Here at Stonycreek Township we’re committed to helping to educate our community members about scams that could affect anyone, but primarily target older adults. Watch this page for new information periodically that provides tools & tips for talking with your loved ones about avoiding scams and fraud.

Let’s start by talking about what a scam is. The dictionary defines a scam as a dishonest plan for making money or getting an advantage, especially one that involves tricking people.

Wikipedia says that a scam, or a confidence trick, is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their trust. Confidence tricks exploit victims using a combination of the victim's credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, confidence, irresponsibility, and greed.

No matter how you define it, becoming the victim of a scam can take a big toll financially and emotionally. Next time we’ll dive into specific types of scams and what you can do to be alert and prevent them, as well as how to report a scam that you’re aware of. For now, here are links to help:

Resources:
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) - https://consumer.ftc.gov/scams
FBI - https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes
US Federal Government - https://www.usa.gov/scams-and-fraud
Consumer Reports - https://www.consumerreports.org/money/scams-fraud/how-to-protect-yourself-from-scams-and-fraud-a6839928990/