Scams & Fraud

Phishing scams aim to acquire valuable personal and financial data — such as your Social Security number, credit card details or passwords for online accounts — to steal your identity, your money or both. They are mostly associated with email but can come in many forms, including social media, pop-up ads, “vishing” (voice phishing by phone), “smishing” (phishing by text message) and “pharming” (drawing victims to bogus websites).

Learn about ways to avoid illegal robocalls and phone scams in this free, two-part webinar.

AARP Iowa is encouraging local groups to schedule Fraud Watch Network presentations in 2019.

Discard old confidential documents safely and securely at our FREE Shred Day in Cedar Rapids and Des Moines . Bring up to three boxes of documents (per household). Staples and paper clips are fine, but all binders need to be removed. No registration is needed.

The Social Security Administration is using new public service announcements to warn Americans about the increasing number of telephone scams and to advise what to do about them.

During tax-filing season, it pays to be aware of the ways that scammers and hackers may try to put your potential refund in their pocket.

One of the first cons to flourish on the internet, the “Nigerian prince” scam, also known as the “419” scam (named for the section of Nigeria’s criminal code dealing with fraud), has an ignominious history that long predates the digital age. Its roots go back to a notorious 19th-century swindle called the “Spanish Prisoner,” and the method of attack has progressed from letters and faxes to emails and social media.

The Internet can be a wonderful place to start friendships and relationships. Sometimes, this is done intentionally through dating sites or apps. Other times, it happens through social media or in a chat room. Fraudsters build trust through online relationships for the sole purpose of stealing money from victims.

In recent years, gift cards have taken off in popularity. Unfortunately, scammers have a keen interest in gift cards, too – only for them, they are being used to pry money from you as a form of payment in their latest con.

Across the United States, scam robo-calls make the way into voice mail boxes and emails of people all ages. People aged 50+ tend to fall for such scams far more than others. In 2019, it is estimated that 44.6% of cell phone calls will be robo or scam calls, which is nearly every other call. These scams tend to cover a range of different topics, from zero interest down on loans, deals on credit cards and warrants to trying to sell medical devices or insurance. While these scams can seem very real, there are a few key characteristics that can be used to easily identify scams.