The 2006 Federal Trade Commission numbers on consumer fraud show wire transfers skyrocketing in popularity among scammers. Of the consumers who filed complaints filed with the FTC, about a quarter paid by wire transfer. The scary part is that we in the consumer advocacy biz have been warning about this for years, but the numbers are soaring: 11% in 2004 to 15% in 2005 to 23% last year.

Wire transfers appeal to crooks because of the immediacy and flexibility: if you use Western Union to wire money to someone, he can pick it up at any Western Union station on the globe.

Western Union teamed up with AG's offices all over the country last year to post warnings at their transfer stations, listing the signs of a scam. Hopefully these will get people's attention.

The biggest warning: never wire money to a stranger.