International sweepstakes. Have you gotten a notice about winning a big lottery in Europe? All you have to do is wire some money for processing, and the cash is yours. Unless you’ve been buying lottery tickets overseas, this is a scam. Hit delete.

Nigerian funds. The online world is flush with Nigerian royalty, all with bad grammar and all sitting on a pile of cash that’s just for you. Think nobody falls for it? Last year more than $1.5 million was obtained by just one of these scammers.

Debt elimination. This one goes out on the Internet, but also pops up in print, radio and billboard advertising. There are no companies that can remove debt from your credit report. If you are having debt issues, you’re far better off contacting legitimate credit-counseling services.

Envelope stuffing. It sounds good, working from home, making decent money with a fairly easy task. You send in the cash and, if you get anything at all, it’s usually advice on how to place a similar ad in local newspapers so you can become a grifter, as well.

Free vacation. Like the free lunch, there’s no such thing as this, either. Why is someone giving away a trip? Read the fine print, ask for details and check with consumer affairs personnel to see if the company’s on the up and up. Chances are, the answer is no.

Resources:

Consumer Affairs Division: tn.gov/consumer/index.shtml

Consumer Affairs’ Scam School: tn.gov/consumer/documents/DontGetScammed.pdf

Scam Calendar: tn.gov/consumer/documents/CA_Calendar2012-webversion.pdf

State Attorney General: tn.gov/attorneygeneral/

Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Site: tn.gov/attorneygeneral/cpro/protectingconsumer.html

Recent court filings of interest: tn.gov/attorneygeneral/cpro/consumerfilings.html