One common example involves attractive offers to work part-time from home but the end result is that the new "employer" commits identity theft or check fraud. Another involves "mystery shopper" programs for which consumers are supposedly hired to report on their experience doing business at a retailer but instead lose money in a fake check scam.

You can protect yourself from these and other financial scams by being extremely skeptical of unsolicited offers that involve "updating" or "confirming" personal information or requirements that you send a payment or provide bank account information before receiving anything in return.

Also, walk away from any offer from a stranger that would involve a large check to be deposited into your account and instructions to wire any of that money back, perhaps to someone in another country. In this type of scam, victims may end up owing thousands of dollars to the financial institution that wired the money.

For more information, see our tips in the Winter 2008/2009 FDIC Consumer News at the FDIC.

Reprinted with permission from FDIC Consumer News

The FDIC – short for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation - is an independent agency of the United States government.

The FDIC protects depositors against the loss of their insured deposits if an FDIC-insured bank or savings association fails.

FDIC insurance is backed by the full faith and credit of the United States government.

If a depositor's accounts at one FDIC-insured bank or savings association total $250,000 or less, the deposits are fully insured. A depositor can have more than $250,000 at one insured bank or savings association and still be fully insured provided the accounts meet certain requirements.

This guide describes the FDIC's rules for insurance coverage of bank and savings association deposits and answers frequently asked questions about the FDIC's insurance rules. The guide is intended primarily for depositors who need a comprehensive explanation of the FDIC's rules, including the requirements to qualify for more than $250,000 in insurance coverage.

Notice
The information provided in this guide is presented in a non-technical way and is not intended to be a legal interpretation of the FDIC's laws and regulations on insurance coverage. For greater detail concerning the technical aspects of insurance coverage, depositors or their counsel may wish to consult the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C.1811 et seq.) and the FDIC's regulations relating to insurance coverage (12 C.F.R. Part 330).

Federal law expressly limits the amount of insurance the FDIC can pay to depositors and no representation made by any person can increase that coverage.