is that when you see an Internet loan offer, you must turn your back on it. Don't take hard times in your life and make them worse.

Have you ever seen a full-page ad for a penny stock in a respected newspaper like The New York Times or USA Today? The Times recently ran a story about scammers who purchase full-page ads in legitimate newspapers and capitalize on the implied approval the ad gives them. Clark thinks it took a lot of guts for the Times to run this particular story because the paper had to admit it had accepted some dubious penny stock ads. Penny stocks typically "advertise" via spam, fax, or telephone. Anytime you get a message in your inbox about getting in on the ground floor of a company that's about to hit the big time, well, chances are it's a scamming penny stock.

In this latest twist, the penny stock scammers were actually buying full-page ads at a base rate of $37,500/page in well-known papers; some scammers even bought ad schedules valued at a quarter million dollars! A lot of unsuspecting people immediately thought these advertisers must be legitimate if they're in the Times or USA Today. Not true, says Clark. Advertising is paid propaganda, it's not news. There's nothing wrong with advertising -- it's an important element of capitalism -- but you have to be wary when scammers are the advertisers. Beware whenever a company buys ads touting how great they are and how you need to buy their stock. Do the independent research to verify any claims they make.

Whenever the economy hiccups, it seems like there are more and more scams being pushed on people. Has someone recently tried to offer "the business opportunity of a lifetime" to you? The Arizona Republic reports that the Better Business Bureau and Federal Trade Commission are getting increased complaints about these bogus business opportunities. Last year the FTC even initiated a program called Project FAL$E HOPE$ to help protect unwitting investors from such scams. The pitches that people are getting are very convincing. They're often delivered in hotel ballrooms, but also can come by word of mouth from someone you know. What these kinds of scammers are offering is great wealth -- if you buy their secret system or investment strategy.

Clark wants to warn people that there is no "insta-business." We all want to earn extra income, so the subconscious desire to believe these pitches is tremendous. The pitches can get so intense that Clark describes them as part church revival, part pep rally and all baloney. If you do get pitched, do some third-party research by talking to the BBB, or going to eBay and seeing if others are doing a protest sale. You'll know it's a protest sale if someone is offering a product or strategy that could cost you thousands of dollars for some ridiculously low price like $1.99. Chances are this person already paid money and got burned, so now they want to warn others. You can always buy what they're selling for a couple of bucks and investigate its legitimacy rather than paying full price to a scam artist.

Have you been approached by a representative from a company called either Metro Dream Homes, POS Dream Homes or Metropolitan Grapevine promising to help you pay off your mortgage in about seven years? This offer is yet another scam that's come to Clark's attention. All you have to do is pay $5,000 and agree to give up 15 percent of your home equity! Metro then says they'll invest your money in credit card machines, ATMs and other "revenue-generating devices" and use the profits to pay off your mortgage in five to seven years. Once the mortgage is paid, you then have to give Metro half of the new equity in the home. The state of Virginia recently crunched the numbers and found that they are mathematically impossible. Meanwhile, The Washington Post reports that Virginia and Maryland are seeking temporary injunctions and cease-and-desist orders against Metro. Don't buy into the pipedream being pushed by the company.

Earlier this week, Clark told you about a security breach at Monster.com where hackers stole the names, addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses of 1.3 million people. There have been so many breaches over the years that we're almost numb to news about them. But now there's reason to believe that the Monster breach could affect more than just a million people. Nobody knows the exact number -- it's just larger than previously thought. So if you've ever posted your information on Monster.com, you need to be aware that criminals are calling people up and pretending to be potential employers or banks to get additional personal information. Once they get your additional info, they have all they need to take your identity or empty your bank account. You should only divulge sensitive information in person at a potential place of employment or a bank. The web is too anonymous and dangerous of a place to share your info via e-mail.

Last spring just around tax time, Clark started hearing about a lot of people who received an e-mail scam that appeared to be from the IRS. Now the same scam has resurfaced. Here's how it works: You get an e-mail that appears to be from the IRS saying they owe you small refund usually around $139.50. The e-mail is branded with the IRS logo and looks legit. It originates from an address that ends in .us, which most people think is a sign of authenticity. A .us domain name, however, is the same as a .com. The real IRS website is a .gov, since it's a government organization. The bogus e-mail explains that the money will be deposited into your account -- provided that you send your account number and secret access code. If you comply, your account will be cleaned out by cyber criminals. Know that the IRS will never ask you for your banking info in an e-mail. Meanwhile, there's a similar scam circulating that appears to be coming from Coca-Cola. This one isn't legit either, so watch out!

