Better Business Bureau lists its top 10 scams of the year

The Better Business Bureau on Tuesday issued its top 10 scams of 2011 — useful information for job hunters, homeowners and Internet users.

The list reflects spikes in complaints and consumer inquiries at BBB offices across the United States.

The scams, in no particular order:

Job search: A candidate is interviewed for a job, usually over the phone. Before starting the job, the candidate has to fill out a "credit report" or provide bank information for direct deposit. The online forms are nothing more than a way to capture sensitive personal data — Social Security number or bank accounts — that can easily be used for identity theft.

Sweepstakes: An e-mail claiming to be from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg announced that the recipient was the winner of $1 million from the social networking site. The BBB always urges consumers to never click links they are not sure about. Instead, go directly to the home-page of the company mentioned. If it really is giving away $1 million, there will be an announcement.

Social media: Viral videos claiming to show everything from grisly footage of Osama bin Laden's death to the latest celebrity hijinks have shown up on social media sites, often looking as if they have been shared by a friend. When one clicks on the link, a prompt to "upgrade your Flash player" appears, but the file that downloads contains a worm that logs into the social media account, sends similar messages to the recipient's friends, and searches for personal data.

Home improvement: Contractors usually knock on the door with a story or a deal — the roofer who can spot some missing shingles or the paver with some leftover asphalt who can give a great deal on driveway resealing. Itinerant contractors move around, keeping a step ahead of the law.

Check cashing: These scammers contact a seller via a www.craigslist.org posting and send a check for more than the amount they owe. The seller then is asked to deposit the check into a bank account and send the difference via wire transfer. When the original check bounces, the seller is out the money wired and stuck with whatever he or she was trying to sell.

Phishing: In this scam, you receive a suspicious phone call asking for personal information or an e-mail that installs a virus to hunt for personal data. The most damaging phishing scam this year disguised itself as official communication from NACHA — the National Automated Clearing House Association — which facilitates the secure transfer of billions of electronic transactions every year. The e-mail claims one of the recipients' transactions did not go through and urges the consumer to click a link. It may take the consumer to a fake banking site to "verify" account information or it may download malware designed to snag personal financial information from the victim's computer.

Identity theft: A hotel guest receives a phone call in the middle of the night. It's the front desk clerk, very apologetic, saying she needs to get the guest's credit card number again. Scammers are counting on the guest being too sleepy to catch on that the call isn't from the hotel.

Financial: After the federal government announced or expanded several mortgage relief programs this year, many sound-alike Web sites popped up attempting to fool consumers into parting with their money. Most ask for an upfront fee to help deal with the mortgage company or government (services easily done for free). Almost all leave consumers in more debt than when they started.

Sales: Penny auctions are popular because it seems as if you can get something useful — cameras, computers and so on — for less than retail. Consumers pay a small fee for each bid and if they do not win, they lose all the bid money. Although not all penny auction sites are scams, the BBB recommends treating them the same way one would legal gambling — know how the bidding works, set a limit and be prepared to walk away before exceeding that limit.

Scam of the year: An e-mail imitates an official notice from the BBB. The subject line says something such as "Complaint Against Your Business." The instructions tell the recipient to click on a link or open an attachment to get the details. If the recipient does either, a malicious virus launches.