"Make sure you understand all terms and conditions and shop very carefully and use your money wisely.'"

Judy Pepper, President, Better Business Bureau of Central Florida

HOW-TO SPOT A SCAM

WHAT IS A SCAMMER? A scammer is a dishonest person who uses clever means to cheat others out of something of value. (WWW.MERRIAM-WEBSTER.COM)

ELEMENTS OF A SCAM: If an email, phone call, prize or lottery notification has any of the following elements, it is probably a fraud and you shouldn't respond to it. Below are some general tips to recognize scams:

* The organization has no website and can not be located in Google.

* It requests bank account information, credit card numbers, driver's license numbers, passport numbers, your mother's maiden name or other personal information.

* It says you have won a prize - but you did not enter any competition.

* It claims you won a lottery (we know of NO legal lottery that notifies winners by email)

* The return address is a yahoo, hotmail, excite.com or other free email accounts.

* It contains hype and exaggerations, but few details about costs, obligations, how it works, etc.

* It asks for a fee (for administration, "processing", taxes, etc.) to be paid in advance.

* To get your prize might require travel overseas at your own cost (and personal risk). (WWW.CONSUMERFRAUDREPORTING.ORG)

PROTECT YOURSELF! There are some things you can do to shield yourself from scammers. Avoid throwing away any private documentation such as bills, credit card offers and bank statements. Take receipts after a purchase and compare them with charges on your credit card, avoid carrying your social security card out of the house, have mail delivery temporarily suspended if going on vacation, use a different password for each online account, research and stay abreast of the latest online fraud tactics. (WWW.BBB.ORG)