Protect Yourself: Learn to Fight Fraud

Identity theft. Phony debt collection calls. Banking and benefits fraud. These and other crimes rank Maryland sixth in the nation for fraud complaints from consumers.

In 2014, more than 46,000 Marylanders reported being victims of fraud and identity theft, according to data compiled by the Federal Trade Commission. The leading complaint was impostor scams, such as when someone calls claiming to be a stranded grandchild in need of quick cash. The state ranked 10th for identity theft, which happens when someone steals a Social Security or credit card number to commit theft or fraud.

AARP Maryland encourages Free Staters to protect themselves by signing up for watchdog alerts from the AARP Fraud Watch Network. The network warns of new scams and shows where they are cropping up. Go to fraudwatchnetwork.org.