Since there are also so many HYIP (High Yield Investment Programs) scams, there is a separate list of all the companies who are no longer making payouts, or ever made a payout to begin with. Please see the BAD HYIP LIST before investing in any HYIP program.

The following are your basic scams to stay away from:

1. The mail scam ( or more commonly know as the "Nigerian mail scam" as it originated in Nigeria) takes the form of someone claiming to be a prince/chief/government official/tragically orphaned refugee, usually from a country in Africa, (though it now seems to be arriving from the Phillipines, Iraq and other places too) claims to have found an abandoned bank account with lots of money in it and can only access the money safely if it is moved out of the country. Or that they have some hard-luck story about escaping from terrible disasters etc. Sometimes it takes the form of telling you that you have been left money by someone who died. All involve your input to help them gain access to this money and for this help they promise you a cut of the money. This scam existed as a letter fraud campaign before moving on to email. It is technically called a 419 Advanced Fee Fraud scheme. If you pursue it (and many people have thinking this is an easy way to earn money) the writer will tell you they need upfront money from you to get everything going. There will be increasing hoops and more money required.

2. PayPal, eBay and Bank Account scams - These are also delivered by e-mail. You may have received these before. They appear to come from PayPal or your bank and suggest your account has been compromised and you should log in as soon as possible to correct the problem. Well the truth is the HTML links in the email do not go to your PayPal account ot your bank account, but to some different domain name or just an IP address. These scammers just want you to click the link and start sharing your personal, valuable information so they can rip you off and make money from stealing your information. Don't fall for this. So many people still do and these jerks wouldn't keep doing these if they weren't able to make so much money. Don't be the latest victim.

3. Lottery Scams - These are simply companies outside your country that accept payment for supposedly putting your entries into lotteries in some part of the world you wouldn't be able to do this yourself. They are just scam outfit who cash your check and do absolutely nothing for you. You will not be entered into any lottery and you will not win a penny. Stay away from these companies because they will just take your money and you will never hear from them again.

4. Winning Sweepstakes Scam - There are e-mails going around that say you've won some sweepstake you never entered. These are just one of the latest scams to get your personal information and rip you off. Some e-mails may look similar to THIS ONE. Don't be fooled. These are just thieves thinking of different ways to get your money. Just delete the e-mails and move on.

5. Pyramid Schemes - These have been around forever. These are just money making systems that create income from getting people involved in the business and not selling a real product or service. If people are sold a real product or service with the ability of making money off of reselling it as a benefit, it is a legal MLM program. If people are recruited into the business with hopes of making a lot of money off of getting other people involved, while selling a poor product, that is a pyramid scheme or illegal MLM.

6. Disaster Scams: In the wake of Hurricane Wilma and after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, as well as the Asian earthquake, we wanted to remind you that whenever there is a major natural or other disaster, scammers begin sending out charity relief scams within just a couple of hours!

7. Stock Pick Scams - Hundreds of online investment newsletters have appeared on the Internet in recent years. Many offer investors seemingly unbiased information free of charge about featured companies or recommending "stock picks of the month." While legitimate online newsletters can help investors gather valuable information, some online newsletters are tools for fraud. They are just trying to make money from your misfortune.

8. E-Mail Scams and Spams - Because spam (junk e-mail) is so cheap and easily created, criminals increasingly use it to find investors for bogus investment schemes or to spread false information about a company. Spam allows the unscrupulous to target many more potential investors than cold calling or mass mailing. Using a bulk e-mail program, spammers can send personalized messages to thousands and even millions of Internet users at a time. Don't fall for this money making scheme.