Avoiding scams and schemes

Retirement should be a time filled with wonderful experiences and personal fulfillment. However, for some unfortunate retirees, the gray cloud of fraud has darkened their sunny outlook on life.

Retirees are frequently the targets of scam artists, who often prey on them through the telephone, Internet and U.S. mail. Retirees lose billions of dollars each year to fraudulent schemes, which can include:

  • Charity fraud
  • Sweepstakes scams
  • Ponzi scams
  • Insurance and health care scams
  • Work at home scams
  • Fraudulent foreign money offers
  • Fraudulent investment schemes
  • Phishing and identity theft