Avoiding & Reporting Scams

Protect your finances and personal information by staying alert against fraud

How to avoid scams

Recognizing common signs of scams can help you avoid being the next victim of financial fraud. Here are some things to remember about scams and tips to help you avoid them.

• Don’t give your personal or financial information to people you don’t know or trust. Scammers may pretend to be an organization you know. Legitimate organizations won’t call, email or text to ask for personal or financial information like your social security number or bank information.
• Resist the pressure to act immediately. Scams are often presented with urgency and threats or may try to convince you that you’ve won a prize. Remain calm and give yourself time to think before you act.
• Don’t give money to people or organizations you don’t know. Scammers may request money via gift cards or using a money transfer service. Never send money in any format to people or organizations you don’t know.
• Ask questions. Don’t hesitate to talk to someone you know and trust if you aren’t sure the call, email or text you’re receiving is a scam. You can also hang up and verify the scam by calling the organization’s direct phone number. We have a few phone numbers listed below that may be helpful to you.

Resources to Verify & Report Scams

If you’re not sure if the call, text or email you’ve received is a scam, you can call to verify the information. Scammers commonly pretend to be the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) or Medicare/Health Insurance. If you’ve received a suspicious call, text or email from someone claiming to be from the IRS or Medicare, call these organizations to verify the information and/or report the scam.

You may also report financial scams and fraud to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

• Internal Revenue Service (IRS) :Call 1-800-829-1040
• Medicare: Call 1-800-MEDICARE
• Federal Trade Commission Resources Learn more