How do you protect yourself from fraudsters who want to steal your money? Learn their tricks. Use common sense. And follow the tips here. It's up to you whether fraudsters win. Remember, every scam can succeed or fail based on whether or not you participate. Tips to protect yourself from wire transfer fraud.

Always:

• Know who you are dealing with, especially if it's about an unsolicited prize or gift offer. Don't trust a message like: "Congratulations, you just won $1,000 in a foreign lottery!"
• Research an offer to be sure it's real. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
• Remember wiring money is like sending cash. When you send it, it's gone - you can't get it back.

Never:

• Wire money to someone you don't know - Never!
• Deposit a check from someone who tells you to send some of the money back to them.
• Wire money to a relative in crisis without checking out the story first. Ask questions to verify the person's identity.
• Send money to receive money.

Learn more about scams and how to protect yourself and steps to report if you feel you are a victim of fraud.

• Common scams
• Fraud FAQ
• Report Fraud
• Additional resource