Consumer

A great quote that I read in the past is “grandchildren are the dots that connect the lines from generation to generation”.  A grandparent’s heart towards their grandchildren is huge and there is nothing most grandparents would not do for their grandchildren.  Unfortunately, criminals know this as well.  The criminals are using their victim’s grandchildren to con money out of them.  The scam goes like this…the criminal makes a phone call to an older individual.  When the individual picks up the phone, the criminal will say something like “Hi Grandma/Grandpa, do you know who this is?  Once the elder person uses the name of one of their grandchildren, the criminal is in.  The criminal then proceeds to tell the grandparent that they are in need of money for rent, food, car repairs, etc. and ask the grandparent to wire the money to them.  The criminal then proceeds to say something like “please don’t tell my parents, they will be very angry”.  With an open heart, the grandparent opens up their wallet for the “grandchild” and the criminal receives the money.  If you feel that you have been a victim of an elder fraud crime, please contact your local authorities.

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) about 9 million Americans have experienced identity theft.  Identity theft is where your personal information such as your driver’s license number, social security number, name or credit card information is used without your permission to commit fraud or other crimes.  U.S. News and World Report states that if you feel that you were a victim of identity theft, you should take the following 10 steps to minimize the damage once you realize you may be a victim:

• File a report with the Federal Trade Commission
• Contact your local police department
• Notify the IRS and identity theft insurance, if applicable
• Place a fraud alert on your credit reports
• Freeze your credit
• Sign up for a credit monitoring service, if offered
• Tighten security on your accounts
• Review your credit reports for mystery accounts
• Scan credit card and bank statements for unauthorized charges
• Open new credit card and financial accounts

In today’s society, debt is high and so is your chances of debt elimination fraud.

Have you ever received a flyer or a solicitation call asking if you would like to reduce your debt?  Have you been told; we can help you reduce your debt if you pay a small fee and sign up for our program?  If so, you may have experienced debt elimination fraud.  If you sign up for these “programs”, your lenders may not recognize these arrangements as being permissible and may even take legal action against you.  Your lender is the best person to work out any sort of payment arrangements with you should you be having trouble making your payments.

If you believe you have been part of a debt elimination scam, please contact the following:

• Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at 1-877-FTC-HELP or www.ftc.com
• Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at http://www.ic3.gov if the scam was presented via the internet or email
• Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) or your local police department fraud division– contact their local office if the scam was presented by an individual
• U.S. Postal Inspection Service – https://ehome.uspis.gov/fcsexternal/default.aspx – if the scam was presented through the United States Postal Service