FROM: HOLLEY CARNRIGHT
DATE: JULY 15, 2019
RE: PRESS RELEASE - GOVERNMENT IMPOSTER SCAMS CONTINUE TO PROLIFERATE
Fraudsters try all sorts of tricks to separate people from their money. But when they find something that works, they tend to stick with it.
That’s why you’re increasingly likely to get a phone call from someone who says they work for a government agency – the IRS, the FBI, or the Social Security Administration – telling you to do something that usually involves handing over money.
In a new report, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) names the government imposter scam as the most frequent reason consumers complain to the agency. The number of complaints reached record levels earlier this year, totaling about 1.3 million since 2014.
The FTC says it received about 46,600 complaints in May alone from consumers who were contacted by someone who claimed to be calling on behalf of a government agency.
The Ulster County District Attorney’s Division of Consumer Affairs states government agencies seldom call consumers and, if they do, they do not try and collect money over the phone. If a caller says they’re working for the government and they want you to give them money, it’s safe to assume that they aren’t and that they’re just trying to scam you.
Consumer Affairs can be reached at 845-340-3260.