According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the United States, consumers reported losing more than $10 billion to fraud in 2023. This is a 14% increase over reported losses in 2022.

Some of the most common scams include investment scams, imposter scams, bank transfer scams and cryptocurrency scams.

“Digital tools are making it easier than ever to target hard-working Americans,” said Samuel Levine, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.

Fraud is more prevalent today than ever thanks to advances in technology that give bad actors access to powerful tools for perpetrating crimes.

In this episode of Privacy Files, we speak with Nigel Ramoutar, a professional fraud investigator based in Canada.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nigelram/

We cover a variety of fraud topics, from gift cards and identity theft to credit cards and organized crime.

Nigel is a seasoned professional who knows the ins and outs of the fraud industry and sheds light on several common criminal activities in hopes of helping people avoid becoming a victim.

Toward the end of the episode, we talk to Nigel about ways he personally stays private as a professional investigator. Nigel also offers some tips for how you can better safeguard your personal information to stay more private and reduce your chances of falling victim to identity theft.

Links Referenced:

https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2024/02/nationwide-fraud-losses-top-10-billion-2023-ftc-steps-efforts-protect-public
https://www.fool.com/the-ascent/research/identity-theft-credit-card-fraud-statistics/
https://identitytheft.org/statistics/