Report All Scams! Here’s Where to Do It, and Why.

One thing we must all do is report all scams to the relevant agency or authority. Scams continue to be a growing problem, and it’s clear to every crime and cybersecurity expert that scams aren’t going away. Year by year, they continue to grow.

With the growth of AI (Artificial Intelligence), scammers now have a new tool to make their deception even more compelling and effective. And that’s bad news for all of us. There are a handful of reasons why victims don’t report all scams, and we mention them below, but quite likely the number one reason could be this:

#1. They don’t have a clue where or how to report all scams.

As if it’s not hard enough to admit being tricked, a scam victim may not realize that they can and should report the scam. And how would they?

The sad fact is that scam stories don’t often make headline news. You’ll see reports of car crashes, freeway closures, or bad weather ahead before you hear a scam story. Additionally, news stations and newspapers rarely report on scams or provide detailed information on how to avoid them. In short, consumers are not yet educated on the importance of reporting all scams.

#2. Why don’t people report all scams? Shame, most likely.

There’s the old saying: “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.” And indeed, that feeling of shame is powerful if someone has been victimized. It’s a strong enough emotion that many people wouldn’t be eager to tell anyone they’ve been tricked into giving away money to a fraudster.

An older person would be hesitant to tell their adult children.
A young adult or teenager would be afraid to tell their parent or guardian that they were swindled.
In both cases, they want to avoid being scolded by a loved one.

#3. They can’t report a scam if they don’t know they’ve been victimized.

You might think that if someone has been tricked by a scammer once, it wouldn’t happen again. But that’s not necessarily the case for two reasons.

It’s possible that two different schemes, months apart, could fool someone. Perhaps they were deceived by an online merchant, only to be scammed later by an IRS imposter threatening action.
Additionally, many citizens are unaware that they have been victims of a scam. For example, someone who was fooled by a cybercriminal into donating to a fake charity might not realize they were duped — maybe even more than once.

#4. Most people likely want to forget about it.

In addition to feeling ashamed, most victims simply want to move on from the nasty incident. The pain of knowing they’ve been tricked isn’t something they want to dwell on. They’d rather take their lumps, say they’ve learned their lesson, and move on with life.

Consumers must be aware of the importance of reporting all scams.

None of the reasons for reporting a scam should stop a victim from telling someone, and all experts agree on the importance of formally reporting all scams. Here are the top reasons to report scams and near-scams with the proper organizations and/or agencies.

Some agencies and organizations can help recoup lost money in some instances. However, they cannot help if they don’t know your trouble.
Police and investigative agencies need details of a scam if they’re going to track down the cybercrooks perpetrating the crime.
Organizations—government, private, and nonprofit—share information and reports on details from fraud reports. The more information they have from consumers, the more help they can provide to others.
With enough information and cooperation from victims, authorities could shut down fraudulent websites and arrest scammers.

A great resource to help you report scams.

This Scam Report Preparation Guide by EasyPrey.com helps you get ready to fill out your formal reports online. Furthermore, it makes filing a complete and accurate report simpler, faster, and more efficient.

Learn more about avoiding scams.

To learn more about avoiding scams and protecting your finances, visit the Learning Center at WhatIsMyIPAddress.com. You’ll find many informative and easy-to-read articles to help you secure what’s important to you.

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