If you believe you or someone you know may have been a victim of elder fraud, contact your local FBI field office or submit a tip online. You can also file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.

What do you do when an elderly parent is scammed?

You can report senior citizen scams to Adult Protective Services as well as your local police. Should you receive a call from someone posing as an IRS agent, or agent from another government agency, report it to that agency as well.

What to do if a parent is getting scammed?

What to do: Report the scam to the FTC on the agency’s website or by calling 888-382-1222 as well as the state attorney general. If the prize offer came in the mail, report that to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service on its website.

Can you report someone who scammed you for money?

Report a Scam to the FTC If you were scammed, report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. You can check out what is going on in your state or metro area by visiting ftc.gov/exploredata.

Who can I talk to about being scammed?

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is the main agency that collects scam reports. Report your scam online with the FTC complaint assistant, or by phone at 1-877-382-4357 (9:00 AM – 8:00 PM, ET).

What is a pigeon drop scheme?

The pigeon drop (also known as Spanish Handkerchief) is a confidence trick in which a mark, or “pigeon”, is persuaded to give up a sum of money in order to secure the rights to a larger sum of money, or more valuable object.

How do you help someone realize they are being scammed?

Scams are fraud, which is illegal, so your next step should be to contact law enforcement. Start by contacting your local police department and file a police report. The police will usually assign an officer to the case who will help you fill out the police report.

What happens if I get scammed?

If you’ve been scammed, consider reporting the fraud to the police to see if they can take any action, as well as to your state consumer protection office. You can also report scams to the FTC. File a report online with the FTC, or by phone at (877) 382-4357.

Does filing a complaint with the FTC do anything?

The FTC cannot resolve individual complaints, but it can provide information about what steps to take. The FTC says that complaints can help it and its law enforcement partners detect patterns of fraud and abuse, which may lead to investigations and stopping unfair business practices.

What is a FTC report?

The power of ReportFraud.ftc.gov Your report is shared with more than 3,000 law enforcers. We can’t resolve your individual report, but we use reports to investigate and bring cases against fraud, scams, and bad business practices.

How can I get revenge on a scammer?

If you are determined to get revenge on a scammer, there are a few legal revenge tactics.

1. Ignore: The most obvious way is simply to ignore the scammer.
2. Scambaiting: You can try to engage the scammer, emailing them back and pretending to play along with whatever scam they’ve concocted.

How do you stop someone from scamming you?

What You Can Do to Avoid a Scam

1. Block unwanted calls and text messages.
2. Don’t give your personal or financial information in response to a request that you didn’t expect.
3. Resist the pressure to act immediately.
4. Know how scammers tell you to pay.
5. Stop and talk to someone you trust.

How do I outsmart an online scammer?

How To Outsmart A Romance Scammer?

1. Be cautious about sharing personal information.
2. Check their images.
3. Scan their profile for loopholes.
4. Look out for inconsistencies in their communication.
5. Take things slow.
6. Don’t share financial details/passwords.
7. Talk to someone you trust.
8. Don’t send money.