"Fraud has almost become a national epidemic," says a vice president of fraud initiatives and education manager at Fifth Third Bank. "Most of the nation's financial institutions have reported a major increase in fraudulent activities, especially during the last year."

What's behind this surge? Today's technology makes it easier for people to perpetrate fraud. For example, new improvements in printing technology make it easier to counterfeit checks and money orders, and the Internet enables fraudsters to disguise their identities, locations and the legitimacy of their transactions.

By educating the public on these ploys, Fifth Third aims to make it more difficult for fraudsters to find unsuspecting victims. And while their scams are constantly evolving, most tend to be variations on the following themes.

The lottery scam is perpetrated through the mail. Fraudsters send an unsolicited check along with a letter telling potential victims that they've just won some sort of foreign lottery or sweepstakes. But in order to collect their winnings, they must first pay taxes and fees - by depositing the enclosed check and wiring that money back to the sender.

"Of course, that check is counterfeit," says a vice president of fraud initiatives and education manager. "Many people don't realize they're responsible for counterfeit checks and money orders deposited into their accounts. When victims deposit these items and then immediately wire that sum to fraudsters, they're out that money - and sometimes it's thousands of dollars."

Fifth Third Bank warns that wired money, which is money that's electronically transferred, is fraudsters' preferred form of payment. "Once money is wired, it's extremely hard to recover. So if you're ever asked to deposit checks or money orders for a person or company you don't know and then wire those funds back to the sender, that's a red flag. Don't do it," says a vice president of fraud initiatives and education manager.

Fifth Third Bank also explains that many fraudulent activities are part of large, organized crime rings that work on a global scale. Consequently, she advises people not to bother calling the phone numbers listed on unsolicited checks to verify their authenticity. Those phone numbers are likely to be managed by others in the crime ring, who will assure you the checks are good.

Work at home scams generally target people who have their resumes posted online. Scam artists e-mail potential victims to say they're looking for U.S. citizens to process checks, explaining that even though their companies are allowed to do business in the United States and Europe, they cannot cash checks from those countries.

Once potential victims agree to this kind of "work," fraudsters send them checks, tell them to deposit them and wire back the funds, minus 10 percent for their salary. But again, the checks are counterfeit, and by the time victims realize it, the proceeds have already been wired back to the fraudsters.

Secret shopper scams also target potential victims through the mail. In a letter, fraudsters solicit "secret shoppers" to test the ease of purchasing money orders at specific stores. They work in a similar fashion, sending potential victims a check, telling them to deposit it, use the money to purchase money orders and then mail them back to the fraudsters. But again, the checks are counterfeit, and by the time the victims realize it, they've already bought and mailed the money orders.

Scams from Internet purchases typically involve the fraudster sending potential victims a check that's over the negotiated amount. When the seller asks questions, the fraudster explains he made a mistake and recommends that the seller deposit the check and wire back the difference. Again, the checks are counterfeit.

Online dating scams are sometimes even more diabolical. Fraudsters develop an online relationship with potential victims, professing their love over a period of weeks or months. Finally, they'll decide to come for a visit. But to finance the trip, the fraudsters send their victims a check, ask them to deposit it and wire back the proceeds. As with the other cases, the checks are fraudulent. And so was the long-distance romance.

Fifth Third Bank says investigators from the US Postal Service and other agencies are working diligently to intercept these scams and nab the perpetrators. In the meantime, she urges people who think they've received counterfeit checks, money orders or travelers checks not to cash them and instead bring them to their bank's attention or contact local authorities.

For more information, you may contact Fifth Third Bank at (866) 475-4201, or click here to log on to the Fraud Awareness Website from Fifth Third Bank.