During this time of economic fear and uncertainty, many retirees have seen their hard-earned nest eggs shrink. A natural reaction to this decline is to look for ways to increase the value of one's nest egg. Marketwatch's Robert Powell warns retirees and pre-retirees to beware of scams. Potential scams include "free lunch" seminars where presenters use unscrupulous tactics to get attendees to sign-up for unneeded services. AARP has begun monitoring seminars to help distinguish between the good and the bad. In addition to scams, Powell notes that individuals should look out for sales tactics that don't provide all the details behind products like annuities with a guaranteed living withdrawal benefit. The old adage that if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is too good to be true applies. Especially now, when it is easier to prey on unsettled investors desperately seeking ways to make up lost ground.