Wanna know what the latest scams and schemes are? Take a peek inside your e-mail junk and spam folders.

That’s what I do. And on any given day, I have offers to: Erase Your Debt! Get Free Government Loans! Earn a College Degree Online! Extend Your Auto Warranty! And of course, a plethora of health and diet aids and prescription medicines designed to improve this or get rid of that.

Why do we get sent so much spam and junk? Because scam artists know that millions of us can’t resist a good thing — yes, even if it sounds too good to be true.

They know that many of us are desperate to get out of debt, even if we have to pay someone to help us do so (thereby getting even deeper in debt). Your better bet is to seek help from a consumer credit counseling agency that provides help at a minimal cost.

They know we’re finding it difficult to get business and personal loans, so they’re counting on us to order a “free” CD packed with information on how to obtain “free” grants that just happen to come with hidden monthly charges on our credit-card bills.

And they assume that just because we’re out of work and need a job that we’ll do anything to improve our resume, even if it’s paying big bucks to get a high school or college degree based on nothing more than “life experiences.” Or, if online classes are offered, they have such names as “Aerosol Technology.” Hmm, is that so we’ll know how to use a can of hair spray or spray paint?

If you haven’t cashed in your clunker, scammers are betting you’ll then want to extend your auto warranty. Sounds good — until you read the details. They often cost hundreds if not thousands of dollars and chances that the company will be around to service future claims is iffy at best.

So what should we do? Have a chuckle and move on. Do not click for more info (who knows where you’ll end and what computer buy you’ll pick up), do not provide personal financial information or account numbers (a lot of these junk offers are phishing e-mails), and don’t believe you can get a degree without putting in a little brain time.

Have you ever got caught up in an offer that proved too good to be true?