Contact 6: Better Business Bureau's Top 10 scams of 2011

MILWAUKEE -- The Better Business Bureau has released a list of the top 10 scams for 2011, and FOX6's Contact 6 takes a look at the top three.

Whether it be online, through the mail, over the phone, or even face to face, scammers are everywhere, trying to get your personal information and rip you off! Three scams really stood out to Contact 6, among the top 10 scams of 2011, as determined by the Better Business Bureau.

First: the online job scam. Tens of thousands of people in Wisconsin spent 2011 looking for work, and hundreds ended up getting caught up in phony job offers. The scam involves fake companies tricking unsuspecting job applicants, telling them they have the job if they can provide banking information or a social security number for a credit report. It turns out to be identity theft, and of course, no real job.

The second scam that stood out to Contact 6 in the list of top 10 scams for 2011 is the "you just won a million dollars" scam. Whether its winning the UK lottery, or a Nigerian diplomat wanting to suddenly send you his life savings, it's bogus! Typically, the scammer wants you to send money before you supposedly get your winnings. A reminder from Contact 6: no one is going to send you money if you don't know them, and if you haven't actually bought a lottery ticket, how can you be a lottery winner?

The third scam is the home remodeling scam. The scam involves contractors with no license, no insurance and no real skill charging you up front for work they can't or never intend to finish. Always remember to check a contractor against the database provided by NARI - the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, or the Better Business Bureau.

The Better Business Bureau was itself the target of a scam in 2011. Hundreds of thousands of people got email notifications looking like they came from the BBB instructing them to open an attachment, and when they did, a virus stole their private information.

For the complete listing of the top 10 scams of 2011 as determined by the Better Business Bureau, visit the BBB's website.