Here's the wiki re: confidence tricks; included are many sub-links to wikis:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confidence_trick
Here's an old thread on one probable scam:
http://www.chesscanada.info/forum/sh...ing-from-Texas
Here's a really old thread on a scam tried on some members of this discussion board, and probably tried also on other Canadian chess personalities:
http://www.chesscanada.info/forum/sh...-Nigerian-scam
Another related thread, from this sub-forum:
https://www.chesscanada.info/forum/s...6563#post46563