The 2019 numbers are in!

The Federal Trade Commission released its report of fraud complaints from 2019, and scams show no sign of abating. Reported losses amounted to almost $2 billion – and older victims report losing more than younger victims.

Nationally, impostor scams topped the list – where scammers pretend to be someone they are not to convince you to hand over personal information or money. In fact, government impostor scam reports are up by 50% over 2018.

In Maryland, fully 21% of reported scams involved identity theft, followed by impostor scams at 18%. Marylanders lost a whopping $27.7 million to fraudsters in 2019, according to the data.

Here’s a tip: that message from the Social Security Administration saying your account has been suspended? It’s a scam. So is the one from your county court saying you face a fine for missing jury duty.

Be a fraud fighter! If you can spot a scam, you can stop a scam.

Report scams to local law enforcement. For help from AARP, call 1-877-908-3360 or visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at www.aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork.