According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Americans reported losing $10 billion to scams and fraud in 2023 – which means you may know someone affected. Oftentimes, the person is ashamed or embarrassed to come forward. It can also take an emotional toll on victims, leaving them feeling isolated and depressed.
If someone shares their story, here’s how you can help:
- Be empathetic. Respond with kindness, not criticism. Don’t blame the victim, instead focus on perpetrator and the crime.
- Listen to their story. It may be hard for victims to open up, but talking about the scam can help you both understand what happened and how to spot scams in the future.
- Validate their story. Fraud can happen to anyone. Scammers are good at their job and their schemes have become more sophisticated as technology evolves.
- Help report the scam. Many victims are ashamed so they don’t want to report the scam – but their information could help others. Find out what personal information was involved and help them contact the bank, police and consumer/government agencies.
To report a scam, go to ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If the victim provided the scammer with personal information including their Social Security Number, help them start their recovery at IdentityTheft.gov.
If you are a Merrimack customer and are concerned your personal or financial information was compromised, please call us directly at 603.225.2793.