Use Common Sense to Spot a Con Artist | Police & Public Safety

You can Protect Yourself

Never give a caller your credit card, phone card, Social Security, or bank account number over the phone.
Beware of 900 numbers. Make sure you understand all charges before making the call.
Take your time and shop around
Stay informed about current scams in your area.
Register your phone number with the National Do Not Call Registry to stop telemarketing calls.
Remember you have the right, the ability, and the power to say no!

Be a Wise Consumer

Don’t buy health products or treatments that promise a quick and dramatic cure or that are promoted with testimonials, imprecise and nonmedical language, or emotional appeals.
Look closely at offers that come in the mail. Con artists often use official-looking forms and language to lure victims into signing up or sending payment. If you receive items in the mail that you did not order, you are under no obligation to pay for them. You are free to throw them out, return them, or keep them.
Be wary of emails promising “free” vacations, foreign lotteries, work-at-home offers, get-rich-quick schemes or that asks for donations to charities you’ve never heard of.
Beware of cheap home repair work that would otherwise be expensive.

If Someone Rips You Off

Report con games to the police, your city or state consumer protection office, state Attorney General’s office, or a consumer advocacy group.
File an online complaint with the National Fraud Information Center or call the Fraud Hotline at 800-876-7060, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM eastern standard time. Monday through Friday.
File an online complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Bureau of Consumer Protection.
If the scam occurred over the Internet, file an online complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), a partnership between the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

For more information

Federal Trade Commission