If you work from home, freelance or telecommute you’re a likely target for a variety of fraud attempts so listen up.

Since you are a company of one-Exec, Admin, HR, Marketing, IT, Central Supply, and even the grounds keeper you have to make decisions about computers, telecommunications, banking and all the other facets of running a business that big companies spread over dozen, hundreds, and even sometimes thousands of people. So you’re a good target for people who want to take your money.

In fact, the FTC received over 800,000 complaints during calendar year 2007. Consumers reported fraud losses of over $1.2 billion (at an median amount of roughly $350 per person).

Shop-at-Home/Catalog Sales was the leading complaint category, so if you buy online (and you do) be sure you know who you’re dealing with. Internet Service rip-offs were the second largest category followed by Foreign Money Offers (those idiots just don’t give up do they), bogus Prizes/Sweepstakes and Lotteries, Computer Equipment and Software, and Internet Auctions (can you spell eBay?). Health Care, Travel, Vacations and Timeshare, Advance-Fee Loans and Credit Protection/Repair, Investments, and Magazines and Buyers Clubs fill out the list.

Wire transfer problems continue to increase. It used to be you could assume a cashiers check was good, but not any more. So wire transfers becomes the option of choice. But 28% of the consumers reported wire transfer as the payment method involved when they were scammed.

But here’s the (almost) bottom line: Half the fraud complaints where electronic mail related. We’ve said it before but we’ll say it again: if it’s spam it’s a scam.

Let’s be careful out there!