Scams & Fraud Prevention

There’s a widespread telephone scam involving callers claiming they’re from Social Security. The caller ID may even show a government number. These callers may tell you there’s a problem with your Social Security number. They may also threaten to arrest you unless you pay a fine or fee using gift cards, pre-paid debit cards, a wire transfer, or cash. Beware: That call is not from the Social Security Administration. ...

When you give money to a charity, does it go where you want it to? How can you know if your donation is getting in the right hands? Our legal expert has advice to help direct your charitable giving. ...

Criminals will often watch different individuals to determine who is not paying attention and who is most likely to be surprised by their actions.  Criminals are looking to take the victim by surprise because if the victim is surprised, the criminal is much more likely to be successful. ...

Trusting others also makes the elderly a target for scammers. The “grandparents” scam is one that seems to always be around. The “grandparents” scam is when an older person receives a call, usually in the middle of the night, from someone claiming to be their grandchild. The caller claims they’re in trouble and need money immediately and to not tell mom and dad. They play on your emotions. The caller will usually ask the victim to buy gift cards and scratch off the back of the card to reveal the ID number, and then have them read the number over the phone. This is a scam that has been going on for years. ...