CON ARTIST CRACKDOWN

The sour economy has become a sweet time for scam artists.

The Federal Trade Commission says it's getting tough on a new wave of cons.

The FTC has been tracking these types of scams for years, but they've noted a sharp rise in complaints that coincides with the recession.

The economic downturn is creating a boom for con artists.

And the Federal Trade Commission says it's working to put them out of business.

"Their scams promise jobs, access to free government grant money or the chance to make a living by working at home. But these promises deliver nothing. They raise people's hopes and then they drive them deeper into a hole," said David Vladeck of the Federal Trade Commission.

The FTC and 14 states have joined forces in a crackdown dubbed Operation Short Change, going after scammers who use everything from print ads and automated phone calls to the Internet and TV.

"These schemes target men and women, urban and rural communities, people of all backgrounds," Assistant Attorney General Tony West said.

"Complaints to my office are up 27% compared to a year ago, and many other attorneys general can tell you the same thing," North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper said.

Beverly Steward is one of the victims. “I was really hopeful. I really thought sending them that last $89 would get me a job because they told me I’d make anywhere from 13 to 15-dollars-an-hour, and when that didn't happen, I mean I was devastated."

The FTC says be careful if it sounds too good to be true.

Beverly Steward's story has a happy ending. She got her $89 back. And she got a new job.

For more information, or to report a scam yourself, go to the FTC's Web site at www.ftc.gov.