David Kalinoski

One of the most popular ways for criminals to steal money and sensitive information is by impersonating a trusted source — often a government agency. According to the Federal Trade Commission, victims of government impostor scams reported theft of nearly $617 million in 2023.

Have you wanted to make sense of the digital world around us? Then join AARP Pennsylvania for a six-part series of technology lectures on Zoom.

There are many things that we can do to protect ourselves from identity thieves. We can use strong and unique passwords, keep our device operating systems current, and monitor our credit reports. If you want to keep thieves out of your recycling bin, you’ll also want to make sure to shred your sensitive documents. Despite all of the online crimes out there, criminals won’t hesitate to dumpster dive for valuable sensitive personal information. Shredding continues to be an important step in preventing identity fraud.

Tax season isn't just about filing returns; it's also prime time for IRS impostor scams. According to the Federal Trade Commission, consumers reported theft of $5.8 million via these scams in 2023 alone. Here is what you need to know about IRS impostors so you can stay one step ahead of these crooks.

Many of us have used a peer-to-peer (P2P) payment app to split a bill or send money to a friend, and some people even use them for traditional shopping. However, there are inherent risks that exist on these payment apps that everyone should know about.

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.

It’s that time of year again – the holidays are long past, and summer is still a long way off. It’s time for a spring getaway. But beware, for everyone looking for a great spring break deal there is a criminal out there offering an amazing deal. These three tips will help you spot a potential travel scam.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, victims of government impostor scams reported nearly $509 million stolen from them in 2022.

If there is one thing everyone should understand, it is that “scammers” are career criminals skilled at the art of manipulation, and no one is immune. These crooks target people of any age; in fact, 41% of those who reported a fraud loss to the Federal Trade Commission in 2023 were under the age of 30. So, what can a person do if they experience fraud?

One of the oldest scams around involves a criminal getting hold of one of your checks and forging the payee and the amount. Usually this is done by “washing” the check with chemicals to remove the real information you have written on it. Today, with access to new technologies, criminals are “cooking” checks by creating fake versions of real checks using computer programs. These “cooked” checks can be manipulated digitally and either printed or deposited electronically, saving the crook a lot of mess and hassle.