Beware: Top 10 Scams of the Year [INFOGRAPHIC]

Scams, much like viral cat videos, are a staple of the Internet. Even the savviest of Internet users can still get tangled in the web’s latest harmful trick — such as these 10 highlighted from the past year.

The Better Business Bureau has released this infographic, charting the biggest consumer scams of 2011. Their rankings are based on the volume and spikes in complaints, the economic climate and major events exploited by scammers, information collected by its Scam Source, and alerts issued through local BBBs during 2011.

The number one scam of the year is attributed to someone pretending to be the Better Business Bureau itself — an email sent mostly to small business owners, which downloaded information-stealing malware.

If these scams seem like tricks you’ve seen, don’t fear (too much). To fall victim to a scam, you generally need to actively follow instructions to give away your personal data.

Did you see any of these scams this year? Let us know in the comments.