Scams & Fraud

The holidays and the end of the year are upon us, which means it is time for giving. In a recent survey, the AARP Foundation ElderWatch found that while 80 percent of Coloradans give to charity, 46 percent of those who gave made contributions without verifying the legitimacy of the charity. Before you give, take these simple steps to ensure the money you are donating is going to the intended cause:

‘Tis the season for holiday shopping and since many people will purchase their holiday gifts online, this is a good time for some internet safety reminders. Here are some tips for protecting your personal and financial information while shopping online:

Identity thieves are lurking online, at your front door, over the phone and even searching through your garbage! Make sure to take precautionary steps to keep your identity safe. Here are 15 things that you can do today to help protect your identity:

Survey by AARP Foundation ElderWatch Finds Four-out-of-Five Colorado Adults Have Donated to Charity, but only about Half are Properly Vetting Before Giving

Did you receive a call from a “government” agency or other official-sounding entity claiming that you have qualified to receive a “free grant” to help pay your bills? Did the caller tell you that your application for a grant is guaranteed to be accepted, and you’ll never have to pay the money back? Does this scenario sound too good to be true? It is!

Do you know how to recognize, refuse and report fraud? Do you know the top 5 areas of fraud?

The AARP Fraud Watch Network is launching an education effort to help people protect themselves from tax scams, releasing a new digital advertising campaign, featuring a new video and a tip sheet. The Association is also encouraging people to take advantage of AARP’s free tax preparation services.

With the holiday giving season approaching, a new survey from the AARP Fraud Watch Network found that 70 percent of consumers failed a quiz about how to stay safe from common holiday scams, and many are regularly engaging in risky behaviors which could leave them at risk of being victimized by con artists.