Midwest Farm Report: It’s Not the IRS Calling

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Have you ever gotten a call from the IRS claiming that you owe the government money, and you’ll be arrested if you don’t pay right away? Or maybe Social Security has called saying there’s a problem with your account and they need you confirm your number to make sure it doesn’t get closed?

You probably knew the truth – it wasn’t the IRS or Social Security calling, it was a scammer.

These types of scams, called Imposter Scams, are common and many companies and organizations are impersonated; including the IRS, Social Security Administration, Medicare, Amazon, Norton Antivirus, Apple, and more. In 2021, nearly 1 million of these scams were reported to the Federal Trade Commission, totaling losses over $2.3 billion.

Here in Wisconsin, nearly 13,000 imposter scams were reported (the next highest category was online shopping at just 5,300 comparatively.)

Listen to AARP Wisconsin’s Senior Program Specialist, Courtney Anclam, discuss these scams with Pam Jahnke on the Midwest Farm Report here.

You can typically spot an imposter scam by these red flags:

• You receive an unsolicited email or phone call from the organization, company or individual
• There is a sense of urgency – they want you to send money, give information, or take action immediately
• Threats or harassment are utilized. The scammer may claim you’ll be arrested or try to intimidate you into doing something
• They ask for information the legitimate organization would already have (ie Medicare asking for your Medicare number or Social Security asking for your SSN.)

A request for payment by gift card or wire transfer - scammers favor these methods because they are hard to track and nearly impossible to stop/retrieve once they’re gone. Luckily, Wisconsin has a lot of resources available from a variety of organizations working in this space. Check out the section below for more information.

WI Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection
DATCP is Wisconsin’s primary consumer protection agency. Visit their website HERE to file a complaint online.
Contact DATCP by email at DATCPHotline@wisconsin.gov.
Call the Consumer Protection Hotline at (800) 422-7128.

Wisconsin Senior Medicare Patrol
The SMP mission is to empower and assist Medicare beneficiaries, their families, and caregivers on how to prevent, detect, and report health care fraud, abuse, and errors through outreach, counseling, and education. The Wisconsin SMP program covers 72 counties and 11 federally recognized tribes with our educational message and outreach. Our program engages and supports an active team, statewide, to help in mission delivery.
Visit their website at https://www.smpwi.org/
Contact SMP by email at smp-wi@gwaar.org
Report Suspected Medicare Fraud or get General Information at (888) 818-2611

Better Business Bureau Serving Wisconsin
The Better Business Bureau Serving Wisconsin is a non-profit organization with a mission to advance marketplace trust by creating a marketplace where buyers and sellers can trust each other. We provide balance by calling out substandard business behavior (scams, fraud, etc) and recognizing ethical, trustworthy businesses through the BBB Accreditation program. 
Visit their website here.
Call the WI BBB at (414) 847-6000.

Federal Trade Commission
The Federal Trade Commission is a consumer protection agency at a national level. Use Reportfraud.ftc.gov to file a complaint and get next steps.
Visit the FTC’s consumer advice page for information on the latest scams.

FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center
File a complaint with the IC3 if you believe you have been the victim of an Internet crime or if you want to file on behalf of another person you believe has been such a victim.
Visit their website here.