A Suze Orman exclusive

Scammers are getting really really good. Rather than just appeal to your natural greed, they are now playing with your heart. Two of the more popular ones are the Nigerian Advance-Fee Scam and the Women's Gifting Circle.

The Nigerian one is actually decades old, but amazingly alive and well. Its current version goes something like this: you get a note or an email from a warm and kind-sounding Nigerian - purportedly a government official or businessman - who details his years of hardship. All he needs to make a better life is to be able to move his money out of Nigeria. And he wants to do that by paying you a small fee to move the money into your bank account. A little while later, some official-looking documents arrive asking you for your bank account numbers. And people have actually given them out! To people they don't know! This makes me nuts. If you want to help disadvantaged people, donate your money or time to a legitimate organization. Don't be giving your info to someone you only know through a cold-call email.

The Gifting Circle is even better. It's targeted mostly at women, because we are so "giving." Grrr. That noise you hear is me grinding my teeth in frustration. For these swindlers, "giving" is a euphemism for "easily taken." Here's how it works: You are invited to a dinner (or nowadays, of course, it can be done entirely through email "group") to join a group of women who are helping each other by donating money into a big kitty. As the kitty grows, some lucky member of the circle gets to take some of it home. Pay off the credit card bills, update their wardrobe, whatever. But to join you need to pony up some serious dough and then recruit a bunch of other women into the circle before it will be your turn to get the circle payout. The only people really making money are the organizers of the scheme who pocket most of the money. Your chances of getting your original investment back - let alone any miraculous payout - are pretty non-existent. That's a pyramid scheme. No matter how nice everyone seems, no matter the testimonials you hear, just walk away. No, run away. It is scam city.

Check It Out Before Writing a Check
Okay, here's another basic law of financial common sense: do your homework. Before you give anyone a penny, check with your local Better Business Bureau to see if there are any complaints against this outfit. Then contact your state Attorney General's office and see if they have any info; pyramid schemes and scams keep AGs very busy. And take a look at the Federal Trade Commission website, where you can find a ton of info on current scams to avoid, general tips on being a smarter consumer, and an online form for filing a complaint if you think you've been spammed, scammed, or just generally suckered.