Q. My friend told me about a scam she ran into recently. Someone emailed her posing as her son and said they had been mugged in Mexico and needed cash to get home. It wasn't her son and now she is out $5,000. I know you're an expert at avoiding Web scams, so how would you avoid this one, Kim? Is it common? Thanks!
-Angela, from Los Angeles, CA, listens to my national radio show on KABC 790 AM. 

A. I'm sorry to hear your friend fell for this scam, Angela. It's not surprising though. This kind of scam takes advantage of very real fears.

I know a family whose daughter was in China on a missions trip. She broke her leg and then her money and passport were stolen on the way to the hospital. It was a nightmare for her parents.

So those scary situations do happen. And when they happen, you aren't exactly thinking clearly. It doesn't help that scammers make it very believable. Even if they have doubts, many people go along with it "just in case."

Your friend actually got off easy. These scams can often rack up $25,000 or more in losses. This woman lost $75,000 in 24 hours to a scam like this. In most cases, it's impossible to recover the money once it's gone.