You get a phone call from somebody proposing you a deal. The caller looks for help with depositing a check into your account and you can send him back less money and keep a fee for yourself. It sounds fishy, his English is not that great, and because you are smart you are not falling for it.

You hang up and a few minutes after the phone rings again. This time it is the Police. They inform you that the previous caller is a sought-after criminal and they have been tapping his phone.

They will ask for your cooperation in actually doing the deal with the scammer, so they can set him up and catch him in his fraudulent act, while your money will be safe. This is where several people fall for it. The second caller is not the Police or FBI-- just another criminal who speaks perfect English and uses official legal language.

How to avoid: if they want to set somebody up, Police and FBI will ask for your help by visiting you.