The Better Business Bureau’s top 10 scams of 2012

Unlicensed telemarketing companies find vehicle-for-sale ads on free sites like Craigslist and Kijiji. They then contact the person who listed the ad, promising they can sell their car – for around $500. But they turn around and list the car on sites that are free to use anyway.

Scammers create profiles on dating websites and contact people looking for genuine romance. They build up a relationship without ever meeting in person and then ask for money to travel to their city, or help with a family emergency. The unsuspecting victim then wires the scammer money, never to hear from them again.

Scam artists gain the trust of an influential person connected to others with money. He gets the group to put their money into a fake investment, and then the scammer laughs all the way to the bank.

Consumers who seek out help with their finances have their personal information harvested from a scam website, and are then approached by somebody claiming to have an investment opportunity that will turn their fortunes around.

“Curbers,” or used-vehicle sellers, buy cars that are near-death and then resell them at parking lots or even curbsides. While buyers think they’re getting a good deal, they don’t realize that often the vehicle has had a history of damage, a lien against it, or the odometer has been rolled back. Some have even bought stolen cars.

Victims receive a text message that says they can take part in a trivia contest for a big prize. They’re asked to provide their email address and give personal information, then given a link to another website to apply for a credit card. There is no contest, no credit card, and the victim has given out all of their personal information.

Scammers call people with computers, telling them the machine has been infected with a virus and they can fix the problem for free. The consumer is then tricked into giving remote access to their computer to the scammer, who can then harvest personal information from the victim.

Business owners receive what appear to be past-due invoices for services or products that were never purchased by their company. The notices often threaten to affect credit ratings. Busy employees who handle accounts payable assume the bill needs to be paid, and send money to pay for the fake invoice.

Door-to-door contractors show up at somebody’s front door, saying they’re there to seal or repave their driveway, or that they need a fireplace inspection. The repairs are all unnecessary and costly and may even results in the homeowner having to shell out more money to have the job re-done properly.

An email pretending to be from the Better Business Bureau says the business owner has received a complaint. The email instructs the recipient to click on a link or open an attachment for more information, and immediately gives their computer a potential malware virus.