VENTURA, California –– On March 6, 2025, federal, state, and local government, non-profit organizations, and private companies are joining forces to help protect consumers from scams. Over the years, scams have grown and evolved in scale and sophistication.
The Federal Trade Commission reported that consumers lost over $10 billion to scams in 2023. Consumers lost more than $4.6 billion to investment scams and almost $2.7 billion to imposter scams.
Everyone is vulnerable. Scammers target individuals, businesses, and even government agencies to attempt to steal money or personal information. They pretend to be from a well-known business or organization. Scammers try many ways to lure people, such as offering a prize, claiming they can get you more money or new benefit, and even that someone you love is in danger. They pressure you to act quickly. Most alarming, scammers tell you to pay using currency that is hard to trace, such as cryptocurrency, gift card, prepaid debit card, wire transfer, cash, or even gold bars. They might even say they are helping to keep your money safe.
Follow #SlamTheScam posts on social media and share them with your loved ones and your community. Stay skeptical about unexpected contact from businesses or organizations. Hang up or delete suspicious messages. Do not click on links. Report scams to the Federal Trade Commission (reportfraud.ftc.gov). Visit ftc.gov/scams to stay up to date on the latest scams and the tactics scammers use.
Additional resources/information:
- Adult Protective Services
- Health Insurance Counseling & Advocacy Program (HICAP)
- Department of Financial Protection & Innovation (DFPI) “Protect Yourself From Fraud” brochure (English)
- Department of Financial Protection & Innovation (DFPI) “Protect Yourself From Fraud” brochure (Spanish)
