Websites we use everyday have recently become targets of scams. Here are the common scams on Care.com, Facebook, Match.com and Craigslist so you know how to avoid them!

1. Community Standards:Scams on Popular Websites A roadmap for how websites instruct their users on fraud

2. Nigerian Scams These scams involve an overpayment for goods or services done after a series of electronic message exchanges. In order to avoid falling into this trip, here are 5 steps: 1. Free Money Doesn’t Exist. The old saying holds true. If its too good to be true it is. 2. Remember Community Rules. Do your homework. Is this an acceptable transaction in the website? 3. Run a background check if you can. Collect contact information and google them. Run a background check. Many people to people marketplaces offer them. 4. Don’t share with strangers. Your information is confidential. Don’t fall for direct contact phishing! 5. Look for “https” secure web connections when submitting your credit card. Verify those security badges and then look at the cart.

3. Facebook Scam – Help Center Often your account is compromised in a scam. The scams often broadcast to your trusted network of friends. Here’s a recent Facebook Scam that will comment spam your friends. Be wary of messages from friends. These scams can be more effective phishing frauds than email phishing because your trusted network is messaging you.

4. Charles Schwab Fraud While not worrying about its own allegations of fraud, Schwab must contend with customers whose accounts are infiltrated through identity theft schemes. If in doubt, check with this Schwab fraud page

5. Care.com Scam As a source for helping babysitters and nannies find jobs, Care.com is susceptible to prospective employee scams. However, Craigslist is by far the leader in scams because community members are on their own. Care.com monitors its community for scams and spam.

6. Dating Scams Dating scams typically involve baiting members with fake profiles. Definitely avoid the lure of overseas profiles looking for love. Use your judgment as you start communicating with a potential partner Match.com Dating Scams eHarmony Scams

7. Internet Scam Resources Do your homework with the BBB For more cutting edge scam research check here. My personal favorite scam detector: SiteAdvisor When you need the authorities: FBI Internet Fraud As Sergeant Phil Esterhaus from Hill Street Blues would say: “Hey, let's be careful out there.”