Scams & Fraud

There are many amazing charities out there that benefit from donations. Unfortunately, scammers may try to capitalize on the generosity and good will of others by setting up fake charities and pocketing the donations. To ensure the organization you decide to donate to be worthy and doing the work they say, visit www.ftc.gov/charity for ways to verify charities. If you have doubts, there’s always the option to give directly to smaller local charities where you can more easily see the impact of your donation.

As we enter the second half of summer, many companies have mid-season sales with amazing deals. But if a sale looks too good to be true, it probably is. Beware of websites that sell high-end name brand products at a fraction of the retail price. Through these fake websites, scammers can sell knock-off products to unknowing consumers, or worse, take your credit card information and never send the items you purchased. Please be vigilant in scoping out only true online sales, and ensure the bargains you find are the real deal.

Is Your Identity up for Grabs?

Is Your Identity up for Grabs?

In an age of data breaches and sophisticated identity thieves, protecting your digital information is more important than ever. According to the California-based Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, there were over 738 data breaches in 2017 exposing more than 2-billion individual’s records. In fact, experts say very few of us haven’t been affected.

Join our series of online Q&A sessions to learn how to avoid them.

Would you like to help fight fraud in our community and join the AARP Fraud Fighter team?

We’re all too familiar with how pervasive scams are in today’s marketplace. Whether it’s the IRS Imposter Scam, the Tech Support Scam, or that winning lottery check waiting for you – just pay shipping and handling…

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Shredding is a key weapon in the battle to keep sensitive, personal information out of the hands of identity thieves.