Dennis Russell, Chief, Wintergreen Police

If you believe you were a victim of a fraud or scam report it to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Newly released Federal Trade Commission (FTC) data shows that consumers reported losing more than $10 billion to fraud in 2023. This is a 14% increase over reported losses in 2022.

The FTC received fraud reports from 2.6 million consumers last year. The most commonly reported scam category was imposter scams, which saw significant increases in reports of both business and government impersonators.

Online shopping issues were the second most reported in the fraud category, followed by prizes, sweepstakes, and lotteries; investment-related reports; and business and job opportunity scams.

Email was the method scammers reportedly used to reach consumers most commonly in 2023. Previously, text messages led the top spot after decades of phone calls being the most common. Phone calls are still the second most reported contact method for fraud in 2023.

What is Identity Theft: Identity theft is when someone uses your personal or financial information without your permission. They might steal your name and address, credit card, or bank account numbers, Social Security number, or medical insurance account numbers. And they could use them to buy things with your credit cards, get new credit cards in your name, open a phone, electricity, or gas account in your name, steal your tax refund, use your health insurance to get medical care, pretend to be you if they are arrested.

What Can I do to Prevent being a Victim: Keep your financial records, Social Security and Medicare cards, and any other documents that have personal information in a safe place. When you decide to get rid of those documents, shred them before you throw them away. If you don’t have a shredder, look for a local shred day, or use a marker to block out account numbers.

How can I Protect Myself from being a Victim: Protect yourself by using strong passwords for online accounts. Never give your personal information to someone who calls, emails, or texts you. It could be a scammer trying to steal your information. Check your Credit Report, at least annually, to discover unauthorized accounts opened in your name. Program your cellular phone to not accept unknown callers.

What if I am a Victim: If you are a Victim. Report it immediately to your local law enforcement, the Federal Trade Commission at http://www.reportfraud.ftc.gov/, and notify your financial institution to let them know your account has been compromised.

Remember the only person at fault here is the scammer, not you or a family member. It’s a scammer’s job to steal money or information, and they’ll target anyone. Don’t blame yourself and, instead, blame the scammer. If you are a victim don’t be afraid to share your story. You may prevent someone else from becoming a victim.