There are no new scams, just new suckers. Scam artists add new spins to age-old scams and go in search of victims. Yesterday's snake-oil salesmen are today's e-mail hucksters for nutritional supplements.

Only today, these shysters don't personally swoop down on small towns with loud, rapid-fire, slick pitches. They slither through dial-up and cable connections and crouch in your e-mail inbox, on Web sites, or attack by telephone, disguising their identities behind nameless, faceless modern technology.

Don't get sucked in. By learning the eight basic scam types, you will be able to spot any scam, no matter what new spin it's given by clever con artists.