Delawareans lost a total of $19 million to scams last year, according to a report from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
In 2022, the FTC received 6,742 fraud reports from Delaware consumers, with the median loss at $700.
The FTC received 19,252 reports from Delawareans last year, covering all types of scam issues. The top reports received from consumers were:
- Identity theft.
- Credit bureaus, information furnishers and report users.
- Imposter scams
- Online shopping and negative reviews
- Banks and lenders
Nationwide, consumers reported losing nearly $8.8 billion (about $27 per person in the U.S.) to fraud in 2022, up from $5.8 billion (about $18 per person in the US) in 2021.
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Last year, investment scams duped Americans the most, with more than $3.8 billion lost in the category. The second highest reported loss amount came from imposter scams, with losses of $2.6 billion reported, up from $2.3 billion reported in 2021.
The FTC received 2.4 million fraud reports from consumers last year, with the most commonly reported scheme being imposter scams, followed by shopping scams. Prizes, sweepstakes and lotteries; investment related reports; and business and job opportunities were the remaining top fraud categories of 2022.
With National Slam the Scam Day coming up on March 9, as part of the FTC’s National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW) from March 5 to March 11, make sure you are aware of scam warning signs and know how to prevent scammers from succeeding.
Government employee imposter scams continue to increase, and most often are executed over the phone, lthough they can be transacted by email, text, U.S. mail or social media, according to the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General.
To avoid the scams, the office advises everyone to be cautious of any supposed contact from government agencies and remember that real government officials will never do the following:
- Threaten arrest or legal action against you unless you immediately send money.
- Promise to increase your benefits or resolve a problem if you pay a fee or move your money into a protected account.
- Require payment with gift cards, prepaid debit cards, wire transfer, Internet currency, or by mailing cash.
- Try to gain your trust by providing fake “documentation,” false “evidence,” or the name of a real government official.
More scam warning signs include:
- Asking for payment in gift cards or cryptocurrency
- Unknown phone number or email address
- Dating someone online without ever meeting or seeing their face
- Claims that you won a lottery or contest you didn’t enter
- Awards of “free” vacations
- Unsolicited sales calls
- High pressure to make immediate decisions
- Threats of arrest, harm or canceled benefits
To avoid fraud, follow these tips:
- If you don’t know who’s calling you or are suspicious, don’t answer the phone. If they really need you, they’ll leave a voicemail.
- If it seems like a friend or relative is asking for money online, call them to verify that it’s really them.
- If someone uses malware on your computer, immediately shut it down and take it to a specialist.
- Don’t enter information online or give it over the phone without doing research first.
- Don’t trust offers that seem too good to be true.
- Be skeptical and trust your instincts.
To report a suspected scam to the Fraud and Consumer Protection Division, call 302-577-8600, email consumer.protection@delaware.gov or fill out the Department of Justice’s online complaint form.
Reporter Hannah Edelman contributed to this report.
Got a tip or a story idea? Contact Krys’tal Griffin at kgriffin@delawareonline.com.
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