Scams & Identity Theft

Scams

Unfortunately, there are thousands of victims of identity theft and scams each year, costing many people their life savings, and their financial security.  It is important to know what types of scams are out there and what to do should you become a victim of a scam or identity theft.  

In addition to filing a report with your local police department, it is important to report scams with the Federal Trade Commission.  By visiting the Federal Trade Commission website at www.consumer.ftc.gov/features/scam-alerts you will learn about the types of scams commonly used, tips and advice on what to do if you are the victim of a scam, how to avoid becoming the victim of a scam and how to report fraud, scams and bad business practices.

According to the FTC some of the common scams out there include but are not limited to:

  • ​Social Security Scams  -Scammers pretend to be from Social Security Administration & try and get your social security number.
  • Grandparents Scams - Scammers pretend to be the grandchildren of the grandparents in distress, or an attorney of your grandchild in distress and request that you send money to help your grandchild in distress.
  • Phone Scams - Scammers may be friendly and helpful.  Others may threaten or try to scare you.  A common scam is a scammer that pretends to be a law enforcement agency or a federal agency and  threatens you that you will be arrested.  Law enforcement agencies and federal agencies to not call and threaten you.
    • Common Types of Phone Scams 
      • Imposter Scams
      • Debt relief and credit repair scams
      • Business and investment scams
      • Charity Scams
      • Extended Car Warranty Scams
      • Prize & Lottery Scams
      • Free Trial Scams
      • Loan Scams
      • Travel Scams & Timeshare Scams
  • Phishing Scams - Scammers use email or text messages to trick you into giving them your personal information.
  • Unemployment Benefits Scams - Imposters are filing claims for unemployment benefits.

Whatever you do, DO NOT send cash or pay with a gift card, apple card, or any other type of prepaid card, cash reload card or money transfer app.  This makes it very difficult, if not impossible to get your money back.  

How to Stop Calls From Scammers

  • Hang Up
  • Block the caller
  • Do NOT trust your caller ID - Scammers can make any name or number show up on your caller ID - even Lansing Police Department - this is known as spoofing and there have been victims of this in the city of Lansing.

Identity Theft Protection & Prevention

If you experience identity theft there are steps you can take to protect yourself.

  • Report identity theft to www.ReportFraud.ks.gov
  • Notify all three major credit reporting bureaus - Equifax, Experian, and Transunion
  • Request a "Fraud Alert" on your credit report
  • Contact you financial institutions.
  • Create an account with the Social Security Administration at www.SSA.gov and check Earnings Record for suspicious activity.
  • Notify Internal Revenue Service's fraud hotline at 1-800-908-4490.
  • Request a copy of your Wage & Income Transcript from the IRS
  • Report identity theft with the Federal Trade Commission:  www.identitytheft.gov
  • Report identity theft to your local police department

Along with the online resources available on the FTC website, Lansing Police Department provides workbooks titled "Identity Theft - A Recovery Plan"  that the FTC has written.  This work walks you through each step in you recovery plan and helps you track your progress.

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