Imposter Scams On the Rise

ZANESVILLE, OH – Scams and the threat of new ones popping up are unfortunately an everyday occurrence, but there are ways to make sure you and your loved ones are protected.

Scammers attempt to swindle unsuspecting victims by using fake emails, links, and text messages by saying they’re another person.

Ryan Lippe, a Consumer Educator with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, said this type of scam is called an imposter scam, where the scammer claims to be with the government or a utility company and demands you to pay a fee.

He recommends that you do not interact with anything the scammer sends to you because it could put your wallet at risk.

“It’s really important that you pay attention to your mail for any data breach notifications,” Lippe said. “If you’ve been the victim of a data breach you may, in the future, be a victim of identity theft. You really want to take proactive steps to either put an initial fraud alert on your credit reports, or just as well, putting a freeze on your credit reports. There are 3 credit reporting agencies; Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. You can put alerts on those accounts, you can put freezes on those accounts that you’ll then have to unfreeze if you decide you want a new credit card or to refinance your home or to get a car loan.”

Sammi Nachtigal, an Attorney with the FTC East Central Office, said imposter scams are the highest reported type of scam that her office has received.

She said if you or someone you know falls victim to one of these scams, it can mean a big financial loss.

“There’s currently a take on the scam that involves both business and government impersonators within the same scam,” Nachtigal said. “These result in really huge losses, it usually starts with a text, social media message, or email from a scammer claiming to be a business, saying there’s a problem with your account, there was suspicious activity, or your computer has a virus, contact us, click on this link or call this number. And when the consumer does click on that link or calls that number that’s provided in that message, they’re actually getting in contact with a scammer.”

If you or someone you know falls victim to a scam you can report it to the BBB as well as the Ohio Attorney General’s Office.