Job seekers who entered their information in the Monster.com database may be at risk of identity theft following a massive security breach at the company. Identity thieves managed to steal the names, addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses of 1.3 million people. So beware if someone claiming to be an employer calls or e-mails asking to screen you as a potential employee. If they're an identity thief targeting you, they may ask you to divulge your social security number, mother's maiden name or place of birth. These are some of the remaining key pieces of info they'd need to steal your identity. If you think you've already been targeted or may be in the future, you're best option is to do a credit freeze. Consumersunion.org offers a comprehensive list of states that have credit freeze laws on the books. If you're already a victim, it's free to do a credit freeze. But you may have to pay some nuisance fees if you just want to do a freeze as a preventative measure. Right now 10 million people have their identity stolen each year. So why is there no national credit freeze law? The problem is that Congress is in cahoots with bank lobbyists who want to repel all freeze laws -- even those on the state level. We'll keep you posted...

Clark owns a mortgage that he collects payments on much like a bank would. Recently he's noticed that he is getting mail and phone calls from note buyers. These are people who are involved in the latest dare to be rich scheme. They've heard a pitch in a hotel ballroom somewhere about how you can score quick cash by approaching someone who owns a mortgage and offering to buy their note right now. They typically ask the note holder to sell his or her interest for anywhere between 70-90 cents on the dollar. Clark admits there is a very, very small legitimate business opportunity here. But most of these note-buying schemes are rip-offs.

On a related note, the median home price in the United States -- the level at which half of all homes are more expensive and half are less -- has declined this year for the first time since the feds started keeping records in 1950. Home prices are expected to get lower still in 2008 and even lower in 2009. There are some markets like Portland, Seattle and Charlotte, N.C., that are still increasing. But bubble markets such as Phoenix, Las Vegas, lots of California, lots of Florida, the Washington D.C. metro area and Boston are hurting. The only bubble market that hasn't burst yet is the New York metro area. Expect the average price of a home to decline about 1-2 percent per year for the foreseeable future. Just remember that you have nothing to fear if you're in a home and have no intention to move or sell. That being said, two million families will still be put out on the street this year alone. The only silver lining here is that the bulk of the foreclosures are not owner-occupied. They instead belong to speculative owners who may never have seen the properties they're losing. This housing "correction" is actually healthy because it will allow the country to get back to a place where home prices are more affordable to the average person. Finally, Clark denies that the media has caused the housing slump. The market is slumping because it was built on irrational loans that stretched people too far and too many houses going up on spec.

When you use a car dealer to finance your auto loan, the dealer will mark it up as much as they can. But the average black customer buying a new car pays an interest rate that's 40 percent higher than the average white customer -- even after accounting for differences in credit scores. Hispanics, meanwhile, pay almost the same as non-Hispanic whites, just slightly higher. In the used-car market, one in three blacks pay an interest rate that is above 15 percent, while the average rate for a white person is less than 10 percent. Clark thinks it's a shame that this residual racism is still around in 2007.

If you dig deeper into this story, you'll really find that anyone who doesn't get pre-qualified for a car loan will pay more than they should. So Clark advises anybody seeking an auto loan to get pre-qualified at a credit union, which will offer lower rates than a bank. Think about it like this: You may have spent hours researching your car thoroughly, but you've got to do the same on the loan. Dealers are entitled to make money on a loan if you don't do homework and get pre-qualified elsewhere. Historically, that mark-up had been about 10 percent points. After all the legal settlements of the past few years, however, it now is usually three percent. That means if a bank offers you a car loan for 5 percent, the dealer will offer the same loan for 8 percent. So whether you're black or not, it pays to get pre-qualified for an auto loan.

Do you need yet another reason to dump the three monopoly phone companies -- Verizon, AT&T and Qwest -- and their outdated landlines? Well, here it is: Verizon is playing dirty pool by getting into the AT&T game of charging customers a fee for long distance even if you don't use long distance. The Verizon fee is a couple of bucks a month, but AT&T had been charging people between three and five dollars to not use long distance! So unless you absolutely need a landline, why not liberate yourself? Here's the problem the phone companies are facing: They fought very hard to be able to sell long distance, but then people started using their cell phones, pre-paid cards, the Internet and/or cable phone companies to make their long distance calls. In fact, the cable companies usually offer unlimited long distance. So now the monopoly phone companies are fighting a losing battle.

Clark advises anyone who has older parents to go through their phone bill and see if you can save them money by enrolling them in Lifeline, which is a much more affordable tariff-rated service that seniors can get. Also be aware that if your parents have been in same residence since the early '80s, they may be paying a lease for telephones they had back then. Those fees could cumulatively amount to thousands of dollars, so be on the lookout on your folks' behalf. Finally, one last tip for saving money when it comes to your landline: If you pay for an unlisted number, why not just change it to a listed number and make up the name in the listing? Clark doesn't care if you call yourself Abraham Lincoln, the point is just to stop paying extra and unnecessary fees!

