PHOENIX — In 2021, more than 2.8 million fraud reports were made to the Federal Trade Commission totaling more than $5.8 billion reported lost.
The most commonly reported fraud category was imposter scams, followed by online shopping scams.
The Let Joe Know team fields questions from consumers about different types of scams from prizes and sweepstakes to job offers and internet services.
If you worry you have become a scam victim or given out personal information to a scammer, here are steps you can take to protect yourself and your money:
- Report the scam to your financial institutions, local police, and the federal government.
- If your personal information was compromised or if you were scammed out of money report it right away.
- File a police report on a scam with the fraud division of your local police department.
- If you shared payment information with a scammer, contact your bank.
- If you paid by credit or debit card or had an unauthorized transaction dispute it as a fraudulent charge.
- Freeze your credit at each of the three main credit bureaus.
The Federal Trade Commission also tracks and investigates fraud, you can file a report online.
If you gave a scammer your social security number, they have the ability to take out lines of credit - like applying for loans or credit cards.
By contacting the three major credit bureaus you can place a freeze on your credit for free.
A security freeze restricts access to the credit report so people cannot extend credit in your name.
When you want to apply for credit, you can request a temporary or permanent removal of the security freeze.
The three major credit bureaus are Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
Once fraud is detected, work with the bureaus to remove the accounts or transactions so they no longer impact your credit scores. You can also increase your security and account safety.
Change your passwords to make them more secure using the FTC checklist and add two-factor authentication where possible.
Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security even if someone has access to your password by requiring an additional code.
Scammers not only target your accounts and funds but may have tried to infiltrate your computer.
You can take your computer or phone to a reputable IT specialist to check for malware and make sure your antivirus program is up-to-date and running.
Find other consumer resources at IdentityTheft.gov and the Arizona Attorney General's website.
