PFMA’s David McCorkle, left, & Gary Lauer, second from right, welcome AARP’s Mary Bach and David Kalinoski to discuss fraud education. AARP wants to make retailers aware that they and their consumers can be targets for fraud. For the 15th consecutive year, identity theft was the top complaint in the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book, a report based on consumer complaints filed with the FTC. Identity theft accounted for 13 percent of the total 2.5 million filed complaints. According to the FTC, identity theft claims in Pennsylvania totaled 10,446 or 82 per 100,000 population. Debt collection and imposter scams are also among the top scams targeting the state’s residents.
Among those who filed complaints, residents age 70 and older only filed 7 percent of complaints; while people age 60 and older filed 13 percent of the complaints. Pennsylvania residents in their 40s and 50s filed the most complaints at 19 percent, while people in their 20 and 30s filed 18 percent of the complaints.
The report noted Social Security, Medicare and other government benefits fraud accounted for more than one in three reports of identity theft, followed by credit card fraud and phone or utilities fraud. Stealing money from bank accounts accounted for 8 percent of complaints.
The AARP Fraud Watch Network, a free resource for people of all ages, offers real-time alerts about the latest scams in each state, a tracking map where people can report scams to alert their friends and neighbors, so that they know to watch out for them, and a guide to outsmarting con artists. To sign up for Watchdog Alerts, visit AARP at http://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/fraud-watch-network/?cmp=BRD-LNK-REALPOSS-LP1_SFN.
“Every two seconds someone’s identity is stolen and a con artist takes over their life,” said AARP Pennsylvania State President Jim Palmquist. “The AARP Fraud Watch Network is a go-to resource for information about how people can safeguard their identity and learn to spot and avoid scams so they can outsmart con artists before they strike.”
Among those who filed complaints, residents age 70 and older only filed 7 percent of complaints; while people age 60 and older filed 13 percent of the complaints. Pennsylvania residents in their 40s and 50s filed the most complaints at 19 percent, while people in their 20 and 30s filed 18 percent of the complaints.
The report noted Social Security, Medicare and other government benefits fraud accounted for more than one in three reports of identity theft, followed by credit card fraud and phone or utilities fraud. Stealing money from bank accounts accounted for 8 percent of complaints.
The AARP Fraud Watch Network, a free resource for people of all ages, offers real-time alerts about the latest scams in each state, a tracking map where people can report scams to alert their friends and neighbors, so that they know to watch out for them, and a guide to outsmarting con artists. To sign up for Watchdog Alerts, visit AARP at http://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/fraud-watch-network/?cmp=BRD-LNK-REALPOSS-LP1_SFN.
“Every two seconds someone’s identity is stolen and a con artist takes over their life,” said AARP Pennsylvania State President Jim Palmquist. “The AARP Fraud Watch Network is a go-to resource for information about how people can safeguard their identity and learn to spot and avoid scams so they can outsmart con artists before they strike.”
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