Technology

Cryptocurrency scams have surged in recent years, with billions stolen annually. One of the biggest drivers of this trend? Romance scams. The free, live Fighting Fraud with AARP Connecticut webinar on Friday, April 25, at 12 p.m. will spotlight one victim’s story of romance, loss, and how the experience motivated her to advocate for other victims.

Scams take many forms so being aware and understanding the variety of ways criminals use to steal money can help you stay a step ahead of scams. Scammers may seek payment through hard-to-trace methods with few or no protections including gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfers, peer-to-peer apps and, more recently, gold bars.

Scammers are continually perfecting their scams, getting more sophisticated, learning new techniques with new technology, and honing their methods to better manipulate their targets. If we really want to keep ourselves - and our money - safe from fraud, we must all come to terms with one thing: our personal information is likely already out there.

The annual program aims to make communities in Connecticut more livable for people of all ages

Last year the Federal Trade Commission recorded $10 Billion in reported fraud from U.S. consumers. Because fraud is underreported, we know that actual losses are much higher.

This guest post was written and submitted by Michelle Puzzo, President & Co-Founder of UR Community Cares

The numbers are in and last year was yet another historic year for fraud. The Federal Trade Commission released its annual compendium of fraud reports from 2023, and the news is shocking. For the first time ever reported theft through fraud topped $10 billion. The total is 14% higher than what was reported in 2022 and 5 times greater than reported losses in 2019. Key takeaways from the report include:

New virtual presentation on scam prevention launches with steps consumers can take to protect themselves from identity theft.

AARP Connecticut – advocates for age 50+ Connecticut residents and their families – works with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to support legislation and issues that make our state a great place to live for people of all ages.

AARP CT 2023 Livable Communities Grant Application