{"id":67644,"date":"2024-09-24T11:34:50","date_gmt":"2024-09-24T18:34:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=67644"},"modified":"2024-09-24T11:34:50","modified_gmt":"2024-09-24T18:34:50","slug":"how-to-fight-rising-imposter-scams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=67644","title":{"rendered":"How to Fight Rising Imposter Scams"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_author tdi_67 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_1 tdb-post-meta\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_67\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-author-name-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-author-by\">By<\/span><a class=\"tdb-author-name\" href=\"https:\/\/ethnicmediaservices.org\/author\/selen-ozturk\/\">Selen Ozturk<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_date tdi_68 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_1 tdb-post-meta\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_68\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><i class=\"tdb-date-icon tdc-font-fa tdc-font-fa-calendar\"><\/i><time class=\"entry-date updated td-module-date\" datetime=\"2024-09-23T09:52:57-07:00\">Sep 23, 2024<\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_subtitle tdi_69 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_1\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_69\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>Imposter scams are rising at alarming rates, thanks to sophisticated new tactics; here\u2019s how to protect your money.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_featured_image tdi_70 tdb-content-horiz-left td-pb-border-top td_block_template_1\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_70\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"td-video-replacer\" data-id=\"undefined\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"wpb_video_wrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"widget2\" class=\"td-youtube-player\" title=\"Scammers Are Incredibly Sophisticated, Can \u2018Create a Sense of Panic\u2019 in Victims\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/pDLMMbaLaUo?enablejsapi=1&amp;feature=oembed&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;vq=hd720&amp;&amp;&amp;\" width=\"100%\" height=\"560\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-11=\"true\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_content tdi_71 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_1 td-post-content tagdiv-type\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_71\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>Imposter scams are rising at alarming rates, thanks to sophisticated new tactics; here\u2019s how to protect your money.<\/p>\n<p>Of the millions of scam reports the Federal Trade Commission gets each year \u2014 2.6 million in 2023 \u2014 the most common type by far are\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/ftc.gov\/imposters\">imposter scams<\/a>, where scammers impersonate an entity, usually a business or government agency.<\/p>\n<p>The first half of 2024 alone saw 360,000 impersonation scam reports, with $1.3 billion in reported losses and a median loss of $800.<\/p>\n<p>Less than 5% of scam victims report at all, according to FTC and Better Business Bureau estimates.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is just the tip of the iceberg,\u201d said Emma Fletcher, senior data researcher at the FTC at a Friday, September 20 Ethnic Media Services briefing about imposter scams. \u201cBehind those numbers are people who\u2019ve lost tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars. We\u2019re really concerned about the volume of reports we\u2019re getting on scams that take it all. People have emptied their bank accounts, even their retirement accounts.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Over the past few years, reported losses to business and government impersonation scams have skyrocketed nearly fourfold.<\/p>\n<p>$175 million was lost to government impersonators in 2020 compared to $618 million in 2023, and $195 million was lost to business impersonators in 2020 compared to $751 million in 2023.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Scam tactics and stories<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cThis tremendous increase in reports from people who\u2019ve lost enormous sums of money is tied to very concerning changes in the tactics these scammers are using,\u201d said Fletcher.<\/p>\n<p>These scams often involve bank transfer methods like Zelle, or cryptocurrency payment methods like\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ftc.gov\/news-events\/data-visualizations\/data-spotlight\/2024\/09\/bitcoin-atms-payment-portal-scammers\">Bitcoin ATMs<\/a>, which are referred to by many scammers as \u201cfederal safety lockers.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td-video-replacer\" data-id=\"undefined\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"youtube-embed\" data-video_id=\"UnET7DVoH_A\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"widget4\" title=\"The Challenges of Tracing Money After a Scam\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/UnET7DVoH_A?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1\" width=\"100%\" height=\"392\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-11=\"true\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kati Da<em>ffan, Assistant Director, Division of Marketing Practices at the Federal Trade Commission, Washington, District of Columbia, explains why it so difficult to trace money after a fraudulent transaction.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>One reporter attending the briefing, Sunita Sohrabji, shared a personal example.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy daughter tried to sell her bike via Facebook Marketplace,\u201d Sohrabji said. \u201cIt was her first time selling anything, and someone messaged her saying they wanted to buy the bike, and that they\u2019d pay through Zelle, but that she first had to establish a Zelle business account and put $400 in an account they\u2019d sent her, which would be refunded once the transaction was made. Of course, that never happened.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWith the endless daily time-sensitive messages, emails, deliveries, due dates and service invoices we already get, especially in the media, there are so many you have to resist and double-check nowadays,\u201d added Elena Kuznetsova, a reporter for Slavic Sacramento.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere have been congressional hearings about Zelle and the role of financial institutions when fraud occurs,\u201d said Kati Daffan, assistant director of the FTC Division of Marketing Practices. \u201cIt\u2019s an open question right now. We encourage people to\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/reportfraud.ftc.gov\/\">report<\/a>\u00a0it to us and their bank. If they\u2019re unhappy with how their bank handles it, they can also file a report with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Per a new FTC Impersonation Rule in effect since April, pretending to represent or be endorsed by a government or business is explicitly a violation, enabling the FTC file federal court cases seeking to return money to victims and enact civil penalties against scammers.