If you have kids, you probably know that Facebook is big among teens. This social networking site is becoming one of the main ways that young people communicate with each other online. But the problem is that if you want to use Facebook, you have to list info about yourself on a public page. This makes you a target for identity theft. A recent study found that nearly 50 percent of Facebook users put enough info -- things like birth date, hometown, family information and more -- to aid ID thieves. Kids don't understand the risks inherent in using some of this new social networking technology. It should be up to parents to educate themselves so they can have an intelligent discussion with their kids about the issue. Clark advises parents to sign up for their own accounts and figure out how these things work so they can safeguard their kids.

There's a lot of turmoil in the savings world -- once considered the safest part of market -- and much of it involves money market mutual funds. Money market funds are not federally insured, but have historically been designed to be a safe place to put your money and allow you easy access to it when needed. The way they work is that you buy them for a dollar per share and then earn on every dollar with the change in interest rates. They're often sold by mutual fund companies and stockbrokers, and have proven to be a safe haven for three decades. Money market funds obey the "don't break the buck" principle, which is like an unwritten law stating that they'll always be a dollar per share.

Now there are news reports about similar investment opportunities that mimic money market funds but take on additional risks. Sentinel Management Group, for one, is sitting on nearly $1.6 billion in investments of this type and is not allowing people to get to their money. Other major players in the field have experienced a drop in value. For example, Yield Plus is down five-and-a-half percent. Keep in mind that a true money market fund couldn't drop in value because it's always a buck. So how do you know if you have one of these impostors? Clark says to beware if they have the word "plus" in their names. But Wall Street couldn't be happier that a lot of people have these cousins of traditional money market funds. After all, investors are being socked with higher fees for these new investments that are supposedly safe. Clark wants everyone to look at their money market funds statement and know what they own. If you're in one of these fake money market funds, try putting your savings in CDs, a plain vanilla money market fund or a tax-free municipal bond. The latter works well for those in a high tax bracket who make more than $100,000 per year. Meanwhile, for everyone else who lives paycheck to paycheck, retailers like Wal-Mart have hit tough times because their customer base doesn't have much expendable income. Looks like it might be tough holiday season for retailers.

Have you been receiving phony e-greeting cards in your inbox lately? If you open these, you might get spyware and others kinds of malware on your computer. Clark is really upset about this trend because e-greeting cards should be a pleasant thing. Unfortunately, something so innocent has been corrupted. The latest incarnation in this rip-off scheme works in the following way: Criminals send out bogus e-greeting cards and if you open it, you download a program that steals e-mail addresses from your contacts list. Once the criminals have those e-mail addresses, they send out another fake e-greeting that appears to be coming from you, staring the cycle all over again. The worst part is that when you opened the initial e-greeting, you probably also unknowingly downloaded a key logger program. This program tracks every key you type, including usernames and passwords for your bank, brokerage or mutual fund accounts. Under the law, you are protected if money is stolen from your bank account, but not from your brokerage or mutual fund account. Some brokers have issued their own policies that allow for customer protection. But the bottom line is that you must run anti-virus and anti-spyware software on your computer. Clark likes Spybot - Search and Destroy, a free program that will eliminate key loggers and other spyware on your system. Hopefully the legitimate e-greeting businesses will find a way to regulate their industry so people can again have faith in their products.

Clark has often talked about how free meal seminars offered by annuity salespeople are to be avoided at all costs -- unless you want to get indigestion in your wallet for the rest of your life. An annuity is basically an insurance contract. The money you put in is not taxed until you spend it. Salespeople love to sell them because they get giant commissions. In fact, the commission is so large that it's hard for even a decent person to avoid the temptation of selling this garbage. Now The Wall Street Journal reports that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Allianz. This German-based company has been selling equity index annuities to older people via seminars, infomercials and free-dinner events.

Equity index annuities promise a portion of the gain of the stock market, while assuring holders against losses. They offer the allure of getting money without risk. But Clark thinks they're a piece of trash because all insurance companies cheat you on the gain -- only giving you a tiny portion of the actual gain in return for their guarantee of safety against market loss. Worse still, you usually have to stay in for 15 or more years to get the benefit. So salespeople target senior citizens, who may not live long enough to qualify for the guarantee. And if you are lucky enough to get wise to how bad equity index annuities can be, you may lose between 10 and 15 percent in penalty fees for surrender if you try to get out. Regulators across the country are calling this an instance of fraud. As Clark says, the "just say no" rule applies here to these free meal seminars.

