Each year, millions of Americans are victims of fraud. Joining us to talk about current crime trends and ways you can protect yourself is New York State Police Investigator Kurt Strassberger. Ray Graf hosts.
Call with your question or comment. 800-348-2551. Email: VoxPop@WAMC.org.
Elderly Americans are often vulnerable to financial fraud or confidence schemes. Common scams that target older citizens include romance scams, tech support scams, grandparent scams, government impersonation scams, sweepstakes and lottery scams, home repair scams, and TV/radio scams.
Kurt Strassberger is a Senior Investigator with the New York State Police Financial Crimes Unit. Kurt has spent 24 Years with the New York State Police, 10 years as a Trooper and 14 years as an investigator. Strassberber holds a degree in accounting and is a Certified Public Accountant.
Some common scams (from FBI.GOV):
Romance scams -
Protect your heart (lonely)—and your wallet—by learning to spot and prevent romance scams.
Money mules -
A money mule is someone who transfers or moves illegally acquired money on behalf of someone else. Some money mules know they are supporting criminal enterprises; others are unaware that they are helping criminals profit. Don't be a mule.
Consumer fraud schemes -
Learn more about common fraud schemes that target consumers, including identity theft, non-delivery scams, online car buying scams, and theft of ATM/debit and credit cards.
Tech support -
In these scams, criminals pose as tech support representatives and offer to fix non-existent issues—all so they can gain access to your wallet and sensitive information.
Cryptocurrency investment fraud -
Cryptocurrency investment fraud, which the media commonly describes as pig butchering, is one of the most prevalent and damaging fraud schemes today.
Business email compromise -
Business email compromise (BEC) is one of the most financially damaging online crimes. It exploits the fact that so many of us rely on email to conduct business—both personal and professional.
Skimming -
Skimming occurs when devices illegally installed on ATMs, point-of-sale (POS) terminals, or fuel pumps capture data or record cardholders’ PINs.
To report a scam
Home Page - Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
Helpful Links
Scam, Fraud Alerts - Protect Your Digital Identity
Common Frauds and Scams — FBI
