FTC Videos

Identity theft happens. It’s an unfortunate fact of modern life. But there are certain steps you can take to help keep your personal information from falling into the wrong hands.Every day, you do things to protect what’s most important to you. And you know what? You do them almost automatically. Routine things like looking both ways before you cross, brushing your teeth, and buckling your seat belt.

Another routine to get into is keeping tabs on your identity and personal information. Here are five easy ways you can do it.

Read your credit card and bank statements carefully and often.

Know your payment due dates.

If a bill doesn’t show up when you expect it, look into it.

Read the statements from your health insurance plan.

Make sure the claims paid match the care you got.

Shred any documents with personal and financial information.

Review each of your three credit reports at least once a year. It’s easy, and it’s free.

And before you know it, protecting your personal information can be as routine as locking your doors at night.

For more tips and tools on dealing with identity theft, visit ftc.gov/idtheft. That’s ftc.gov/idtheft.

Lisa finally won the lottery. The caller told her, “You’ve won millions! Now just wire $400 for taxes.”Eddie sold his camera online. But the buyer sent Eddie a check for more than the selling price. He asked Eddie to wire him the extra cash.

Henry found a listing for the perfect rental house. The owner told him to wire the deposit, and she would send the house keys.

Anita’s grandson called to say his wallet was stolen in London. He begged her to send money – but not to tell his mom.

What happens next?

Well, Lisa sent the $400 to collect her lottery prize, but she never got her winnings. She lost $400.

Eddie called his bank. They said the cashier’s check was probably fake – and they were right. Eddie didn’t deposit the check. He didn’t send the money back, and he sold his camera to someone else.

Henry wired the deposit for his perfect house. He never got the keys. And when he went to the house, the owner told him it wasn’t even for rent. Henry lost his deposit.

Anita called her daughter. Her grandson was in college 50 miles from home, not in London. And he wasn’t the one who called her.

Both Eddie and Anita knew to investigate before sending money. Lisa and Henry learned to do that for the future.

Lynn didn’t worry about identity theft. She always said, who’d want to steal my identity? Lynn never had a credit card or borrowed money. She figured thieves wouldn’t mess with someone who had no credit history.One day, Lynn decided to apply for a credit card. She sent in her application, but the company turned her down. Lynn wanted to know what happened. Why didn’t she get the credit card? She got a free copy of her credit report to find out.

There, Lynn discovered that someone had opened eight credit cards in her name. They even got a car loan. And whoever used her name wasn’t paying any of the bills. The credit report said all the accounts were overdue.

Lynn tried to fix these mistakes, but she found out that it’s not easy to prove that you did not do something. Those businesses held Lynn responsible for the bills, at least until she proved that the bills belonged to an identity thief.

It took a long time, but she fixed the problem. Now Lynn checks her credit report every year to look for signs of identity theft.

Announcer Voice Over:Spending time together.

Exercising.

Getting together with friends.

This time of life means doing more of what we enjoy.

Unfortunately, older people sometimes are a target for scams.

And people who fall for a scam can lose face, along with money and confidence.

That’s why it’s so important to pass on what you’ve learned.

Your experience can help others.

Start a conversation with the people in your life.

For example, you can remind your friends and loved ones that, if anyone ever asks them to send money:

STOP.

Check it out with someone they trust.

Get the real story.

Once they get the real story, then they can decide what to do.

You know this.

You may not have gotten a call or e-mail asking you for money, but chances are, you know someone who has.

Sharing what you know with those you care about can help stop the scammers in their tracks.

Help someone learn to spot fraudulent phone calls, e-mails, or letters.

Pass on what you’ve learned.

And remember a sure sign of a scam: if anyone contacts you and asks you to wire money – no matter who they say they are.

That’s a scam.

You know this.

So pass it on to a friend.

If you spot a scam, please report it to the Federal Trade Commission.

The FTC is the nation’s consumer protection agency.

Our mission is to stop fraud, deception, and unfair business practices – and help people recognize them.

To report a scam,

Go online: ftc.gov/complaint

Or Call the FTC at

1-877-382-4357

Fraud and scams affect millions of people each year – but they don’t have to affect someone you know.

It’s important that everybody understands the cost – financial and emotional.

So share your experience.

When you get an offer,

Stop

Check it out.

Get the real story.

Decide what to do.

Then tell a friend or family member about it.

Pass it On.

Telemarketing fraud is a crime that affects millions of Americans every year. Telemarketing scammers will say anything to commit fraud, even if you’re the one initiating the phone call.Hi, I see you’re responding to our ad for a guaranteed line of credit. We believe that everyone deserves a loan. However, We do charge a small processing fee in order to get your application in the system. All I need is your bank’s routing numbers – they are at the bottom of a check..

I was thinking about starting a business, but I didn’t have any start-up cash. My credit isn’t so hot, so I thought this would be a great way to get the money I needed. I didn’t realize it was a scam. Now I know better.

Hello.

Mr. Johnson, we’ve got a credit card for you, guaranteed.

Look, I’m not interested. Don’t call me again or I’ll report you to the FTC.

Telemarketing scams usually start with a phone call, but they can also start with an online ad or a piece of mail.

I clicked through an ad on the Internet and filled out a form. It seemed legitimate. They called a few hours later and said people like me were making lots of money with just a small investment. They said it was easy to get started, and their business experts were just a phone call away. I didn’t know they were a fraud! I still get calls for bogus business opportunities; I must be on some sort of list. But now I know better!

I understand you want to make money from home.

I’m not interested. Goodbye!

The Federal Trade Commission and your state Attorney General are working hard to stop telemarketing fraud. You can help.

Recognize, Report, Register

First, learn to recognize the signs of telemarketing fraud, like callers who ask for money first or who want to know your bank account, credit card or social security number. Scammers may even have your billing information before they call you. Often, they’re trying to get you to say okay so they can claim you approved a charge.

Second, if you have been scammed – or you think someone is trying to scam you – report it to the Federal Trade Commission. It’s as easy as going to ftc.gov and clicking on the link on the right. It’s more helpful to the FTC if you can give the name or the phone number of the company that called you and the date they called.

Third, join the millions of Americans who have registered their phone numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry. It’s easy! You can register online at donotcall.gov. Be sure to complete the process by clicking the link in the confirmation email you receive. You can also call toll-free 1-8-8-8-3-8-2-1-2-2-2 from the number you wish to register.

And remember, although telemarketing scammers may seem friendly, they’re anything but. They’re trying to worm their way into your wallet. You can stop them by keeping your information to yourself no matter how tempting the offer.

Let’s say goodbye to fraudulent telemarketers! Visit FTC.gov/phonefraud to learn more about how to recognize and report telemarketing fraud.