THE WAYNE SENIOR CENTER
Donna's Monthly Column
YOU CAN AVOID BECOMING A VICTIM OF FRAUD
Every day, con artists and scammers attempt to victimize millions of American consumers. And when they succeed, these crimes can seriously affect the lives of their victims, and their families. March 6th through March 12th is National Consumer Prevention Week. Here are some tips from the United States Postal Service and the Federal Trade Commission that you can use to help protect yourself:
WARNING SIGNS
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- Sounds too good to be true
- Pressures you to act “right away”
- Guarantees success
- Promises unusually high returns
- Requires an upfront investment – even for a “free” prize
- Buyers want to overpay you for an item and have you send them the difference
- Doesn’t have the look of a real business
- Something just doesn’t feel right
PLAY IT SAFE
- Never click on a link inside an email to visit a web site. Type the address into your browser instead.
- If you have doubts about a business being legitimate, verify the company with the Better Business Bureau.
- Report online fraud to the Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov/complaint.
- Retain your receipts, statements, and packing slips. Review for accuracy.
- Shred confidential documents instead of discarding them in the trash.
FRAUD FACTS
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- Your bank will never email or call you for your account number.
- Don’t wire money to people you don’t know.
- Be cautious of work-at-home job offers
- Check out the company with the Better Business Bureau.
- There are no legitimate jobs that involve reshipping items or financial instruments from your home.
- Foreign Lotteries are illegal in the U.S. You can’t win no matter what they say.
- Check your monthly bank statements for charges you don’t recognize.
- Order a copy of your credit report from each of the three national credit bureaus once a year from annualcreditreport.com.
Take an active interest in the financial activities of your aging parents.
If you have received a suspected fraud through the U.S. mail, or if the mail was used in the furtherance of a crime that began on the internet, telephone , or in person, report it to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Criminal Investigations Service Center, Attn: Mail Fraud, 222 S. Riverside Plaza, Suite 1250, Chicago, IL 60606-6100, postalinspectors.uspis.gov, 1-877-876-2455.