Imposter scams were the most common kind of fraud reported locally and across Ohio, and officials say community members need to be very careful if they get calls, texts, emails or messages on social media requesting or demanding money or personal information.
Scammers can be very clever and can do a convincing job of pretending to be government officials, law enforcement or court officers, tech support and business representatives and even friends and family members.
But FTC officials say people who are familiar with scams are less likely to be victims of them.
“We know that when people are familiar with scams, they are much less likely to lose money,” said Monica Vaca, deputy director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.
More than ever
Consumers in the Dayton metro area filed 8,820 fraud complaints with the FTC last year, which was a 15% increase from 2023 and the most on record, according to a Dayton Daily News analysis of agency data that goes back to 2006.
Ohioans submitted more than 63,300 fraud complaints to the FTC in 2024, which was a slight increase from 2023.
Nearly a third of fraud complaints from Ohio consumers and more than 1,500 complaints that originated out of the region were about imposter scams.
Other common kinds of fraud were related to online shopping and negative reviews; prizes, sweepstakes and lotteries; and internet, telephone and mobile services.
Imposters
Imposter scams typically start with a call, text, email or social media message that claim the recipient needs to take action.
Impersonators often try to trick people into thinking they are officials or employees with government agencies like the IRS, the FBI, the Social Security Administration, the U.S. Treasury, Medicare or even the FTC.
Scammers often claim that a consumer’s Social Security number or their accounts have been suspended or compromised or there is something wrong with their tax returns and they owe delinquent taxes or unpaid fees.
Fraudsters may claim that consumers are at risk of losing government benefits or could even face arrest and prosecution if they do not provide payment or personal or bank information.
“What these scammers are trying to do is they’re trying to induce a state of fear,” said Vaca, with the bureau of consumer protection. “They are trying to make you feel very, very panicked.”
The U.S. Marshals Service last year warned about scammers impersonating law enforcement and court officials. They demanded people pay a fine or face arrest for bogus claims of identity theft, failing to report to jury duty or other civil issues.
“Scammers use many tactics to sound and appear credible,” the Marshals Service said. “They sometimes provide information like badge numbers, names of actual law enforcement officials and federal judges and courthouse addresses. They also spoof government phone numbers to appear on caller ID as if they are calling from a government agency or the court.”
Homeland Security Investigations said scammers claiming to be law enforcement officials have demanded payment and threatened arrest on false allegations that agents intercepted packages of money or drugs that involve the victim in some way.
The FTC says government agencies will never call, email, text or send messages on social media to people out of the blue asking for money or personal information or threatening punishment for inaction.
Not who they claim to be
The FTC says scammers also try to con people by impersonating legitimate businesses and telling consumers they’ve won a prize or there’s a problem with their accounts.
They may ask for account information, Social Security numbers or payments through gift cards, wire transfers or cryptocurrency, which should be a red flag since legitimate businesses do not make these kind of payment requests.
Imposters sometimes pretend to be computer technicians and lie to people, claiming their computers are infected with malware or have other problems and they need remote access to make repairs.
The FTC says these scammers often try to sell useless services, steal credit card numbers or install malware that lets them see everything on the computer, including account passwords.
Last year, authorities charged an Indian national who allegedly conned an elderly Ohio man out of tens of thousands of dollars. The suspect allegedly posed as a customer service employee who claimed the Ohio man’s account was hacked or at risk and he needed to make payments to fix the issue.
In a different case a couple of years ago, a Fairborn man was contacted by a phonebank operator who claimed to be an FTC officer. The phonebank operator demanded money, claiming the victim’s bank accounts were linked to illegal activity and that he needed to make payments to avoid legal action and prosecution.
Romance scams
Crooks also use bogus profiles on social media and dating websites to meet and connect with targets, often by faking romantic interest or tugging on their heartstrings.
Last year, a 25-year-old Butler County resident named De-love Kofi Amuzu was sentenced to 78 months in prison for his role in a romance fraud scheme that targeted elderly individuals who were looking for love and companionship.
Amuzu’s fellow conspirators created fake online dating profiles using stolen photographs and communicated with victims via chats, texts and phone calls, said the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio.
The scammers pretended to live abroad to explain why they could not meet in person. Victims transferred large sums of money and also mailed cash, fancy watches and iPhones.
“According to court documents, several victims lost so much money to the scheme that they were forced to declare bankruptcy,” said Kenneth Parker, who at that time was the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio.
Scammers may ask for money for fake emergencies and hardships like large medical bills. Sometimes they’ll lie and say they need money to buy a plane ticket to come visit the victims.
“We need to keep our online relationships personal and our money professional,” said Ohio Securities Commissioner Andrea Seidt about online romance scams. “These romance scammers have become incredibly sophisticated.”
Fraudsters sometimes also impersonate friends, family members and other loved ones.
Vaca, with the FTC, says consumers who are being pressured to take immediate action should try to slow things down. She said consumers should hang up on suspicious callers and not reply right away to suspicious messages.
Scammers hope to rush and pressure people to act before they have time to think things over and talk it over with people they trust, the FTC said.
The FTC says Ohioans should try to do online research to see if what they are being told has similarity with common scams. Officials also urge consumers to call or contact agencies, companies and family members or friends directly through their official or validated phone numbers and email addresses.
Tips to avoid being scammed
- Ignore all unexpected requests for money. Never transfer or send money, cryptocurrency, or gold to someone you don’t know in response to an unexpected call or message.
- Verify the story. If you think there’s a real problem with one of your accounts, use a phone number, website, or app you know is real to contact the company. Don’t use contact information in the message you got.
- Don’t wire money or use gift cards, cryptocurrency, or a payment app to pay someone who says they’re with the government. Scammers insist you can only pay these ways because it’s hard to track that money, and just as hard to get it back. They’ll take your money and disappear.
- Don’t give your financial or personal information to someone who calls, texts, emails, or messages you on social media and says they’re with the government. If you think a call or message could be real, stop. Hang up the phone and call the government agency directly at a number you know is correct. If the call is a robocall, don’t press any numbers. Pressing numbers could lead to more calls.
- Don’t trust your caller ID. Your caller ID might show the government agency’s real phone number or name — like “Social Security Administration.” But caller ID can be faked. It could be anyone calling from anywhere in the world.
- Don’t click on links in unexpected emails, texts, or social media messages. Scammers send emails and messages that look like they’re from a government agency but are designed to steal your money and personal information. Don’t click on any link, and don’t pass it on to others. Just delete the message.
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