Scams & Fraud

Some of the top scams are the ones that have been around the longest. One might think that a crime like the tech support scam, which has been around for 15 years, might fade away but it is more common than ever. According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, the tech support scam was reported by nearly 18,000 victims who had a combined $588 million stolen from them last year.

Last month Medicare announced that one of their contractors had been hacked and the personal information of 612,000 Medicare beneficiaries were stolen. The security breach put Social Security numbers, birth dates, driver’s license numbers, health insurance claims, medical history notes, prescription information and other personally identifiable information at risk.

As communities band together to support those affected by natural disasters, AARP Pennsylvania remains vigilant against opportunistic scammers seeking to exploit vulnerabilities. Recognizing the need for awareness, AARP Pennsylvania is equipping residents with some tips to safeguard themselves from disaster-related scams.

AARP Pennsylvania urges Pennsylvanians to use call screening as a powerful defense against scams. By letting answering machines or voicemail screen calls, individuals can significantly reduce the risk of falling for fraudulent schemes.

When it comes to fraud, knowledge is indeed power. But how can we spread that knowledge around so more people are empowered to protect themselves?

Criminals use a lot of different tactics to steal money from consumers, and one of those tactics is the promise of free money. This summer the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is warning taxpayers to be on the lookout for a new scam mailing that tries to mislead people into believing the IRS owes them a refund.

It’s hurricane season – along with wildfire and flooding season - and one of the things that often comes with all of the personal losses from a natural disaster are fake charities offering to help.

Following extreme weather events, dubious contractors and outright scammers descend on affected communities, offering quick, cheap fixes. They canvas neighborhoods in search of “work” that they may or may not even attempt to do. Many will specifically target older homeowners who they perceive as more likely to have savings.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 31, 2023

Staying a step ahead of the criminal scammers is like playing a never-ending game of whack-a-mole. But if you know about a specific scam, research shows you are 80% less likely to engage with it. But how can you stay up to speed? One great tool is the AARP Fraud Watch Network’s Watchdog Alerts.