Scammers are quite ingenious, but they can be stopped in their tracks if we do our homework and stay one step ahead of their devious plots and ploys. Among the many standard fraud avoidance resources including local police agencies, banking institutions, newspapers, television and radio news outlets, the following entities should also be on your contact list:
The Federal Trade Commission (ftc.gov)
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (fbi.gov)
The Better Business Bureau (bbb.org)
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (1 800 2fannie)
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
The Social Security Administration (ssa.gov)
The U.S. Department of State (travel.state.gov)
The Office of the Controller of the Currency (occ.gov)
The Federal Communications Commission (fcc.gov)
The Office of Justice Programs (ojp.gov)
AARP Magazine/Fraud Watch Network (aarp.org)
Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (acfe.com)
National Council on the Aging (ncoa.org)
The Three Credit Bureaus (Equifax, Experion, TransUnion)
Life Senior Services (lifeseniorservices.org)
American Bankers Association (aba.com)
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services: “Fraud Prevention Toolkit” (cms.gov)
USDA Food and Nutrition Center (www.fns.usda.gov)
United States Postal Inspection Service (uspis.gov)
Microsoft (support.microsoft.com)
Take Five to Stop Fraud (takefive-stopfraud.org)
Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General (oig.hhs.gov)
Consumer Advocate (consumeradvocate.org)
Synovus “Elder Fraud” (synovus.com)
Amazon Fraud Prevention (amazon.com)
The Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (dfpi.gov)
The U.S. Department of Labor (dol.gov)
American Bar Association: Elder Fraud Prevention (americanbar.org)
Consumer Reports (consumerreports.org)
Airlines Reporting Corporation (2.arccorp.com)
Federal Housing Finance Agency (fhfaoig.gov)
Fannie Mae “Mortgage Fraud Protection” (single.family.fasnniemae.com)
Office of Victims of Crime (ovc.ojp.gov)
Senior Medicare Patrol (smpresource.org)
Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
National Insurance Crime Bureau (ncib.org)
McAfee (mcafee.com)
Android Authority “mobile phones” (androidauthority.com)
National Cybersecurity Center (ncsc.gov)
United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (unodc.org)
Merrill Lynch (www.ml.com)
Western Union (westernunion.com)
Apple Support (support.apple.com)
FedEx (fedex.com)
United Parcel Service (ups.com)
Norton Anti-Virus (us.norton.com)
Seniors Vs Crime Project (seniorsvscrime.com)
These and other agencies offer a treasure-trove of information on how to stay one step ahead of the scammer’s deadly reach. One of the most important ways of staying one step ahead of the scammer’s reach is to do your homework and get the low down on which scams are heading your way. By simply directing your mouse to one of the above websites, gives you the unique capability of being able to spot an on-coming fraud-related tragedy before it hits you head-on. Each of the above websites offer important nuggets of scam-related wisdom and suggestions on how to avoid becoming a victim.
Fifteen universal nuggets of wisdom on staying scam free:
If the endeavor is too good to be true – it probably is not
What a lesson we learn when we do not pay attention
Never get caught flat-footed
If you seek the best, you will find it
Luck helps those who help themselves
Learn from the “paralyzing principal” I should have, I could have
You will always find solutions in the windmills of your mind
Patience is always a form of action or inaction
Facts first, decisions later
Genius is to reduce the complicated to the simple
Because you can, should not mean you should
Even wise men can be wrong
Never exhibit inaction in the face of need
Success is never owned, only rented
NEVER SIMPLY TRUST, ALWAYS VERIFY!
Conclusion:
Scam prevention begins and ends with always doing your homework and checking for the latest scam-avoidance news. Scammers are always coming up with new and innovative strategies for separating you from your personal information and your hard-earned money. It’s your job to stay one step ahead of these miscreants. It also helps to remember the ABCs of scam avoidance:
Never freely give out your personal information
Always check your credit reports for inconsistencies
Always report fraudulent activity
Always keep passwords and pin numbers secure
Always enroll in 2-sttep authentication programming
Always use WIFI safely
Always secure chipped credit instruments in RFID protected wallets and handbags
Always refrain from storing passwords for easy future access
Enroll in the U.S. Postal Service’s “Informed Delivery Program”
Always follow your instincts
Don’t’ be too quick to CLICK, CLICK, CLICK!
Anthony J. Luizzo, PhD, CFE
Investigative Sleuth / Lecturer
Seniors Vs Crime Project: A Special Program of the Florida Attorney General
Volusia County Office
Holy Cross Lutheran Church
724 Big Tree Road
South Daytona Florida
407 537-9509
volusia@svcproject.org
