March 30, 2024 • 29 mins
Ryan Gorman hosts an iHeartRadio nationwide special featuring Maria Mayo, Associate Director for the FTC’s Division of Consumer Response & Operations, and Larissa Bungo, Senior Attorney with the FTC’s Division of Consumer & Business Education. Experts from the FTC offer insight into some of the most common frauds and scams consumers need to be aware of, including how to spot and report them and actions that victims can take. Plus, Danielle Fanelle, a registered dietician at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, joins the show for National Nutrition Month to discuss tips on better overall nutrition for children and adults.
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(00:00):
Welcome to iHeartRadio Communities, a publicaffairs special focusing on the biggest issues impacting
you. This week, Here's RyanGorman. Thanks so much for joining us
here on iHeartRadio Communities. I'm RyanGorman, and we have a couple of
very important conversations lined up for you. In just a bit, I'm going
to check in with a registered dietitianat Johns Hopkins' All Children's Hospital for National
(00:24):
Nutrition Month. We'll talk about somebasic health and wellness tips for kids and
adults. But first, I'm herewith a few people from the Federal Trade
Commission to talk about something that's affectinga lot of US frauds and scams.
According to the FTC, scams continueto cost people big money. So what
are some of the hottest frauds andwhat's some practical advice about how to spot,
(00:45):
avoid and report scams. To answerthose questions and a whole lot more,
here with me are experts from theFTC. We have Maria Mayo,
Associate director for the FTC's Division ofConsumer Response and Operations, and Larissabungo,
Senior Attorney with the FTC's Division ofConsumer and Business Education. Maria, Larissa
I want to thank you both somuch for coming on the show, and
(01:07):
Maria, let me start with you. Can you share a little context for
our discussion today. How many scamsare reported to the FTC and what does
the data show? The big storythis year that for the first time ever,
reported losses to scams top ten billiondollars, even though the number of
reports was about the same as lastyear at roughly two point six million,
(01:30):
and this year one in four peoplereported losing money once again. The most
frequently reported scams involved imposters, peoplepretending to be someone you know. A
scammer might pretend to be from awell known company, for government agency,
or even a friend or family member. These imposters are after your money or
(01:51):
personal information. When they reach outby phone, emails, texts, or
even message you on social media.They say you have to act quickly,
trying to make sure you don't havetime to stop and think. These imposters
cost people. Are reported two pointseven billion dollars last year, and those
suggest the losses that people reported,we know they're actually much higher. Two
(02:15):
point seven billion dollars. That isa lot of money. Now, what
kinds of imposts are we talking about? How can we recognize them. There's
so many variations, so let megive you a few examples of these scams.
Maybe you get an email from whatlooks like your bank warning about in
anauthorized transfer, or someone calls sayingthey're from a tech company like Microsoft or
(02:39):
Apple telling you your computer was packedand offering to fix it. Of course,
that's the scammer, not your bankor those tech companies. Some cammras
to pretend to be from the government, calling to say you're in trouble with
the loss, and some even pretendthey're a loved one who supposedly needs urgent
help. That scam is even hereat a spot. Now that voice pony
(03:01):
can make it sound like your realloved ones when it's really a shammer.
And while the stories make change hammers, they'll always after your money for personal
information. For example, they mighttell you to buy gift cards and give
them the ten code. They mightsay to get caged r cryptocurrency and send
it to them, or they mighttell you to click a link or call
(03:23):
a number. These are all scams, but here's how you can spot the
scam. Let's say they insist youpay by cass cryptocurrency, a wire transfer
service like Western Union or money Gram, a payment app or a gift cards.
The minute they do, you knowis a scam period. Nobody legitimate
(03:46):
will tell you to pay that way, and anyone who does is a scammer.
What were some of the most commonimposter scams that were reported to the
FTC last year. Business imposter topthe list. People reported as staggering seven
hundred and fifty two million dollars inlosses last year. In a new twist,
(04:09):
people are losing big money to scammersrunning complicated scams. These scams usually
involve someone claiming their fraud or criminalactivity on one of your accounts and offering
to help to test your money,sometimes asking you to share verification codes,
and always telling you to lose moneyfrom your banks, investment or retirement accounts,
(04:32):
and every bit of it is ascam. I'm Ryan Gorman with Maria
Mayo, Associate director for the FTC'sDivision of Consumer Response and Operations, and
Larissa Bungo, Senior Attorney with theFTC's Division of Consumer and Business Education.