Clark doesn't do rebates. He believes that you shouldn't buy something just because it offers a rebate. After all, you may never see that money! The Wall Street Journal recently sent five people out to buy five different items at five different retailers. All the products purchased came with rebates. All five people correctly filled out the necessary paperwork to get the rebates. Yet only one person actually got money back. That's a mere 20 percent! And that was with all the rebates being processed properly by the consumer. Now, think about how often you lose the rebate paperwork or fill it out incorrectly. Rebates are like a legal con game, according to Clark. His executive producer, Christa, recently tried to get a rebate from her phone company when she got high-speed internet bundled with other services. She still hasn't received any money back. Even worse, she was eligible for three separate rebates when she bundled three services together. But she hasn't yet seen a single penny in rebate funds from her phone company. Meanwhile, Clark likes that OfficeMax has eliminated rebates and instead lowered prices. Staples, meanwhile, offers very easy online rebates similar to wholesalers like Costco and BJ's. That's a good start, but why don't they just go the OfficeMax route? Perhaps because they know that most people don't even bother applying for rebates. The moral of the story here is that you shouldn't buy something just because it offers a great rebate deal unless you are sure you are going to use the product.

Through the years, some con artists have gotten rich by selling people swamp land in Florida. They were really selling people a dream, and they found a way to get them to suspend belief and buy the land without seeing it. The new equivalent of swampland in Florida is desert land in Utah. The New York Times reports that charges will be filed against cons who sold parcels in Utah over the phone and Internet to people in the United States, Europe and Australia. The land was supposedly adjacent to a very metropolitan city. But when people would go to Utah to see their new homestead, they'd find that the city didn't even exist! Worse still, the land they'd purchased could not be developed.

This new twist on the old rip-off scheme started when cons learned about a Utah land rush and bought up property that couldn't be developed. Then they subdivided the land and sold five-acre spreads to rip people off. Clark has two simple rules to follow when buying land. First, never buy property without first seeing it. Second, make sure the land has water rights or it's going to be useless to you. This second caveat is especially important if you're buying in one of the mountain states. The New York Times article was cute in a way, according to Clark. They sent a reporter to find one of these "conveniently located" parcels in Utah. The reporter got to the location -- some 150 miles away from Brigham City -- and found an area where the only inhabitants were a snake, a beetle and a lot of large ants! Let the buyer beware!

Many Americans are behind on home mortgages and millions are now facing foreclosure in the next year or so. That situation creates the opportunity for a scam called "equity stripping." Have you ever seen those signs on the side of the road that say something along these lines: "In trouble with your home? Avoid foreclosure! Call now!!!" With equity stripping, you essentially sell your house to a company or individual who then pays the mortgage. They'll often let you stay in your house until you can get back in financial shape. You also sign a contract stating that you'll later be allowed to buy back your home for a nominal fee -- sometimes as low as $5,000. Here's where the real scam begins. The person or company who was "rescuing" you from foreclosure turns around and borrows up to the full amount of hard-earned equity that you put into your home. Then they disappear with the cash in their pocket and an eviction notice goes up on your door.

So if you are behind on your mortgage payments, you can't rely on anyone other than yourself. Keeping an open line of communication with your lender and wisely juggling your financial commitments are the keys to avoiding foreclosure. Go back to your lender and work out a payment plan that allows you to keep your home. If you've already approached your lender once and been turned down, get in touch with them again. Stay in constant contact. Finally, you have to re-prioritize your bills. Your mortgage should be at the top of your list for paying every month -- even if that means putting other commitments like your credit card on hold until later.

Here's another one of Clark's rip-off alerts! For years, AOL has made it difficult for people to get out of their contracts. To add financial insult to that injury, the internet service provider charges a whopping $24-$25 dollars for dialup. Who in the world would pay that when there is basic DSL available in many markets for $10-$15 dollars? Unfortunately, some 12 million people still do fork over their cash for dialup! Maybe it's because when you call up and try to drop AOL, the customer service representatives transfer you repeatedly and are argumentative. Then finally when you think you've gotten out of the contract, you're billed again next month. In fact, there was an internal conspiracy going on where financial incentives were given to employees to cheat the American people.

Now AOL has entered into a settlement where they've agreed to reform their business practices -- even though they didn't admit to any wrongdoing. Meanwhile, they're only paying a minimal fine and not one of their executives has been jailed for allowing the conspiracy to steal. If you're one of the people who has had money stolen by AOL after you cancelled the service, the settlement also allows you to get restitution from the company. Look for a link to the customer restitution form on Clarkhoward.com when AOL makes it available! Why is it that a big company can steal without any meaningful consequences? As Clark says, individuals who practice the kind of trickery AOL has for years would find themselves with some new jewelry -- handcuffs. Updating a related story, Sprint has recently been firing their customers for making too many customer service calls. Now New York State is trying to make Sprint waive the cancellation fee for those customers the carrier wants to drop. Clark fully believes the cancellation penalty should work both ways.

