MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - WSFA 12 News and AARP teamed up to host a virtual phonebank to help our viewers combat fraud.
AARP volunteers took viewer questions Wednesday from 4-7 p.m.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, in 2019 Alabama saw about 28,500 reports of fraud, identity theft, and other reports that bilked residents out of more than $9 million.
According to the FTC, the top 10 categories for fraud include:
- Identity theft
- Imposter scams
- Credit bureaus, info furnishers and report users
- Telephone and mobile services
- Debt collections
- Prizes, sweepstakes and lotteries
- Banks and lenders
- Online shopping, negative reviews
- Auto related
- Healthcare related
The average victim lost about $300 to fraudsters in each case.
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