It’s National Slam the Scam Day today, and fraud experts are advising people to keep their eyes open. Carmel Perez Snyder, director of community outreach and local advocacy for AARP Oregon, said scammers will pretend to be from trusted entities like the IRS or Social Security Administration, and send fraudulent emails. She explained the thieves often try to pressure people to act quickly.
“They just do it in a multitude of ways, either to steal information, so they can steal a person’s identity or to steal money,” Perez Snyder outlined.
Snyder pointed out there are a few ways to know if a person is dealing with a scammer. One red flag is if the fraudster asks you to pay for something with a gift card. Snyder noted thieves love gift cards because they are untraceable.
Snyder added if the deal offered by the person on the other end sounds too good to be true, hit pause on the interaction.
“Really engage your inner skeptic when a communication produces a strong emotional response from you,” Snyder recommended.
When people claim to be from a particular organization like the IRS, Snyder advised people to do their own research to find out if they are legitimate, such as calling the official phone number for the IRS or by visiting the agency’s website. AARP is holding a Scam Jam, a series of seminars focused on preventing scams, April 25 in Portland.
