The West Virginia Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division is committed to keeping West Virginians informed about the latest scams targeting our communities.
For the month of July, the Consumer Protection Division received 176 scam complaints.
The top 5 scams reported:
1. Medicare – Scammers claim to represent Medicare.
2. Robocalls – Robotic solicitation regarding loans, loan forgiveness, final funeral experiences, etc.
3. E-mail Phishing – Scam e-mails with fake invoices, appearing to come from legitimate and well-known businesses, requesting payment.
4. Sweepstakes/Lottery – Scammers claiming victims have won a prize.
5. Social Security Scams – Consumers reported being contacted through various means by scammers claiming to represent the Social Security system.
Ways to protect yourself
• Be aware that criminals can “spoof” phone numbers – Your caller ID may show familiar numbers that aren’t actually calling
• Be wary of any contest winnings, especially if you didn’t enter
• If call seems suspicious, don’t engage, hang up and call back using numbers you have on file
• Keep detailed records – Document all interactions with service providers and financial transaction
• Research before you trust – Verify identities, companies and claims independently
What not to do
• Don’t handle money transfers for strangers – You could unknowingly participate in money laundering
• Never accept or forward packages for online acquaintances – This may involve illegal activity
• Never pay anyone with gift cards – Legitimate companies don’t accept gift cards as payment
• Never pay money to claim prizes – Real contests don’t require payment
• Never provide personal or financial information over the phone – to unsolicited callers
• Never send money to people you haven’t met in person – This includes online romantic interest
• You can find out more about scams, ways to protect yourself, and file a scam report at ago.wv.gov. You can also call our Consumer Protection Hotline and speak with our Scam Coordinator at 1-800-368-8808.