We're talking frauds and scams, andMaria, let me continue with you here.
Can you give us an example toreally put this into perspective for everyone
(04:56):
listening. In one variation of thisscam, you get a text alert that
says it's from your bank about broadenyour accounts. They give you a number
to call, and if you do, the person on the phone, who
by the way, is a scammer, not your banker. That person will
try to scare you about all thebad things supposedly going on. Then they
offer to transfer you to someone whocan hope that might be supposedly the US
(05:21):
Marshal or even a federal Trade Commission. Of course it's not, but that's
what they'll say. I fake Marshalor fake SPC official will keep talking about
the supposedly terrible things happening and tellyou the only way to protect your money
is to withdraw all of it rightaway. To protect your money, they'll
(05:42):
tell you to transfer it to asecure crypto wallet that they set up.
Some cammers even tell people to puttest in a box and drop it off
with someone to legalize it. Butall of this is a scam that could
cost your life saving it's such anintricate scam that they've put together. What
are some things that we should allknow in terms of being able to spot
(06:05):
this kind of a scam. Nevermove or transfer money to protect it.
Your money is fine where it is, no matter what someone says or how
or can they say it. Movingyour money means you'll lose it, not
protect it. Someone who says youhave to move your money to protect it
is a scammer. Period. Ifyou're worried that something might be wrong with
(06:29):
your financial account, stop and checkit out with your banks, broker or
investment advisors. But use the numberon your statement, never the number the
caller gave you, which will takeyou to the scammer. Right, that's
good advice. Now, where canpeople learn more about imposter scams and how
to protect themselves. To learn moreabout protecting yourself than your loved ones,
(06:53):
visit at pc dot gov Last Imposter. There you'll find articles, consumer alerts,
and videos to help you thought avoidand report these scammers. One thing
I have heard a lot of recentlyromance scams. What are consumers telling the
FTC about those kinds of scams?The headline is that people are still losing
(07:18):
big money to romance scammers. Millionsof people use online dating apps for social
networking sites to meet someone but alltoo often the person they meet is a
scammer trying to trick them into sendingmoney. While they try to quickly make
a connect with you, they alwayshave a reason they can't meet you in
(07:40):
person. Maybe they're out of thecountry working on an oil rig or in
the military. Of course, theminute your online love interests ask you for
money, that's a sign of ascam. They might say they need your
help, say medical expenses, buya ticket to visit you, or helping
(08:01):
them get out of some kind oftrouble. Others even claim to be a
successful cryptocurrency investor o TSU house It'sdone, but that's a scam and any
money you invest so straight into theirpallets. Again, I hope red Flag
starts lying as soon as someone you'venever met in purpose asked you for money.
Now, based on all the newsstories I've seen about this recently,
(08:24):
it certainly sounds like the problem isgetting worse, is it. Yes,
we've seen an increase in the numberof reports and losses to romance scams over
the last three years. To giveyou an idea of the impact, reports
to the SPC, so that romancescamm are sotle more than one billion dollars
(08:45):
from people last year alone, andthat's nearly double the losses reported in twenty
twenty one. And that increase comesmainly because of the huge losses the cryptocurrency
investment mixed with romance scams. I'mRyan Gorman, joined now by Maria Mayo,
Associate Director for the FTC's Division ofConsumer Response and Operations, and Larissa
Bungo, Senior Attorney with the FTC'sDivision of Consumer and Business Education. We're
(09:11):
talking about frauds and scams. AndLarissa, let me turn to you.
What can you tell us about investmentscams that you can make a lot of
money quickly with little or no risks. You might hear about the so called
investment opportunity when someone reaches out byphone, email, and text, as
well as on social media. Unfortunately, these big promises seem to be working
(09:35):
for scammers because last year people reportedlosing four point six billion dollars to investment
scams. That's more than twenty percenthigher than the previous year. Wow,
that's a lot of money. Now, how are these scammers reaching people?
