Impostor scams occur when a fraudster pretends to represent government institutions, private companies and charitable organizations. Be cautious of anyone seeking to confirm your personal information via phone, text or email.
Government impostor: A scammer might pose as a representative from a government agency such as the IRS, the Social Security Administration or a local court. They might demand payment for back taxes or an old court fee and threaten to arrest you if payment is not made immediately. The scammer might also request personal information, such as your Social Security number. Do not provide any information – hang up immediately.
Business impostor: A fraudster might contact you pretending to be from a well-known business. They might claim you’ve made a purchase that you didn’t authorize and instruct you to call or follow a link to verify or dispute the purchase. If you’re unsure whether the call is legitimate, look up the business’s official phone number on its website and call the number directly. This scam might also involve fake notifications about undelivered packages.
Charitable scams: In this scam, someone pretends to be a charity and asks for a donation. Always inquire how much of your donation would actually go to the charity. Legitimate charitable organizations must register with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office. You can verify a charity at
https://charitable.ohioago.gov/Research-Charities. To ensure your donation goes to the right place, donate directly through the charity’s official website or by calling a verified phone number. Be aware that scam charities often have similar sounding names to legitimate ones.
Ohio Turnpike Scam Alert
The Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission has reported a text message scam that fraudulently claims to represent tolling agencies across the country. Scammers request payment for unpaid tolls through fake websites. These messages are sent to random phone numbers, not tied to any specific account or toll road usage. Some recipients also reported receiving phishing emails. The Ohio Turnpike does not request E-ZPass payments via text, nor does it handle unpaid tolls through text messages. The only legitimate websites for Ohio Turnpike’s E-ZPass accounts are ezpassoh.com and ohioturnpike.org.
For questions about the Ohio Turnpike’s E-ZPass notifications, contact
www.ezpassoh.com or
www.ohioturnpike.org.
The FBI, aware of these impostor scams in several states, recommends the following actions if you receive a fraudulent message:
- Report the incident to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at www.ic3.gov, and be sure to include:
- The phone number from where the text originated.
- Contact the tolling agency’s customer service center.
- Delete any texts received.
- If you clicked any link or provided your information, make efforts to secure your personal information and financial accounts and dispute any unfamiliar charges.
In general, here are some red-flag requests that should warn you of a potential impostor scam:
- To wire money to a stranger or friend in need.
- To “act now!”
- To buy a prepaid money card.
- To send money in advance to secure or insure a loan.
- To provide personal information.
Consumers who believe they have been defrauded should immediately contact the company they used to make the payment. Ohioans can report scams to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office at
www.OhioProtects.org or by calling 800-282-0515.