It seems these days that everyone wants your cash.  Most of the time it is people you don't know who will do anything to get their hands on your money or private information.The consumer website, consumerfraudreporting.org, in conjunction with the Better Business Bureau and other consumer organizations, has come up with the top 10 scams and frauds you can easily avoid in 2015

1. Internet merchandise scams: You buy something online, but it is either never delivered or it is not what they claimed it was, or is defective.

2. Phishing/Spoofing Emails: Emails that pretend to be from a company, organization or government agency but ask you to enter or confirm your personal information.

3. Fake Prizes, Sweepstakes, Free Gifts, Lottery Scams: You receive an email claiming you won a prize, lottery or gift, and you only have to pay a "small fee" to claim it or cover "handling costs".  The prize, of course, does not exist.

4. Fake check payments: You sell something online or through Craigslist  and you receive a phony check, and instructed to wire money back to buyer. The check looks real... but after you try to cash it, you find out it is a fake. To make matters worse, you get arrested for passing a counterfeit check!

5. Recovery/Refund Companies: A scammer contacts and claims you owe money on a debt or the scammer offers to recover money lost in a previous scam

6. Loans Scams / Credit Fixers: False promises of business or personal loans, even if credit is bad, for a fee upfront. Or a scam that promises to repair your credit for a fee.

7. Computer Performance Scams: Have you ever got that call from "windows"? You know the one that tells you your computer is running slowly and has a virus? When was the last time Microsoft called you ? When you call them it takes three hours of waiting before you get to speak to a live human. Microsoft will never call you!

8. Scholarship,Student Loan and Financial Aid scams:  For a fee, a research company offers to conduct a customized search for scholarships or grants for students to apply for. Scammers take the money and run or provide a worthless list

9. Online Dating Scams:  These people portray attractive men and women and then claim they need your money to help in an emergency.

10 Facebook Fake Friend Scam - Have you ever got a friend request on Facebook from someone you already thought was your friend? If you hit accept, you may have just friended a scammer. The scam comes into play by having the con artist (fake friend) build an online relationship, and trust, and then He/she asks you to send money.

You can read more about each of these scams HERE.

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