Scammers will try anyway they can toreach you, But our data showed some
interesting findings for the first time ever, people reported email as the top contact
(09:58):
method for scams. That said,when scammers got in touch by phone,
people reported losing more money. Onthe other hand, the highest overall loss
for any contact method, one pointfour billion dollars, was to scams that
started on social media. A takeawayis that we all need to be vigilant
about unexpected emails and calls, aswell as about what seems like amazing deals
(10:22):
in ads on social What should peopledo if someone does get in touch out
of the blue asking for money orfor personal information. The short answer is
do nothing. Nobody legitimate will everget in touch out of the blue demanding
money or information. If they do, low down and talk to someone you
(10:46):
trust. We know that talking aboutscams is one of the best ways to
avoid them. We also know thatscammers can be good at what they do,
so it can help to remember thatlegitimate businesses and government aid agencies we'll
never call, email, text,or message you on social media to demand
money. They also won't ask forpersonal information like your social Security or bank
(11:11):
account numbers, and they won't insistthat you pay by gift card, money
transfer, or cryptocurrency. If someonedoes, that's a scam every time,
since scammers can be convincing, checkit out. If you're worried, get
in touch with the real agency,person or company, but make sure you
(11:31):
look up their phone number, email, or website yourself. If you use
the contact info the scammers give you, you'll just be led right back to
them. And of course, ifyou think you've spotted a scam, let
the FTC know at Report Fraud dotFTC dot gov. When you report a
scam, the FTC can use theinformation to build cases against scammers, spot
(11:54):
trends, educate the public, andfare data about what is happening in your
commune, just like we're doing heretoday. I'm Ryan Gorman, joined now
by Maria Mayo, Associate director forthe FTC's Division of Consumer Response and Operations,
and Larissa Bungo, Senior Attorney withthe FTC's Division of Consumer and Business
Education. We're talking frauds and scams. And Larissa, do you have any
(12:18):
advice for those listening who maybe justheard you and Maria talking about these scams
and realize they pay the scammer.What steps should they take? The important
thing is to act quickly. Contactwhoever you use to pay the scammer,
whether that's your bank, credit cardissuer, the gift card or wire transfer
(12:41):
company, or the cryptocurrency platforms,tell them you've been scammed and ask them
if they can reverse the payment.There's a chance you can get your money
back, but again, it's soimportant to act quickly. I want to
talk more about reporting fraud and Maria, let me bring you back in here.
Sure reports help the FTC find scammersto sue, but why else should
(13:05):
people be reporting scams? And canyou tell us about how to report them
to the FTC. Every support mattersat the FTC, and we absolutely use
reports to build investigations and bring capers. We also use them to help target
education and outreach, and we hopethat stopping that guys and spreading the word
(13:26):
are good reasons to report scams.But telling your story can also help your
friends, family, and community avoidscams. Both research and experience tell us
that the more we talk about thescams that target our communities, the more
likely we are to spot and avoidthem. That keeps money in people's pockets
(13:48):
and information out of the hands ofcriminals. We recognize that not everyone feels
comfortable sharing information that goes into agovernment database, but you can always submit
the report anonymously or work with anadvocate or someone else who can help report
on your behalf. In English,share your story at report fraud dot SPC
(14:09):
dot gov and in Spanish visit reportefrauday dot FTC dot gov. I also
want to share an exciting update.You can also report fraud in other languages
by calling and talking with an interpreterin your language. To do that,
called eight seven seven three eight twofour three five seven, impress three to
(14:35):
select your preferred language phone lines thatopen between nine am the five pm Easter
standard time. Once you make areport, you'll get advice on how to
recover from the scam and how toprotect yourself against fraud. Lurisa, let
me bring you back in for asecond here. What are some key takeaways
(14:56):
you can share with everyone to helpthem spot and avoid scam. Scammers tell
different stories to steal money or personalinformation, but j'll often see three common
tactics. Scammers contact you unexpectedly,they create a sense of urgency, and
they give you a specific way topay or send money. Any One of
(15:18):
these is a sign of a scam, so to steer clear. Never share
money, or information with anyone whocontacts you unexpectedly. Legitimate businesses and government
agencies won't unexpectedly call, email,text, or message you on social media
to ask for information or money.Only scammers do that. I'd also suggest
(15:41):
slowing down and checking it out.Scammers want to pressure you to act quickly.
