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IQ is a unique and powerful consumer information program for Educators members. Remar Sutton, a nationally known consumer advocate, has partnered with Educators to create IQ and to serve as your "member consumer spokesperson." Here's a message from Remar about IQ.

Fraud & Privacy Rights

Protecting Your Money, Personal Information, and Your Identity

Other Scams to Watch Out For

Besides phishing, various other scams also arrive in your inbox. Here are brief descriptions of some of the most common.

The "Nigerian" Scam also called "Advance Fee" Scam

The email is requesting help to get large sums of money out of a foreign country. They promise you big profits in exchange for your help. Before you receive any money, you'll have to provide money to cover transaction and transfer costs and attorney fees plus you'll need to provide them with your bank account numbers. The "Nigerian" Scam: Costly Compassion from the FTC has more information.

Advance-Fee Loan Scam

These emails promise that a loan or credit will be approved even if you've been turned down many times already. But in order to get this loan you have to pay a fee. Advance-Fee Loan Scams: 'Easy' Cash Offers Teach Hard Lessons from the FTC has more information.

Work-at-Home Scams

These emails promise a steady income with just a little work in your spare time. Common schemes are envelope stuffing, email processing, assembly or craft work, and medical billing. You may have to pay a "fee" for materials, instructions, or equipment. Fall for any of these offers and you'll probably be out money instead of earning any. The IQ Remar's Report Work-at-Home Schemes Target Your Hard-Earned Dollars describes how you can protect yourself from questionable offers by knowing the most common schemes, knowing what questions to ask of any business opportunity and what cautionary flags to look for.

Foreign Lotteries

These emails either promise great odds or indicate that you've won money in a lottery in another country. You will have to pay to get your prize or collect your winnings. International Lottery Scams from the FTC has more details.

Check Overpayment Scams

Someone responds to your ad or online auction posting, offering to buy your item. The catch is that for some reason, the check you'll receive is for more than the purchase price. They want you to wire them back the difference. Check Overpayment Scams: Seller Beware and Be Suspicious About Wiring Money Back After Cashing a Check from the FTC has more information.

Counterfeit Check Scams

These scams are another version of the Nigerian or advance fee scam. If It Sounds Too Good To Be True, It Is: How to Protect Yourself Against Cashier's Check Fraud from the American Bankers Association Education Foundation has more information.

These sites describe these and other scams.

OnGuard Online: Email Scams has more detail about spam scams and links to other resources.
LooksTooGoodToBeTrue.com describes these and many other scams on their fraud page.

Test your scam knowledge with the quiz: Spam Scam Slam – Don't be Fooled. It's from OnGuard Online.

IQ links to sites provided by a variety of sources. We review sites for credibility and reliability, but IQ, of course, can't control advertising and other links on these sites. We advise ignoring pop-up ads, links to sales of products or services, and the like.