Answer: Imposter Scams

Questions:

• Why do you think imposter scams have grown so rapidly in recent years?
• What are warning signs that something could be a scam?
• What are ways that you can verify that someone is who they say they are?

Here are the ready-to-go slides for this Question of the Day that you can use in your classroom.

Behind the numbers (Consumer Sentinel Network): 

"In 2021, the Consumer Sentinel Network took in over 5.7 million reports, an increase from 2020.

• Fraud: 2.8 million (49% of all reports)
• Identity theft: 1.4 million (25%)
• Other: 1.5 million (27%)

In 2021, people filed more reports about Identity Theft (25.0% of all reports), in all its various forms, than any other type of complaint. Imposter Scams, a subset of Fraud reports, followed with 984,756 reports from consumers in 2021 (17.2% of all reports). Credit Bureaus, Information Furnishers, and Report Users (10.3% of all reports) rounded out the top three reports to Sentinel."

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Learn more about this topic by completing the NGPF On-Demand: Novice Investor Pitfalls

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About the Author

Mason Butts

After graduating from UCLA with a Master's in Education, Mason spent 5 years as a science educator in a South Los Angeles public high school. He is committed to supporting the holistic growth of all students and empowering them to live a life of relational, academic, and financial success. Now settled in the Bay Area, Mason enjoys facilitating professional developments and partnering with educators as they prepare students for a bright financial future. When Mason is not building curriculum or planning a training, he can be found cycling, trying new foods, and exploring the outdoors.