In the world of successful scams, it turns out fear sells. While some scams promise riches, romance or a new career, most scams today use fear to steal our money. Scammers seek to create a sense of anxiety, anger or embarrassment in hopes we will make decisions in an emotional, vs. logical, state. If you get a scary call, or an email, or a popup message on your computer, hit pause. Give yourself a minute to think logically before taking an action that could result in loss of money or personal information.

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