Not every con man has access to high-end clientele like Bernie Madoff did. The small-time, unscrupulous scam artist is compelled to find a mark by whatever means available, and the economy has fostered a new breed of scammer, promising people everything from get-rich-quick schemes to seemingly legit jobs.

Even if you're not someone considering torching your own car in order to collect insurance money, you should check out our roundup of recent scams that have been draining the bank accounts of trusting folks. It may save you a few dollars.

Salvation for the Scammer
Listed in a for-sale ad, a buyer for a TV set shows up and claims to be from the Salvation Army. The scammer presents a business card that lists him as an activities director with the charity. He hands over a Salvation Army check for $850 and collect the TV set. The check is a worthless forgery. The scam artist gets a new TV.

Craigslist Job Scams
Scam artists have put up phony job listings on Craigslist in order to lure in desperate job-seekers. Once on board, the scammer claims they need a social security number and bank info to process paychecks. Identity fraud follows. Some victims have even been scammed do actual work (such as writing financial reports about Latvia).

Learn about the Notebook Scam and the new Nigeria Scam, after the jump.

The Notebook Scam
Like a Three Card Monte game, a scam artist sells boxes supposedly containing laptops. He demos the real thing to victims. The boxes are sealed and feel about the right weight. The victim later finds themselves the owner of an empty ring binder filled with newspapers.

Surrogate Scammer
A woman advertises her willingness to be a surrogate mother. She collects a $1,000 deposits from desperate couples. After giving a false identity, she bolts from town.

A Recession-Era Nigerian Scam
Remember those scam e-mails from Nigerian princes who need your help to get billions of dollars out of their country? Well, now in this age or recession, it's evolved into making you think you're being offered the best part-time job ever.

The e-mail says you can earn $6,000-$8,000 a month working for an organization that helps those living in poverty and suffering from AIDS in Africa. The scammers set up a fake Web site with pictures of sick African children. You scroll to the bottom of the e-mail and there, of course, is a request for your bank information. It's the old Spanish Prisoner scam. However, instead of preying on greed (such as the Nigerian e-mail scam), they prey on a broken economy and out-of-work people who need part-time jobs. Combine that with empathy for those with AIDS, and you've got the formula con artists are using to take advantage of desperate times.

Seen any other timely scams? Let us know in the comments.