For the past few weeks, we've actually received one phone call a week from them and today, was one of those day.
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Share this with your friends and family so they will learn the importance of bringing attention to both successful and attempted scams.For many years now, we've been receiving phone call from a company that name itself Online Windows For Support. The longer you wait to inform the proper entities, the harder it will be to minimize the fallout and successfully recover. At the very least, notify law enforcement, and do so immediately. Overall, the best and most important step you can take after falling for a scam is to tell someone. To help others avoid falling victim to the scam, the affected business or agency will usually notify patrons and post a warning on their website. These entities are often the last to know that their names and reputations are being used to swindle people. If the scammer used the identity of a legitimate business or government agency, you should contact them as well. To look up contact information for your local SAO, use the tool on the United States Department of Justice website. They may provide tips and tools for you to use to remedy the situation as well. They will also create public service announcements to warn others of these ploys. Just like the FTC, your SAO keeps track of reported fraudulent activity and scams within your state. You can also report Social Security scams to the Office of the Inspector General by calling their fraud hotline at 1-80 or filing a report at. You can find more information about the “my Social Security” program here. Another suggestion is to create a “my Social Security” account if you haven’t already. If your social security number was exposed, you will need to contact the Social Security Administration by calling 1-80.
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You can find more information on how to set up a security (credit) freeze here. You can also place a freeze on your credit to completely prevent anyone from accessing your credit report.
This will reduce the risk of the scammer using your information to obtain new lines of credit, such as a loan or credit card.
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If the scammer was able to obtain your personal identifying information (social security number, date of birth, etc.), then you need to contact all three credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion and Equifax) and place a free 90-day fraud alert on your credit reports.
This could include getting a new account number and new credit/debit card, stopping payment on a check, or possibly rescinding a wire transfer. Depending on the situation, your bank will help you determine the best course of action. If you provided a scammer with your bank information or they were able to steal funds from your account, you need to contact your financial institution(s) immediately. The Federal Trade Commission regularly updates their website with current scam alerts and even sends consumer alert emails to keep the public informed. Sharing knowledge is an important part of protecting yourself and others against scams. Furthermore, if that had happened and then I did not tell anyone, I would be leaving my friends and family uninformed and vulnerable to this ploy. If I hadn’t known about this scam, I may have fallen for it. She even gave me a case number to refer to when I returned the call. She simply stated that I needed to call back by end of the day to discuss my tax issue. You might be wondering, “How could someone fall for that?” Just last week, I received a very official-sounding voicemail from a woman claiming to be from the IRS.
People of all ages have received this call, and many have paid. The fraudulent caller will threaten to issue an arrest warrant in your name and send an officer to arrest you if you do not pay up immediately. You protect them from becoming a scammer’s next victims.įor example, over the past few years, scammers have been calling unsuspecting members of the public pretending to be from the IRS and claiming they owe money.You show them that you ARE capable of managing your affairs because you are now taking the proper steps to mitigate the situation.However, by telling your loved ones, you accomplish two goals: Again, this is what scammers want you to think. You may think that if you tell your family, they will feel you are unfit to manage your affairs. At the very least, your report will allow them to issue proper warnings about the ploy to others. It will also allow law enforcement to begin their investigation promptly. This will enable you to obtain a police report, which could possibly help you recoup your losses. Notify law enforcement immediately once you realize that you have been conned. Whom to Contact After Being Scammed Law EnforcementĪ scam constitutes fraud, which is a criminal act.