According to the Federal Trade Commission, impostor scams – scams where the con artists pretends to be a government agency, business or personal relationship - were the most commonly reported scam type in 2019. A recent AARP survey backs this up. AARP spoke to adults age 18 and older and found that 47% have been targeted by at least one impostor scam. Worse yet, 18% of U.S. adults targeted or victimized by a scam report experiencing health problems or emotional distress due to the experience.

The best way to avoid impostor scams is to know how they work. And despite the many ways scammers can do their bidding, they are most successful at finding victims by phone. Don’t rely on caller ID. Let your answering machine screen calls. Listen to voice messages and ask yourself is something seems suspicious. Call back on a number you know to belongs to whomever is calling (your bank, the IRS, Social Security Administration, etc.)

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