Many Americans Worry About Becoming Scam Victims, New Report Finds

But the report also revealed that most respondents are not doing all they can to lower their risk of fraud.

Room for improvement

Many Americans can do much more to protect themselves from scammers. For instance:

Avoid unsolicited communications. A significant percentage of adults (28 percent) answer phone calls from people they don’t know at least half the time. Criminals will take any opportunity to separate potential victims from their cash and often do so by manipulating their target’s emotions, which is why responding to unsolicited communications can be risky.

Younger adults are slightly more likely to say they answer calls from people they don’t know or recognize at least half the time (29 percent) than those 50 and older (21 percent).

Use distinctly different passwords for every account. About 65 percent of respondents say they don’t do so. Yet a hack on one account puts the others at risk if the passwords are similar. Older adults are apparently more aware of this: They are more likely to use different passwords for different accounts — 41 percent versus 29 percent for respondents 18 to 49. Password managers can help you keep track of them all.

Be careful about activity on social media. About 54 percent of those surveyed say they take online quizzes or surveys or download free apps on social media. It’s best to avoid them, however, because they can be a way for criminals to gather information for identity theft: Your responses might match your answers to the security questions you use to log in to your online accounts, for example. 

And 15 percent of respondents accept friend requests on social media from people they don’t know — also risky.

Use protective software. About 28 percent of consumers don’t use any protective tools such as antivirus software, antispyware, a firewall, or a call- or pop-up-blocking feature or app.

Protect yourself when using public Wi-Fi. Only 37 percent of adults use a virtual private network when on public Wi-Fi. A VPN protects your personal information and privacy. Stokes says, “If you don’t want to deal with a VPN, then don’t access anything on your phone or computer on public Wi-Fi that’s password protected. Don’t go to your email. Don’t go to your bank. Don’t shop online.” You can read the news or check the sports scores, she adds, but otherwise use cell service, not Wi-Fi.

Report fraud. Most surveyed did not report the crime to local law enforcement (78 percent) or to the FBI or FTC (89 percent). If you spot or have been a victim of a scam, it’s important to report it to your local police, as well as the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. The more information authorities have, the better they can identify patterns, link cases and ultimately catch the criminals.

Spread the word about fraud. Only about 46 percent of respondents who were fraud victims warned others (such as family members and friends) about their experience. If someone is aware of a specific scam, they are far less likely to engage with a scammer, so sharing your story can prevent others from becoming victims, says Stokes, adding, “Knowledge is power.”

You can stay up on the latest scams and learn ways to protect yourself from fraud at AARP’s Fraud Resource Center and by listening to the award-winning The Perfect Scam podcast. ​