A lot of people hope to save money through the years and live on what they've amassed during retirement. In fact, people 65 and older are sitting on $15 trillion in cumulative assets. Sadly, however, many folks fall victim to supposed financial experts who swipe it from them in the golden years. These "experts" get into the lives and wallets of retirees and run off with the money. If you have elderly parents or are facing retirement yourself, don't fall for any of the seminars that offer free lunch or dinner along with complimentary advice on retirement or investing. These seminars are typically hosted by people with alphabet soup titles by their names that sound impressive. The New York Times ran an article that included some of these titles, such as certified elder planning specialist, registered financial gerontologist, certified retirement financial advisor and certified senior advisor. These are bogus credentials that can be obtained when you have some dough to pay for them. But it's hard to tell between the fake certifications and the real ones.

So Clark advises people against buying any investments or insurance from someone receiving a commission to sell to you. He's not opposed to commissioned sales people in general, but they definitely raise a red flag in the investment world. You should instead hire someone to advise you on investments on a fee-only basis, much like you would hire an accountant or a doctor for their learned opinion. As Clark says, there is no free lunch in investing. When somebody says they're going to give you free advice, they're picking both your pockets. The annuities market, where sales are up 30 percent in the last six years, is an area that is central to rip-offs.

Did you know that if a criminal gets your credit card number, they can show their "generosity" by donating money to charity using your credit card? Why are criminals doing this? This is happening because the charities will let the criminal know if the card is verified and still active. More importantly, it's a great way for criminals to test if the card will be reported stolen, according to a story Clark read in Newsday. Criminals can then sell your verified card number for three times the value of an unverified card! If someone steals an unverified number, it's worth $6; if it is verified, it sells for $18. The Red Cross has reported 700 fraudulent donations using stolen cards last month alone! Therefore, if you see a small unauthorized charity donation on your bill, be alert. Clark says the solution to this problem is so easy. The credit card companies should do what is done in Europe by inserting a smart chip in the card which requires a secret code. So even if someone steals your card, if they don’t know your code the card can’t be used. The result in Europe is that credit card fraud is nowhere near the problem it is in the United States. So why are we still using '60s technology to print out credit cards here? It seems like the banks would rather deal with the fraud that occurs and then clean up the mess after the fact, rather than spend the money proactively to get things done right in the first place.

Senior citizens are getting taken in big numbers when they go to "free" seminar lunches or dinners. There's a federal-state joint investigation right now seeking to expose the practice of sales people trying to pitch seniors all kinds of investments, trusts and other products that our elders don't need. Of all the complaints filed with state securities regulators, Dow Jones reports that a third of them come from senior citizens. Meanwhile, roughly a third of all enforcement actions taken by the states are against con artists who have been ripping off seniors. A lot of older people have an old-fashioned sense of values, so if someone offers them a meal they feel obligated to that person or company. Cons know this and prey on the elderly. The problem is that you have no idea what kind of investment fraud you might be getting pulled into if you go to one of these "free" meals. Clark advises people to call their parents and grandparents and alert them to this problem. That "free" lunch your elderly parent may be considering would be better served by you. Go take your parents and grandparents out for a meal and you'll help protect their retirement savings and fulfill their need for companionship at the same time!

The website set up by the credit reporting agency Experian is bogus. The name of their website sure makes it sound as though you can get your credit report for free, but that isn't the case. When you go to the site, you are automatically enrolled in a "free trial," for which you will pay $12.95. Don't ever pay to see your credit report at this site! Instead, go to the site that is sanctioned for viewing your credit report for free, really. It's annualcreditreport.com and you can get a report from each of the agencies for free.

You’ve probably gotten a call or letter in the mail, asking for your financial help with a certain police or law enforcement organization. People want to help police, but it’s hard to tell if these outfits are legitimate. One group – known as the “Police Protective Fund”- was busted yesterday for illegally soliciting money from law-abiding citizens around the country. The PPF operated out of California and rented mail boxes where the money would arrive. It’s also important to remember that many of the organizations are raising money for union activities. Some people are not aware of that and think the money goes directly to police departments. So, if you get a phone call, don’t give right away. Instead, ask that the caller send you some literature about the organization. If it’s legit, they will happily send you the information. If it’s a sham, you’ll immediately hear a dial tone.

The Los Angeles Times has been working on a series of stories about a new scam targeting the elderly that will shock you. Crooks have figured out that they can easily assume guardianship of aging people simply by telling a judge that they are no longer mentally stable. These people don't have to prove they are related, so they basically seek out elderly folks who are losing faculty and then go to court seeking guardianship. Family members have no idea that it's happening and have no recourse if it happens. Busy courts and judges don’t have time to make sure these crooks are above board, and there is no requirement to do so. So when the scamsters go to court seeking a ruling, it happens quickly and the victims don’t even know it happens. Clark doesn’t know how these people get leads on their victims. But it’s up to children of aging parents to look out for them and make sure they are not being victimized. It’s easy to steal the money and very hard to get it back. Several legal forms can protect them, as well. First is the “Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care,” which allows someone to handle your health care issues if you cannot speak or act on your own behalf. These are sometimes available for free. The other edict is a regular “Durable Power of Attorney,” which is a bit more difficult to get and requires the help of an attorney. It allows the appointed person to take care of someone’s finances, which would make it impossible for these crooks to step in and steal your parents’ assets. Having both of these in place is a great idea to ensure your parents are safe if you cannot always be there.

