Scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated, making it more important than ever to recognize the warning signs of fraud. Join us for “Spot the Scam” a speaker event on Monday, September 21 at 2 p.m. presented by the Erie County Division of Consumer Protection.
Being an informed consumer can help protect your personal information, finances and peace of mind.
The talk will take place at GreenField Manor, 5953 Broadway, Lancaster, NY 14086. Light refreshments will be served.
For any questions, please contact Dana Wodowski at DWodowski@niagaralutheran.org.
How to Avoid a Scam
The Federal Trade Commission offers the following advice on how to avoid a scam:
Block unwanted calls and text messages. Take steps to block unwanted calls and to filter unwanted text messages.
Don’t give your personal or financial information in response to a request that you didn’t expect. Honest organizations won’t call, email, or text to ask for your personal information, like your Social Security, bank account, or credit card numbers.
If you get an email or text message from a company you do business with and you think it’s real, it’s still best not to click on any links. Instead, contact them using a website you know is trustworthy. Or look up their phone number. Don’t call a number they gave you or the number from your caller ID.
Resist the pressure to act immediately. Honest businesses will give you time to make a decision. Anyone who pressures you to pay or give them your personal information is a scammer.
Know how scammers tell you to pay. Never pay someone who insists that you can only pay with cryptocurrency, a wire transfer service like Western Union or MoneyGram, a payment app, or a gift card. And never deposit a check and send money back to someone.
Stop and talk to someone you trust. Before you do anything else, tell someone — a friend, a family member, a neighbor — what happened. Talking about it could help you realize it’s a scam.
