Week 1 – Natural Disaster Scams
It seems like natural disaster season is never ending these days. As wildfire season moves closer to hurricane season, now is a good time to be reminded that after Mother Nature moves out, the criminal scammers tend to move in.
Following extreme weather events, dubious contractors and outright scammers descend on affected communities, offering quick, cheap fixes. They canvas neighborhoods in search of “work” that they may or may not even attempt to do. Many will specifically target older homeowners who they perceive as more likely to have savings.
Only trust contractors that you proactively contact. Also, always get written estimates and compare bids from multiple contractors before starting any work. Finally, pay no more than a third of the total cost prior to the work beginning – and then only when materials arrive.
Be a fraud fighter! If you can spot a scam, you can stop a scam.
Report scams to local law enforcement. For help from AARP, call 1-877-908-3360 or visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at www.aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork.
Week 2 – IRS Refund Scam
Criminals use a lot of different tactics to steal money from consumers, and one of those tactics is the promise of free money. This summer, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is warning taxpayers to be on the lookout for a new scam mailing that tries to mislead people into believing the IRS owes them a refund.
The new scheme involves a mailing that comes in a cardboard envelope from a delivery service. The enclosed letter includes the IRS masthead and wording that the notice is “in relation to your unclaimed refund.” The mailing asks recipients to call a number and includes a request for a long list of personal information, including Social Security number, bank routing numbers and photo of driver’s license. AARP is hearing that driver’s licenses are now the hottest commodity on the Dark Web.
The IRS warns against sharing your driver’s license or other personal information that criminals can use to file for a tax refund in your name. They also pointed out that the letter contains a variety of warning signs, including odd punctuation and a mixture of fonts and other inaccuracies.
Be a fraud fighter! If you can spot a scam, you can stop a scam.
Visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at www.aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork or call the AARP Fraud Watch Helpline at 1-877-908-3360.
Week 3 — Disaster Charity Scams
It’s hurricane season – along with wildfire and flooding season – and one of the things that often comes with all of the personal losses from a natural disaster are fake charities offering to help.
Americans contributed more than $485 billion to charity in 2021, according to the Giving USA Foundation’s annual report on U.S. philanthropy. That generosity can help a devastated family or community start to rebuild, but it can also put someone at risk of unknowingly supporting a criminal activity instead.
Here are three ways to avoid criminal charity scams:
- Rather than respond immediately to donation requests, do some research. Look up the charity on sites such as CharityNavigator.org or CharityWatch.org to make sure it is legitimate and that most of the funds raised go to the charity’s mission versus overhead.
- Consider creating a (researched) list of charities to support in the coming year and stick to the list. If other charities reach out, let them know you’ve made your giving plan but can consider them for next year.
- Consider using a credit card when making contributions — it’s easier to keep track of it and if your card is misused, you have more loss protection than with other forms of payment.
Be a fraud fighter! If you can spot a scam, you can stop a scam.
Visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at www.aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork or call the AARP Fraud Watch Helpline at 1-877-908-3360.
Week 4 — Fraud Watch Scam-Tracking Map
When it comes to fraud, knowledge is indeed power. But how can we spread that knowledge around so more people are empowered to protect themselves?
One great way to share what you know is through the AARP Scam-Tracking Map (www.aarp.org/scammap). The map shows scams that people experience every day, and it also includes law enforcement warnings. You can submit
scams you’ve encountered and explore what’s being reported in your geography.
We’re all in this together – let’s share what we know so the next target doesn’t become the next victim.
Be a fraud fighter! If you can spot a scam, you can stop a scam.
Visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at www.aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork or call the AARP Fraud Watch Helpline at 1-877-908-3360.