CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KFVS) – The vast majority of top attorneys across the U.S. call on the Federal Trade Commission to adopt a national rule to address impersonation scams.
The Attorneys General from 47 states, along with Guam and the District Of Columbia, signed onto a letter sent to the Federal Trade Commission.
It raises concerns about how prevalent these scams are, and the need for a way to outlaw them.
Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron said people in his state made more than 1,500 reports of impersonation scams to his office in 2021, totalling $9 million in financial losses.
Attorneys General from Illinois, Indiana and California did not join in signing that letter sent on Tuesday.
According to Attorney General Cameron’s Office, common types of impersonation scams include:
- Impersonation of government entities: Fraudsters claim to be from or affiliated with a government agency to persuade victims of the urgency to provide payment to obtain licensing or certificates
- Business impersonation: Imposters claim to be working directly for an actual business or as a third party endorsed by the business in order to obtain personal or financial information
- Person-to-person deceptions: Scammers use personal information to make a connection with potential victims. Imposters often claim to be a grandchild in urgent need of money or a love interest on a social media or a dating site that needs funds for an emergency
His office also offered some tips to avoid impersonation scams:
- Be cautious of anyone who contacts you directly and asks for personal or banking information
- Government agencies will never ask for payment in the form of gift cards, bitcoin or payment through a cash app
- Treat text messages on your cell phone like suspicious emails. Never click on unsolicited links, as these links may install a virus on your mobile device
- Never give direct computer access to anyone who contacts you. Fraudsters may tell you to download a screen sharing app onto your computer or phone, which can give them access to your financial and banking information
- Never send money to someone you’ve only met online and never met in person
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