Traditionally, we think of con artists as lone wolves working out of their basement, but today’s scammers are more like cogs in a much larger operation. Most scams today start with a phone call, often originating from foreign telemarketing businesses that operate just like legitimate call centers. “Executives” and “supervisors” manage “salespeople” – the scammers calling you to “close the deal.” These are professional criminal enterprises – and they are good at what they do. If you or someone you care about falls victim to their operations, know that it’s not the fault of the victim for “falling for” something. Blame the criminal enterprise and fight back by sharing your story, so the next target may not end up as the next victim.

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