• Counterfeit money.  "I want to exchange theses 5 - $20 dollars for another 5-$20 dollars"...sounds suspicious.  Check out how to identify counterfeit bills.
• Stolen credit cards to buy gift cards.  "I have three credit cards with other peoples' names on them to purchase gas or restrauant gift cards...sounds suspicious.  Ask for a second ID with a photo.  Make sure this ID is the person you are talking to.
• Fake driver's license ID's:  they look like the real thing and are appearing in high schools and college campus.
•  Shoplifting can happen anywhere, have a good policy about changing rooms and restrooms.
• Scam Targets Retail:   "You won $ because of a random drawing from Wal-Mart, K-mart, Kohl's, Safeway or Best Buy!"  If you receive a check in the mail that you are not expecting, you should know it's a scam, said Investigator Jay Mason with the Franklin County Sheriff's Office. There are also numerous websites dedicated to educating the public to scams, including www.lookstoogoodtobetrue.com

Here's the IMPORTANT part on how the scam works - The caller says, 'I need to verify you are in possession of your card'. He'll ask you to 'turn your card over and look for some numbers'. There are 7 numbers; the first 4 are part of your card number, the next 3 are the security numbers that verify you are the possessor of the card. These are the numbers you sometimes use to make Internet purchases to prove you have the card. The caller will ask you to read the 3 numbers to them. After you tell the caller the 3 numbers, they will say, 'That is correct, I just needed to verify that the card has not been lost or stolen, and that you still have your card. Do you have any other questions?' After you say No, the caller then thanks you and states, 'Don't hesitate to call back if you do, and hangs up.

If you receive a call like this, HANG UP! and call your credit card provider.  If has already happened to you, make a fraud report with your card provider and close your credit card account.  Your credit card company needs to reissue a new card and card number. What the scammers want is the 3-digit PIN number on the back of the card - Don't give it to them. Instead, tell them you'll call VISA or Master card directly for verification of their conversation. The real VISA told us that they will never ask for anything on the card as they already know the information since they issued the card! If you give the scammers your 3 Digit PIN Number, you think you're receiving a credit. However, by the time you get your statement you'll see charges for purchases you didn't make, and by then it's almost too late and/or more difficult to actually file a fraud report.