Many of us have experienced the annoyance of having a sales call interrupt dinner time. But more than just being annoying, there could be a scam waiting for you on the other end of the phoneline. Telemarketing fraud comes in all shapes and sizes: you might have won a free trip, a government grant, or maybe a guaranteed credit card or loan.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) points out unfortunately, it’s very unlikely anyone is offering you a free vacation or free money. Telemarketing fraud very often targets the elderly, or those of us looking for loans or credit cards. But no matter what form the calls take, one thing they have in common is they attempt to take advantage of unsuspecting victims in order to separate them from their hard earned money. Continue reading Outsmart Scammers: Put Telemarketing Fraud On Hold »

We’ve talked quite a bit about identity theft here on the AMW Safety Center, but it’s important to keep on guard because thieves are always working at coming up with new and innovative ways to separate you from your money. One of the latest types of these crimes is Synthetic Identity Theft, where criminals take individual elements–a name, a birthdate, a social security number, each from a different person–in order to create a synthetic identity. This type of ID theft can sometimes be more difficult to trace because it may take a while for any one of those individuals to take notice.

There is another rising type of ID theft that could be  dangerous to your health, and could even kill you. Medical Identity Theft occurs when your personal information is used to to obtain prescription drugs from a pharmacy or hospital. This type of ID theft is very dangerous, because in an accident or emergency station, a medic will look at your medical history. If a criminal has been prescribed a drug you are allergic to–in your name–you could be administered that drug with fatal results. Continue reading ID Theft Upgraded: Watching Out For New Threats »

Scams come in many different shapes — identity theft, credit repair, smishing, phone crammers, online dating — but they all have the same goal: taking advantage of you. If you are targetted by a scammer, you might be taken for cash, or worse, you could be the victim of identity theft. Someone could get control of your personal information and if you are unaware, they could continue spending money in your name, open new accounts, ruin your credit and ruin your life.

Over 9 million Americans fall victim to some form of identity theft each year, so it’s important to make sure you are taking the proper precautions to be sure you are protecting yourself.

The AMW Safety Center is full of information to help you identify all types of scams. And if you happen to find yourself the victim of a scam, we have a lot of tips for what to do to help you regain control. Continue reading Outsmart Scammers: Fighting Back Against Fraud »

For nearly a decade, Joanna Saenz has been haunted by identity theft. After first losing her ID at 17 years old on a vacation trip to Mexico, she found out that her identity had been used to make major purchases, including a house. Joanna’s nightmare, while extreme, shows that any one of us is vulnerable, no matter how young.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has some great advice for how you to keep close tabs on your own identity. As well as the immediate steps you should take if you discover your identity has been stolen.