This is a free service dedicated to educating you about scams, as we also research and report scams to government entities for prosecution. We help answer your questions and verify if emails, texts, job offers or solicitations, service links, investments are fraudulent.
Too many Americans are being scammed each year. Con-artists and Scammers are far more prolific than in the past due to easy global access to your personal data, inexpensive means to contact us, and improved skills to deceitfuly persuade us to act using our age, geography, wealth, interests, and known relationships against us that they have found in both the public domain, social media connections, and dark web databases.
Remember that identity theft is a very profitable crime. Criminal organizations collaborate with eachother to maximize the profit potential.
Their goal is to get you to give the money. If that does not work, they want to complete and sell a profile about you to other criminals and get paid for the service.
2024: Over $12.5 billion lost to fraud, marking a 25% increase from 2023.
2023: Approximately $10 billion reported lost to scams and fraud.
Identity Fraud (2023): An estimated $43 billion lost by Americans due to identity fraud.
Scam Type and Losses
Investment Scams $5.7 billion
Imposter Scams $2.95 billion
Business & Job Opportunity Scams $750.6 million
Online Shopping Scams $3 billion
Reporting Rate:
In 2024, 38% of fraud reports involved monetary loss, up from 27% in 2023.
Age Impact:
Individuals aged 70 and above reported the highest median losses.
Contact Methods:
Most common: Email, followed by phone calls and text messages.
Payment Methods:
Bank transfers and cryptocurrency were associated with the highest losses.
Identity theft occurs when someone fraudulently obtains and uses another person’s personal information, such as their Social Security number, credit card number, or other identifying information. The goal is usually to commit fraud or other crimes under the victim’s identity.
How to Detect Identity Theft and Unathorized Withdrawals:
Credit Monitoring: Services that monitor your credit report for any changes or inquiries. Examples include Credit Karma and Experian Credit Services.
Fraud Alerts: Place a fraud alert on your credit file with the major credit bureaus.
Credit Freeze: Freezing your credit report prevents creditors from accessing your credit, making it harder for thieves to open accounts in your name. You can release the freeze at anytime.
Annual Credit Report Review: Review credit reports from all three bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) yearly using the free resource provided by AnnualCreditReport.com.
Review your medical claims charged against your healthcare insurance to verify that there are no reported procedures with doctors and hospitals that you have never been to.
It is important to monitor for fraud and report fraud as soon as you suspect it to protect your rights and reduce potential liability.
For previous generations, the concern was being pick-pocketed or robbed where a person stole your ID card, wallet, or files from your home. It was difficult to have your identity stolen, especially by some criminal in a foreign county. That is not true any more. Now, your information can be stolen in seconds, and 50% of the time, you are the one who gave it to the criminals (because of their Phishing attempt).
Here are six simple thngs you can do to protect your information from theft:
Strong, Unique Passwords:
Use different passwords for each account and consider a password manager. It is important to realize that a password that is used on one account my later be known and attempted on another account, so do not use the same passwords or password template on different accounts.
Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Enables an additional layer of security by requiring a second form of verification.
Limit Social Media Sharing:
Avoid sharing personal information like birthdates, addresses, or other sensitive data online.
Shred Documents:
Shred any documents containing personal information before disposal.
Secure Wi-Fi Connections:
Use a secure network, particularly when conducting financial transactions.
Review Financial Statements: Regularly check credit card, bank, and other financial statements for unusual activity.
Learn more through the free seminars that we offer and educational materials that we provide.