That way, you don't have timeto think or check out their story.
So slow down, do some research, talk to someone you trust before
you do anything else, and finally, never pay someone who says you can
(16:02):
only pay a certain way. Nobodylegitimate will ever demand that you pay by
gift card, wire transfer, cryptocurrency, payment app or cash. And nobody
legit will ever tell you to moveyour money to protect it, but scammers
will. I'm Ryan Gorman, joinedby Maria Mayo, Associate Director for the
FTC's Division of Consumer Response and Operations, and Larissa Bungo, Senior Attorney with
(16:27):
the FTC's Division of Consumer and BusinessEducation. We're talking frauds and scams,
and Maria, let me go backto you here. Is there anything else
we should all know about all ofthis? Wow? Scamspin feel really personal,
broad effects every community. Scammers lookfor ways to build trust to get
our money and information, and it'snot unusual for them to run their scams
(16:48):
in languages we speak at home.If you or your community want to learn
more about spotting and fighting fraud inanother language, step out FCC dot gov
Languages. There you'll find information ina dozen different languages to help spot and
avoid scams and know what to doif you might have paid a scammer.
(17:10):
The resources at FPC dot gov lastlanguages can help many communities spread the word
about houses, spot, avoid andreport scams, and please remember to report
scams to the SPC. In English, share your story at report fraud dot
FPC dot gov and in Spanish visitreport tekfraday dot FPC dot gov. If
(17:34):
you are more comfortable reporting in otherlanguages, called eight seven seven three eight
two four three five seven and pressthree to select your preferred language. Phone
lines are open between nine am tofive pm Eastern times. And finally,
Marisa, how can everyone keep upwith the latest scams? That's easy?
(17:59):
Just sign up for the FTCs freealerts at STC dot gov slash Consumer Alerts.
We hope they help you know whatscammers are up to, and we
hope you'll spread the words remember thattalking about a scam helps you avoid it,
and it also helps others you careabout avoid the scams, so it's
good for you and for them.Maria Mao, Associate Director for the FTC's
(18:23):
Division of Consumer Response and Operations,and Larissa Bungo, Senior Attorney with the
FTC's Division of Consumer and Business Education, with me to talk frauds and scams,
and you can learn more about howto spot, avoid, and report
all types of frauds and scams atConsumer dot FTC dot gov. That's Consumer
(18:44):
dot FTC dot gov. Maria,Larissa, thank you so much for taking
a few minutes to come on theshow. We really appreciate it. Thank
you for having me. Thank you. Ryan. All right, I'm Ryan
Gorman here on iHeartRadio Communities. Andnow let me bring in our next guest.
With March being now National Nutrition Month, we're joined now by Danielle Finelli,
registered dietitian at Johns Hopkins All Children'sHospital, to talk about ways to
(19:07):
improve your diet and overall health.Danielle, thank you so much for taking
a few minutes to come on theshow, and obviously with you working at
Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital, let'sstart with kids and some of the basics
that parents can do and start tomaybe think about with March being National Nutrition
Month, to get their child's dieton the right track. Yes, thank
(19:30):
you so much. I had anintroduction Ryan so kind of being in that
specialty of pediastriss, I think it'simportant to remember that, you know,
it's never too early to start towork on healthy, sustainable habits with kids,
and a lot of that really startsat the home and demonstrating healthy habits
for our kids. And that includes, you know, trying to make sure
(19:56):
making sure that we're getting a varietyof fruits and vegetables, really focusing on
plant proteins and lean meat and goodhydration, and then also really trying to
get is involved in this cooking processas much as possible from an early age.
