The Today Show did an interesting piece on scams to watch out for in 2011. I found some of their predictions very intriguing.
One dangerous scam takes place on dating sites. Victims meet a so-called friend online who pleads to them about a problem they are having. Then they ask the victim to 
wire money to help them. Many send money out of compassion, and by the time they realize they have been tricked, it’s too late.
In this society where information is at our fingertips, why not take precautions, no matter how convincing the person’s story is? It takes only a couple minutes to find crucial information about people. There are tools like Date Check that are designed to help people in situations like this one. In just seconds, you can do a free background check and find out if a person is who they say they are. A Date Check report will tell you if they have criminal convictions, sex offender charges, lawsuits, and even marriage records.
Another scam to look out for has to do with two words I had never heard of, “Smishing” and “Vishing.” According to the Today Show, Smishing is when someone poses as an organization (like your bank) and asks you for information via text message. Vishing is the same thing but over the phone. Their advice is simple: don’t dial the number they ask you to call. If you must call, dial the number on the back of your bank card. That way you can be sure you’re dialing the official organization.
