Security Tips

Impostor Scams & How to Avoid Them

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From the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

Imposter scam happens when a criminal tricks you by claiming to be someone you trust. You receive a call notifying you that you’ve won a lottery or sweepstakes prize. Several other calls may follow. Later, you’re told that in order to collect the prize, you must pay the taxes upfront. You send the money to pay the taxes and never hear from any of the callers again.

Signs of an imposter scam

Scams like the above can happen on the phone, through the mail, e-mail, or over the internet. They can occur in person, at home, or at a business. Here are some common signs:

You are told you won a sweepstakes or drawing that you did not enter.
You’re asked to pay upfront taxes or fees.
You’re being pressured to act now. Scammers don’t want you to take the time to do research or to think too carefully before parting with your money.
A person claiming to be a government official contacts you to confirm your winnings—the CFPB does not contact consumers about sweepstakes winnings.

Suspect you are being scammed? Report it!

If you suspect a scam, there are a few important steps you should take right away:

Report imposter scams to your law enforcement’s non-emergency number. If you think someone’s safety may be at risk, call 911.
If you suspect that someone is a victim of elder abuse or financial exploitation, report it to Adult Protective Services (APS). Find your local APS at eldercare.gov .
Report imposter scams and financial abuse to your state attorney general and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Visit the National Association of Attorneys General website for the contact information of your state attorney general. Report scams to the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint .

Help prevent this scam and others like it from spreading. Share the tips above with your friends, family, and community.

If you or someone close to you may have been a victim of fraud, a Washington Trust banker can help. Call us at 800-475-2265 or visit your local Washington Trust branch.

What do I do if I’ve been a victim of identity theft?

By contacting the nationwide credit reporting companies, you can place a fraud alert or security freeze on your credit report. You can also request that they block or remove fraudulent debts.

Online	By calling	By mail
Equifax Alerts	(800) 685-1111	Equifax Consumer Fraud Division, PO Box 740256, Atlanta, GA 30374
Experian Fraud Center	(888) 397-3742	Experian, P.O. Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013
Transunion Fraud Alert	(888) 909-8872	TransUnion Fraud Victim Assistance Department, P.O. Box 2000, Chester, PA 19016

A fraud alert requires creditors, who check your credit report, to take steps to verify your identity before opening a new account, issuing an additional card, or increasing the credit limit on an existing account based on a consumer's request. When you place a fraud alert on your credit report at one of the nationwide credit reporting companies, it must notify the others.

There are two main types of fraud alerts: initial fraud alerts and extended alerts.

Initial fraud alerts

When you place an initial fraud alert, creditors must take reasonable steps to make sure the person making a new credit request in your name is actually you before granting that request. If you provide a telephone number, the lender must call you or take reasonable steps to verify whether you are the person making the credit request before granting the credit.

Extended alerts

You can also place an extended alert on your credit report after your identity has been stolen and you file an identity theft report.

When you place an extended fraud alert on your file, you're entitled to order two free copies of your credit report from each nationwide credit reporting company over a 12-month period.

An extended alert is good for seven years. It requires that the creditor contact you in person or through the telephone number or other contact method you designate to verify whether you are the person making the credit request before extending new credit.

Blocking or removing fraudulent information from your consumer report

If you’ve been a victim of identity theft, you can also get credit reporting companies to remove fraudulent information and debts from your credit report, which is called blocking. To do this, you must send the credit reporting companies:

An identity theft report, which can be done through IdentityTheft.gov.
Proof of your identity
A letter identifying the fraudulent debts and information on your credit report

If you or someone close to you may have been a victim of fraud, a Washington Trust banker can help. Call us at 800-475-2265 or visit your local Washington Trust branch.

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