A marketing company based on Ohio known as the Annuity Service Center has been targeting seniors to scam them out of their money. What happens is the seniors go to their mailboxes and find something from the company. The notice tells the seniors that the annuity has reached the end of its service period and asks them to contact the company. It sounds very legitimate and convinces people to take action. But really, the organization is just trying to get leads to get into the seniors’ homes to sell them annuities. Sometimes the people don’t even own an annuity, but they call anyway. About 30,000 of these notices go out each day. Make sure you tell your parents that this scam is out there. Don’t let people into your home and cancel an appointment if you’ve made one. You don’t want to engage these people in any way.

How many times have you heard about or received an e-mail scam from someone in Nigeria? It’s known as one of the most pervasive e-mail crimes out there, yet people continue to get taken. The overall umbrella for these scams is known as a “419.” It’s basically a statute under the Nigerian legal code that means “fraud.” There are about a half a dozen scams coming out of this country, and they are all legitimate according to the country. An LA Times reporter went to Nigeria to find out more about these elusive yet prolific scams. He found Internet cafes set up for the purpose of scamming people, mostly Americans. They are actually called 419 cafes, and people who just want to surf the Internet are not allowed in. The people in the business see nothing wrong with what they are doing. In fact, they think it’s something certain types of Americans deserve if we’re willing to believe it. There is the “closest relative” scam, the “gorgeous person in trouble” scam, the “laundered money” scam, the “cheap oil” scam and of course the lottery scam. Nigerians in the business basically think Americans are greedy and willing to do anything for money. Don’t perpetuate that idea. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

The Washington Post reports that marketers are now targeting kids with all kinds of sweepstakes and shopping spree offers. Examples include Kelloggs’, which is trying to hook kids by offering free cell phones with pre-paid minutes; Barbie has a shopping spree offer for girls ages 6 to 13; Campbell’s Soup is offering a weeklong vacation on a private island with all of the Campbell’s soups and SpaghettiOs kids can eat. Parents need to explain what is going on here to their kids. They are getting these offers because companies are using their information. Teach your kids about the consequences with this example.

Over the past four years, Clark has gotten lots of phone calls about phony cashier’s check scams. But over the past four months, those calls have been replaced by questions about a new counterfeit scam that has taken its place. Starting about Thanksgiving of last year, calls started coming into the show about phony money orders. Basically, criminals are using phony money orders to buy items through classified ads, on eBay and from retailers, and the phony forms look perfect. The New York Times published a comparison graphic recently that showed a legitimate USPS money order next to a fake one and they looked exactly the same. The reason cashier’s checks and money orders are so popular with criminals is that they haven’t changed much over recent decades. We need some type of electronic verification with these services before more people get taken.

For more than a year, Clark has gotten calls from people who have been taken in an international scam involving phony cashier’s checks. The very advanced printers on the market today allow people to print off phony cashier’s checks with no questions. But word is spreading about counterfeit cashier’s checks and people are less likely to get taken. To that end, crooks have come up with a new scam that people know less about. It involves stolen or counterfeit money orders, according to the U.S. Postal Service. Few people use money orders these days. Usually, consumers buy money orders when they don’t have a bank account or they want a guarantee that the money is good. The problem is that the majority of these money orders are fraudulent. If you own a business and you take a money order, please remember that it could be bogus. eBay sellers should also be concerned about money orders. And, if you’re selling a car, don’t take a money order. It’s sad because a money order used to mean the payment was a sure thing. Today, it’s likely that the order is a pure fake.

Clark read an article recently about the highest grossing musicians in North America, and it’s mind blowing what they make. In 2004, Prince was the top earning musical act; Phil Collins was No. 2; Sting earned the third spot; Bette Middler was No. 4; and Metallica was No. 5. Bruce Springsteen took in $116 million; the Rolling Stones - $121 million; Celine Dion - $81 million. The figures are staggering. And tickets to these acts are usually outrageously expensive. Unfortunately, many people think buying tickets from a scalper or off the Internet is the alternative. But there are tons of counterfeit tickets out there, and they are very good, according to the New York Times. Tickets usually have some form of bar coding or hologram that is scanned at the door. But counterfeiters make copies of the bar codes and sell the tickets. So, the first person to get to the event gets in and everyone else who arrives after with the same code gets turned away. It’s a terrible problem. So, be careful out there and make sure it’s money you can afford to lose.

