Author Archives: virginiasmp

Messaging apps are a great way to keep up with friends and family, but they can also be a method for scammers to defraud you. This happened to me recently, and it’s typical of how scammers operate. I got a note over Facebook Messenger that appeared to be from a friend, right down to the nameContinue reading “How to Spot Impostors on Facebook Messenger and Instagram”

The FTC has been getting reports of people getting letters in the mail from a law firm. They are, they say, looking for the heir of a multi-million-dollar inheritance. And they think it might be you. (Spoiler alert: it’s not.) (Read More)

Scammers wasted no time capitalizing on the Biden Administration’s plan to cancel some federal student loan debt, as BBB predicted. BBB Scam Tracker has already received reports from consumers who have been targeted by impostor loan forgiveness calls and emails. (Read More)

Scammers have been targeting Medicare recipients with a fake offer to get “free COVID tests.” They’re calling and running websites, online and television ads to try to convince people to give their Medicare information. But if you give them your information, they’ll bill fraudulent charges to Medicare. (Read More)

Last summer, an older American in Peabody, Massachusetts, got surprising news in the mail: Their Social Security benefits were going up by $240 a month because of a cost-of-living increase. But the letter was phonier than a $3 bill. (Read More)

Looking for health insurance can be confusing. But if you run across a company that deliberately tricks you into signing up for insurance or health products that don’t deliver (and are hard to cancel), it’s even harder.  According to the FTC, Benefytt Technologies, Inc. and its partners did just that — tricking people into believing they couldContinue reading “Is that Health Insurance, a Health Product or a Scam?”

Like many of us, older adults are often targeted by con artists. Many victims don’t ask for help until it is too late! Help your friends, family, clients, or patients avoid fraud by knowing the signs of current or impending fraud. (Read More)

With the cost of groceries, housing, and many other things rising, you might be looking for ways to cut costs. You aren’t alone. Across the country, people are worried about high prices impacting their budgets. And scammers are taking notice.   Scammers may zero in on your anxiety over money in several ways. They mightContinue reading “As Prices Rise, Keep an Eye Out for Scammers”

Say what you will about Washington politics, but older Americans generally still trust many of the federal government’s agencies and operations. Unfortunately, crooks know this. The AARP Fraud Watch Network has been inundated with calls about scams involving someone impersonating an IRS agent, Medicare official, Social Security Administration officer, FBI agent or other government worker.Continue reading “Government Impostor Scams on the Rise”

Sorry to burst your bubble. That unexpected text from the Postal Service (USPS), Costco, or The Home Depot telling you about an unclaimed package or a survey you can complete to claim a freebie is NOT from them. It’s a scam. (Read More)