The Fraud Watch Network is in New Jersey!

In order to help hardworking Americans protect their money AARP created the Fraud Watch Network; a free community resource for people of all ages to learn how to protect themselves against fraud and scams. Every two seconds someone’s identity is stolen across the US. In the past six years scammers have stolen roughly $112 billion dollars from hardworking Americans, that’s about $35,600 a second! Identity theft is a crime that can wreak havoc on an individual’s or a family’s personal finances, their financial security, and peace of mind. That’s why AARP NJ wants to help consumers fight back! With tools like our online nationwide scam tracking map; The Fraud Watch Network provides communities with up to date information about scams in your area and what to look out for.

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One of the best prevention methods for avoiding identity theft is to ensure your personal information is destroyed safely. A great way to do this is to always shred documents with sensitive information using a micro-cutter shredder. Since not everyone has shredders available to them, AARP New Jersey will once again this year be offering free community shred events in select locations as part of AARP’s 2017 “Operation Stop Scams Initiative”. These free community events are open to all. Check here periodically to find out what events are happening near you and instructions on how to register. Another excellent resource for shredding your personal documents is your local town or county; many of which coordinate free community shred days. Checkout your township or county website to see if shred events are offered in your area.

The AARP Fraud Watch Network is a free community resource open to all; and dedicated to ensuring you and your family have the most up to date information on how to protect yourself from scams. For more information, and tips and tools on how to avoid becoming a victim of fraud visit AARP.org/fraudwatchnetwork for more information and to register for this free community resource.

AARP New Jersey also partners with federal, state and local community organizations to help educate and connect consumers to resources and information around identity theft and scams. As part of their work around National Consumer Protection Week celebrated each March, the United States Postal Inspection Service offers an array of consumer education tools around topics such as: identity theft, bank fraud, mail fraud, telemarketing calls, and investment fraud.  For more information check out the USPS website http://www.deliveringtrust.com/.