Here are the scams you need to watch out for in 2021

Here are the scams you need to watch out for in 2021

The year 2020 is considered one of the toughest years of this generation, and we can't really blame people if they would keep thinking that it's probably cursed. Not only did we have a number of people suffer from the coronavirus, but scam reports have also skyrocketed!


In fact, the FTC or the Federal Trade Commission even reported over 200,000 scam complaints from last year alone, and more of these activities continue to emerge today. Here are some of the scams that you should be aware of this year.


Vaccine Scam
This is definitely on top of the list! Now that the vaccine is getting rolled out, fraudsters are starting to take advantage of the situation. What usually happens is that they will a potential victim and would offer "immediate vaccination" for a fee.

Pension Scam
It's easy to fall for this scam because the caller will start claiming that they know a way on how you can get more pension without having to worry about tax. They would even offer you free "financial advise" to convince you to put all your money into a particular investment.

Investment Scams
Thanks to GameStop and Dogecoin, the number of people who are suddenly interested in investing has increased. Because of that, fraudsters saw another opportunity to steal from people.

How do you spot this? They would almost always tell you that their offer is time-limited. They also would promise tempting returns that are too good to be true.

 

How to prevent these scams

Purchase a Landline Call Blocker like the CPR V5000

More than 50% of the time, most of these scams could be prevented with a call blocker. A product like the CPR V5000 could definitely save you and your loved ones from these heartless scammers. Not only is it pre-programmed with 5,000 nuisance robocall numbers, but you also get to block 1,500 scam numbers at the touch of a button. Learn more about it here.


If you wish to report fraud, here are the following agencies you can contact:


Consumer Fraud and Identity Theft

Contact the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-FTC-HELP, 1-877-ID-THEFT, or online at www.ftc.gov.

 

Disaster-Related Fraud

Contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud at (866) 720-5721, by fax at (225) 334-4707 or submit a complaint through the NCDF Web Complaint Form.


Correspondence may be sent to:

National Center for Disaster Fraud

Baton Rouge, LA 70821-4909


General Fraud and Other Criminal Matters

Contact the FBI at (202) 324-3000, or online at www.fbi.gov or tips.fbi.gov.

 

Health Care Fraud, Medicare/Medicaid Fraud, and Related Matters

Contact the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General at 1-800-HHS-TIPS, or online at www.oig.hhs.gov.

 

Internet Fraud and Lottery/Sweepstakes Fraud by Internet

Contact the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) online at www.ic3.gov.

 

Mail Fraud and Lottery/Sweepstakes Fraud

Contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 1-800-372-8347, or online at postalinspectors.uspis.gov.

 

Securities Fraud

Contact the Securities and Exchange Commission at 1-800-SEC-0330, or online at www.sec.gov or www.sec.gov/complaint/select.shtml.


State and Local Fraud

Contact your local Police Department or State Attorney General's Office.