IDAHO FALLS, ID (KIFI) – The Idaho Department of Treasury is warning of an increase in impostor scams in a recent press release.
“Impostor scams are a growing threat to consumers across the country, targeting consumers across the country as well as Idahoans at an alarming rate. It can be defined as a bad person who causes you to send money or often pretends to be someone from the IRS, Social Security, a corporation, a charity, a grandchild, or the government, and many other disguises. This week, Treasury will focus on scammer scams and how consumers can protect themselves from these fraudulent tactics.
Identity fraud has increased in recent years as online actors have become more sophisticated and creative in their deceptive techniques. According to the FTC, identity theft was the most common type of fraud in 2023, with 853,935 reports nationwide and a total loss of $2.668 billion. According to the same report, Idaho ranks 38th out of 50 states, with scammer scams taking first place in the top 20% of fraud loss reports, and fraud losses amounting to $40.6 million. It is in dollars. In 2023, 14,424 Idahoans reported fraud.
As identity fraud continues to rise across the country, it's important to recognize the red flags and how to report these scams. Below are some common examples of identity fraud reported to the FTC.
Examples of identity fraud:
1. A malicious person has contacted you to inform you that they have detected fraudulent activity in your bank account. They offer to help you “protect” your money by instructing you to move it from your bank, investment account, or retirement account to a “safer” location.
Never move or transfer money to “protect your money.” Banks won't contact you no matter how much you ask them to move your money to another account.
Report it! If you are the target of this type of identity fraud, contact the legitimate company and report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
2. A malicious attacker contacts you, pretending to be someone you trust, and claims that they've discovered a problem with one of your accounts or that someone has stolen your identity. This scammer may request a verification code sent to your email or phone number to access your account.
Never share your verification code with anyone. Anyone who asks for a verification code is a scammer and cannot be trusted, no matter how convincing they are.
Report it! If someone is targeting you with a verification code, don't engage. Block any way they try to contact you and report it to the FTC at Report.Fraud.ftc.gov.
3. Malicious individuals contact you claiming to be affiliated with a government agency, often claiming to be employed by the FTC, Social Security Administration, IRS, or even Medicare, and attempting to send money or personal information to you. Request information.
Don't give your personal information or send money to scammers pretending to be government officials. Government employees will never ask for money or tell you that you have won a lottery or sweepstakes over the phone, email, text message, or message on social media.
Report it! Block all communications with scammers posing as government agencies and report them to Report.Fraud.ftc.gov. If you are not sure if a scammer is trying to scam you, contact your local government office to find out if a scammer is trying to contact you.
As with any type of scam, be suspicious and verify contact information before writing a response to a potential scammer. As a rule of thumb, never click on links in unsolicited emails. Additionally, please do not send, transfer or send money to any account or person other than a trusted bank/financial institution. ”