Clark has trashed Simon Malls recently because of its gift card program. The company is the only brand name mall in the country and it has started a gift card business. Unfortunately, Simon charges money to buy the Visa-branded gift card and deducts money from the card if people don’t use them within 180 days. In several states, this is illegal. But Simon Malls continues to sell the cards. The company even went to the federal government to get the states off its back. Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Hampshire all have strict gift card rules and they have gone to court to stop Simon. Clark doesn’t understand why the company continues to cheat people and break the law (in some states.) All its gotten them is negative publicity.

There are a lot of problems with unauthorized electronic drafts coming out of peoples’ bank accounts. According to the National Automated Clearinghouse Association, the amount of fraud has gone up 68 percent in the past two years. It’s due in part to the fact that banks have established no security controls to prevent improper drafts. Criminals have figured this out and they are stealing money right out of accounts. Yet, only 7 percent of people noticed when money was stolen out of their bank. The worse part is that under federal law, you forfeit your money if you don’t file a dispute or claim within 60 days. That period can slip by without the customer ever knowing. If you do notice that the money has been drafted, you must report it immediately. It’s not fair, but the bank has only 10 days to investigate the claim if the purchase occurred on a post it. So, get on it once you see an error.

Do you work for a company that cares about you? The people who employ you really care about how you are treated. Fortune Magazine thinks it’s important to point out these companies, so the publication lists the “Top 100 Companies to Work For” every year. Every one of the companies says it puts employees first. The company that got top honors this year, Wegman supermarket chains, even has a motto that states, “Employees first; Customers second.” It’s enlightened self interest. The better you treat your employers the better they’ll treat customers, and everyone makes money. More companies need to abide by this motto.

For more than a year, Clark has gotten calls from people who have been taken in an international scam involving phony cashier’s checks. The very advanced printers on the market today allow people to print off phony cashier’s checks with no questions. But word is spreading about counterfeit cashier’s checks and people are less likely to get taken. To that end, crooks have come up with a new scam that people know less about. It involves stolen or counterfeit money orders, according to the U.S. Postal Service. Few people use money orders these days. Usually, consumers buy money orders when they don’t have a bank account or they want a guarantee that the money is good. The problem is that the majority of these money orders are fraudulent. If you own a business and you take a money order, please remember that it could be bogus. eBay sellers should also be concerned about money orders. And, if you’re selling a car, don’t take a money order. It’s sad because a money order used to mean the payment was a sure thing. Today, it’s likely that the order is a pure fake.

You cannot let your guard down regarding questionable investments, even if someone you know or admire is doing it. You may know someone who invested in a “fund” that guaranteed them a 20 percent return. You figure you know the person, so of course it’s legitimate. But in reality it’s a scam known as affinity fraud. One recent story involved an affinity scam in L.A., where people were invited to a Ritz Carlton, offered lobster and unlimited drinks, and the opportunity for a guaranteed return on their investment. They were promised 20 percent on their investment in the first 30 days, and 10 percent for every month after that. The scam involved something known as “factoring,” which has been in the news quite a bit lately. The attendees invested millions and they will soon learn that they’ve lost it all. Doctors are some of the most frequent victims because they believe their buddies who have also gotten involved. What you need to remember is that if someone says they know of a sure thing that will give you an outstanding return, you will surely get taken. The average return on investments in the stock market is about six percent, but the market has a lot of risk. No one can give you a guaranteed return, so don’t believe it.

E-mail phishing scams are growing out of control these days, and they seem to be getting even more evil. The scams come from all kinds of phony “companies” that pose as AOL, eBay, Citibank and others. They usually tell you there has been a glitch in the system and they need you to respond to the e-mail to verify your information. The e-mails look so real that tons of people have gotten taken because the criminals steal your information. But now, you don’t even have to respond to the e-mails to get scammed. The latest phishing scam loads a program on your computer that steals information just by opening the e-mail. It’s called a “Trojan Horse” virus, and it causes a mirror site to show up and replace the legitimate site when you call it up. People enter their information, thinking it is the legimitate site, and the crooks steal the information and more. So, anytime you go to the Web site of your bank or other site and you see the address suddenly switch to another site, do not enter any information. You have the Trojan Horse virus. It doesn’t just happen in Explorer, either. The alternative browsers, including Opera and Firefox, also allow the program to enter your computer. Clark has been recommending that you switch browsers because Explorer has become a hotbed of viruses. But this one penetrates any browser, so be careful. To repair a PC that has been affected or to prevent future attacks, click here.

Clark wants to tell you about a scam on eBay, whereby criminals take over a seller’s identity and start ripping people off. These people basically stalk sellers who have been on the site for a while and have good ratings. They then create an imposter account and pretend to have things for sale for which they collect money. The problem is that there is no merchandise and the person takes off with your money. One way to know that a legitimate seller’s identity has been swiped is if he or she tries to get you to complete the sale outside of eBay. If that happens, run the other way immediately and never send any money!

