How to Avoid A Scam

By Jeanne Walsh 

March 1-7 is the National Consumer Protection Week. Follow the steps below to avoid scams.

1. Block unwanted calls and text messages. 

Take steps to block unwanted calls and to filter unwanted text messages. 

2. Don’t give your personal or financial information in response to a request that you didn’t expect.

Honest organizations won’t call, email, or text to ask for your personal information, like your Social Security, bank account, or credit card numbers.

If you get an email or text message from a company you do business with and you think it’s real, it’s still best not to click on any links. Instead, contact them using a website you know is trustworthy. Or look up their phone number. Don’t call a number they gave you or the number from your caller ID.

3. Resist the pressure to act immediately. 

Honest businesses will give you time to make a decision. Anyone who pressures you to pay or give them your personal information is a scammer. 

4. Know how scammers tell you to pay. 

Never pay someone who insists that you can only pay with cryptocurrency, a wire transfer service like Western Union or MoneyGram, a payment app, or a gift card. And never deposit a check and send money back to someone.

5. Stop and talk to someone you trust. 

Before you do anything else, tell someone — a friend, a family member, a neighbor — what happened. Talking about it could help you realize it’s a scam.

6. Contact information for people I trust 

Create an action plan to help with scam prevention. List only people you know in person — like family members, friends, or neighbors. Let them know they’re a trusted person and that you might call them if you suspect a scam.

Report Scams to the FTC 

If you were scammed or think you saw a scam, tell the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov

To talk about other important family and financial topics, contact Chippewa County’s Extension educator Jeanne Walsh at (715)726-7950. Visit https://chippewa.extension.wisc.edu/  for more information.