Fraud Alerts

We held our 2019 Citizens Academy this past weekend. I look forward to this event every year. The day provides an opportunity to understand the inner workings of our office and allows me to engage with citizens of Denver. This year was no different; the audience was engaged in the discussions and had terrific questions.…

We have two very important things to share in this newsletter. First, please read about a current Social Security scam going around. It sounds extremely real, and it is very frightening. Additionally, in 2017, Equifax, one of the three largest credit-reporting agencies, had a significant data breach. More than 148 million, yes, that is MILLION,…

I hope everyone had a safe and happy Fourth of July. Did you know July is National Auto Theft Prevention Month? Although the warm weather allows for summertime activities, it also opens up windows of opportunity (literally) for car thieves. Auto-theft is on the rise (up 9.4% since 2017) in Colorado, but there are habits…

I am cautiously optimistic that spring is finally here, although I have not yet put away my winter coat!  As anyone who has lived in the Rockies for any amount of time knows spring storms can be treacherous.  Hail damage can leave roofs, cars and yards a mess.  Repairs take money and time and they bring…

April showers (and bomb cyclone snow) may bring May flowers, but they are also bringing a surge of consumer complaints on a new scam.  A Social Security Administration (SSA) scam is on the rise and the Federal Trade Commission warns that consumer complaints about it are escalating while the IRS tax fraud scam is declining. …

I love this time of year. The lights at the City and County Building certainly put me in the holiday spirit.  This month, we are sending along our yearly “12 Days of Holiday Scams” list. While many of us take vacations, fraudsters never do. As a matter of fact, there is often an uptick of scams during this time…

When disaster strikes, we often look to, and see, many charitable organizations stepping up to provide the much needed support to those affected. It’s during these times that these organizations see an uptick in contributions.  Without our support, many of these charities would not be able to operate.  When our hearts ache for those in harm’s…

In this month’s newsletter, we are providing some tips to keep your college- bound children safe from falling into a scammer’s trap. Additionally, you may find the information from the FBI’s Yearly Internet Crime Report very interesting.  For each state, the Internet Crime Complaint Centeraka IC3 report, tracks the categories of scams, the number of people who were…

Who among us hasn’t enjoyed enhancing a text or an email with a wink, a nod, or even a hat. These icons are adorable.  They take the place of words, save on character space, and provide a little emotional intent behind your words.  And, for the most part, emojis are harmless.  But we wouldn’t be talking…