You may have heard of “pump-and-dump” schemes. What happens is people buy up shares in a little-known company and send out e-mails and letters, touting the stock. It boosts the price of the stock artificially and gets people buying stock. When enough people get on board, and the price is elevated, the original investors cash out and get out. The bottom then falls out from under those people still in the stock. Some company owners and CEOs don’t even know it’s happening to their companies. The price of the company stock will rise and then fall suddenly. Anytime you are offered an opportunity to invest, it’s your responsibility to do your homework and get to know the company. If you don’t have time to do that, stay away!

Clark feels strongly that eBay, the online auction site, needs to take more action to combat the fraud on its site. He thinks that because eBay is the “auction house,” the company has a duty to prevent fraud. But eBay says it is not involved in the transaction so it has no duty. Christa, Clark’s executive producer, feels the same way eBay does. She thinks it’s impossible for eBay to police everyone and everything on its site. Well, now the courts want to weigh in on the matter because of an investigation sparked by the jewelry company Tiffany. Tiffany was worried about fakes floating around on eBay, so the company conducted its own investigation. Turns out that, during the investigation, eBay posted 186 pieces of Tiffany jewelry and three quarters of it was phony. Tiffany tried contacting eBay for five months until the company finally pulled the fake merchandise. There were a total of 19,000 fake Tiffany items on eBay, according to the LA Times. Clark believes eBay is doing a pathetic job preventing fraud and counterfeiters from taking over its site. There is no way for consumers to know when they’re buying a legitimate product. So, until the courts come up with a decision and eBay steps up to the plate, you have to be your own advocate for protection. It’s buyer beware and you need to check out people you’re selling to and buying from. In the meantime, the company should consider a bonded seller policy, so that all sellers must go through a screening process. There needs to be more buyer protection on the site if it’s going to maintain consumers’ faith in the company.

Clark has been on the warpath against phony credit counseling services for years. These companies steal millions of dollars from financially desperate customers, pretending to be “counselors.” There are tons of these companies out there. You may have seen their solicitations on late night television, promising to help you get back on your feet. One of largest of the phonies was Ameridebt, a company that pretended to be a non-profit service helping customers pay off debt. In actuality, the company was transferring customers’ money to a “for profit” subsidiary. Ameridebt has now filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and will be out of business, thank goodness. Now, not everyone in this business is crooked. There are legitimate ways to get help through the NFCC, which has legitimate credit counseling centers all over the country. Just go to nfcc.org, you can find decent help. Or call 1-800-388-2227

Clark has received a number of calls from business owners about a scam involving a “relay operator.” Clark wasn’t familiar with the complaints until he read a story about it on msn.com. Apparently, business owners get calls from these relay operators, who help deaf people make calls over the Internet. People who are deaf type messages into boxes on their computer and the operator reads that message to the person on the other end. But criminal rings are hijacking these systems and are ordering products from businesses using relay operators. They have the merchandise shipped using a phony credit card numbers. When the victim realizes the card was stolen, they dispute the charge and the merchant ends up with no money. Clark has had the call three times already. So, if you get a call through a relay operator, have your guard up. Until a new system is established, and legitimate callers are given a code, make sure you get all of the information before sending the goods.

Car theft has been a growing problem across the United States. These days, cars are stolen, stripped and resold to legitimate parts shops within hours. Many times, they are taken across the Mexican border and resold with ease. For the most part, these are professional theft rings and they steal over and over without ever getting caught. So, what can we do about it? According to the Arizona Republic, the authorities are fighting back by planting dummy cars in areas that have been car theft hot spots. They put hidden cameras and GPS systems in the car. Apartment complexes and church parking lots are favorites of thieves. Arizona has the highest per capita car theft rate in the country, so they had to think outside the box. And it’s working. The other thing you can do is get a “LoJack,” the car tracking device. These have proven to be very successful in recovering stolen cars. So, there are ways to stop this crime.

Do you get frequent visits and calls from debt collectors? If you owe money for bills or other debts, you should pay them without question. But sometimes collectors behave inappropriately and even illegally to get your money. If a collector is worried you’re about to file for bankruptcy, some may even try to get money out of you before you do file. But there are things they cannot do! First of all, if you tell them not to contact you, they cannot contact you again. You must send them a drop dead letter telling them you do not want to be contacted anymore. For a copy, click here. They can’t threaten you or cause you physical harm. They can’t pretend that they are attorneys, and they have to send you a letter within five days of first contacting you. It must inform you what you owe and for whom they are collecting it. If you think it’s not valid, you have to write them back and tell them. You also have the right to ask questions and refuse to pay until they provide verification of the debt. Many people don’t know their rights – or don’t know they have rights - when they are contacted by a collector. But you have rights. Get to know them!

Clark wants you to be on the lookout for an old scam that is reappearing in mailboxes again. What happen