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td-video-replacer\" data-id=\"undefined\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"youtube-embed\" data-video_id=\"rGHP-8eNjnk\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"widget6\" title=\"Recognizing the Lies Fraudsters Use to Scam People\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/rGHP-8eNjnk?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1\" width=\"100%\" height=\"392\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-11=\"true\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Kati Daffan, Assistant Director, Division of Marketing Practices at the Federal Trade Commission, Washington, District of Columbia, shares tips on recognizing fraud, including identifying the lines only scammers use.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cIn our first case using the new rule, somebody pretending to be affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education would tell people: \u2018This is a time sensitive notice, and you can get tax-free loan forgiveness,\u2019 to entice consumers to call them,\u201d said Daffan.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen the telemarketers, claiming to be affiliated with the government, would convince people to sign up for a debt relief program and collect hundreds of dollars in illegal upfront fees,\u201d she continued. \u201cOur case is ongoing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daffan added that telltale signs of a scammer include urging the victim to act immediately; asking them to lie to someone, like a bank teller or broker; threatening them with arrest or deportation; and telling them not to hang up before money is withdrawn or transferred.<\/p>\n<p>Also trending are \u201ctag-team\u201d scams blurring the line between business and government impersonation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese scams typically start out impersonating a business; say, your bank saying there\u2019s suspicious charges on your account,\u201d said Fletcher. \u201cBut when you respond, the situation escalates rapidly. Your accounts are at risk, so they connect you with a government agency. The aim is to create a sense of heightened alarm, to make it difficult to think clearly, recognize the scam, and hang up the phone.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td-video-replacer\" data-id=\"undefined\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"youtube-embed\" data-video_id=\"KLLelJgVktU\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"widget8\" title=\"Americans Lost $1.3 Billion to Impersonation Scams in the First Half of 2024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/KLLelJgVktU?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1\" width=\"100%\" height=\"392\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-11=\"true\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Emma Fletcher, Senior Data Researcher, Federal Trade Commission, Washington DC-Baltimore Area, gives an overview of impersonation scams, which have led to a reported 1.3 billion dollars in losses.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Furthermore, many scams now involve victims who believe they\u2019re protecting their money\u00a0<em>from<\/em>\u00a0entities who want it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you believe you\u2019re paying someone, you\u2019re going to be cautious about giving all you have. But if you believe you\u2019re protecting your money, you\u2019re more likely to empty your account, and these scammers will position themselves as someone informing you of this problem and helping you resolve it,\u201d Fletcher continued. \u201cThey\u2019re not necessarily posing as the aggressor anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There are many misconceptions about who\u2019s impacted by scams,\u201d she added. \u201cThey\u2019re not, say, less intelligent or greedy. It\u2019s really important to put those ideas to rest, because they\u2019re barriers to people being receptive to messages about how to avoid scams \u2026 It\u2019s people of all ages, people you know in your community.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The FTC found in 2021 that adults aged 18 to 59 were 34% more likely to report losing money to fraud than older adults, with a median loss of $500.<\/p>\n<p>However, older adults reported much higher median losses: $800 for those in their 70s, and $1,500 for those 80 and over.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td-video-replacer\" data-id=\"undefined\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"youtube-embed\" data-video_id=\"AVtkQbUSR7M\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"widget10\" title=\"Student Debt Relief Scammers Promise Complete Loan Forgiveness, Steal Hundreds in Illegal Fees\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/AVtkQbUSR7M?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1\" width=\"100%\" height=\"392\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-11=\"true\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Kati Daffan, Assistant Director, Division of Marketing Practices at the Federal Trade Commission, Washington, District of Columbia, shares details on a recent student loan forgiveness scam.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m always telling my audience: please be aware. Don\u2019t do this. I\u2019m 69 with 43 years of experience in journalism, and I fell in their hands completely,\u201d said Celina Rodr\u00edguez, a journalist who got a call two years ago from scammers impersonating Bank of America.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey said I bought an iPhone, and was it really me? It was so embarrassing having to explain \u2018No,\u2019\u201d she said. \u201cI was in a rush, I had to do a radio program, and I was panicking. I let them into my computer and sent money to them \u2026 Fortunately, Bank of America helped me shut my computer down, had IT come turn it on in a safe way and I changed my passwords.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe way they get you involved is amazing,\u201d Rodriguez added. \u201cWe\u2019re so vulnerable now. Even though we\u2019re on top of things every day, we are human beings and any of us can become psychological targets.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Those experiencing fraud can report it and find next steps at\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/reportfraud.ftc.gov\/\">reportfraud.ftc.gov<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>BySelen Ozturk Sep 23, 2024 Imposter&#46;&#46;&#46;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-67644","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-business","category-u-s-a"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67644","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=67644"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67644\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":67645,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67644\/revisions\/67645"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=67644"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=67644"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=67644"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}