CNN 2010-01-10

clearly a very rough year for the economy. And as you would imagine, scam artists were out in full force taking advantage of those tough times.

Personal finance editor Gerri Willis is joining us now to talk more about this.

So, Gerri, tell us about some of these scams from last year. You just can't believe somebody would be taking advantages of people in these times.

I know. OK, the Better Business Bureau put together a list of the top scams from this past year. The first one, stimulus 1 government grant scams. Look, even before President Obama announced the stimulus plan in February, scammers were hard at work trying to convince consumers that if they paid for assistance or advice, they could get a piece of the stimulus pie or qualify for government grants.

And then the job hunter scams. And this one, the scam artist tries to gain access to information like your bank account or social security number, and you may be ask to pay a fee, even to be considered for a job.

And then the mortgage foreclosure rescue scams. With foreclosures rates near record highs, hucksters are offering to help troubled homeowners save their home from foreclosure. Victims are paying hundreds of dollars upfront, well, for nothing.

Robocalls. You probably gotten this. Basically, automated 2 telemarketing calls that claim, for example, that you can lower your credit card interest rate if you pay the money. Fees from $700 to $1,000, and it's money that you can save by negotiating with your credit card company on your own.

And then free trial offers. You know, we've told you about these. You may have seen those free trial ads on the Internet for teeth whiteners or miracle supplements. In some cases, when you click on the free trial, you may or may not get the product. But then if you don't cancel the product or opt 3 out, down the road, you get charged for more of these products or services. Heidi?

Yeah, we've seen that before. All right, so now that we are aware of a lot of these scams that were out there, what can consumers do now this year to protect themselves?

All right, well, first of all, if you are offered a job to make easy money, watch out. Unemployment in the nation is high and scammers are targeting the large pool of job hunters. Read the fine print especially for free trial offers. If there are pre-checked boxes on the web when you're trolling around, looking for , you know, maybe good deals, uncheck those boxes before you agree to buy something you don't want.

Don't open attachments 4 or click on links and emails unless you can confirm the e-mail came from somebody you trust. Get every verbal agreement in writing to limit miscommunication. And of course, any company you've decided 5 to do business with, make sure to check it out with the Better Business Bureau or your local attorney general's office.

Bottom line here, if you think there might be a problem, heck there probably will be. Heidi.

Yes, for sure. All right, Gerri Willis, we sure do appreciate that. Thank you.