So that can be really small thingslike taking them to the grocery store
with you, you know, lettingthem pick out a color for that week,
(20:21):
and walking around the grocery store andtrying to pick out some healthy food
options in that color. So thatcan be things like fruits or vegetables,
or even things like beans or grainsor a spice or herbs and letting that
kind of be the color of theweek, and figuring out ways to prepare
that and cook it and eat itand use it in a variety of different
(20:45):
ways. You know, people seeall the time the news, this food
is good, this food is bad. Now wait, this food now is
good. This study shows this,This study shows that. What are some
things that have held true regardless ofhow many times they've been looked at when
it comes to hell the nutrition,great question. So the first thing I
want to address with that is thatwhen it comes to really developing healthy habits,
(21:07):
it's really important that we're focusing onoverarching diet patterns and not quite getting
so bogged down with individual foods orindividual nutrients. And kind of what goes
hand in hand to that is thoseindividual studies that you'll see come out that
really vilify certain foods or certain dietarypatterns. So just really making sure that
(21:30):
it's healthy eating habits over a patternof time or period of time. But
to kind of go back to yourquestion, some of the things that will
always hold true are, you know, focusing on minimally processed foods as much
as we can, so trying tobuy foods in their most fresh states.
So fresh fruits and vegetables mean meats, you know, dragged beans and cooking
(21:59):
them at home as much as wecan, but then also understanding that that's
not always doable for everybody, especiallyif we have a large family or you
live in a food desert. Sorecognizing that it's also okay to have things
like frozen foods, frozen fruits andvegetables in particular, it can be really
great. And then when it comesto fluids, you know, trying to
(22:23):
focus on non sugar sweetened beverages wherewe can, and trying to eliminate caffeinated
beverages as well. For kids goingto school, that first meal, breakfast
so important to start their day,right. What advice would you have for
parents specifically on that meal. Yeah, and it's hard to overstate just how
(22:45):
important breakfast is, especially for kids. And it's as much as we always
say breakfast is the most important meal, it's something that's definitely still overlooked.
So I think what can be reallyhelpful is trying to prepare ahead a find
as much as possible. So it'sreally hard and a lot of times unrealistic
to wake up in the morning andcook a full breakfast. So trying to
(23:08):
think earlier in the week of thingsthat we can do ahead of time.
So that could be things like makinglittle egg muffins that we can keep in
the fridge and maybe pop on thetoaster or even the air fryer. That
could also include things like overnight oatsthat can be made and put in individual
containers that can kind of be agrab and though option that could even eat
(23:30):
in the car on the lay ofschool or on the bus, or even
you could have some yogurt and someindividually packed granola that they can take with
that. So having ready made optionsthat can kind of just be grab and
go is a really great way tomake sure that there's healthy options available for
(23:52):
breakfast. Now, let's talk aboutkids in lunch. When you're at school,
you know what it's like, you'recomparing your lunch, especially your snacks,
to all the other kids. Sometimes. I remember when I was in
school, we were trading our snacks. So what can a parent do to
make sure their child has a wellrounded lunch but also something in there that
is fun for them in the middleof the day. Yeah, so I
(24:14):
think that we it's it's important thatno food is there's there's no never foods.
There's no foods that kids should neverhave, and you know, just
trying to create that that healthy relationshipwith food, between allowing kids to have
those fun snacks that you know,lots of kids other kids might be having,
(24:37):
but also recognizing that that's not necessarilygoing to help us feel our best.
So I think it's trying to findthat balance of allowing kids to have
those foods so they kind of,you know, feel like everybody else,
but then also you know, pairingthat with something like veggie's and hummus or
(24:57):
you know, full grain crack guacamoley, so that there's that balance there between
between the two kind of extremes.I'm Ryan Gorman and for National Nutrition Month,
we're joined now by Danielle Finelli,a registered dietitian at Johns Hopkins All
Children's Hospital. She's with us totalk about ways to improve our nutrition and
(25:19):
overall health. I want to goback to something you mentioned before, and
that's hydration, the importance of drinkingenough water and staying away from those sugary
drinks. Can you spend a littlebit more time on how all of that
impacts our health more broadly speaking,yeah, so's we're there's no there's no
(25:40):
secret that you know, more sugarseed beverages do not help us feel our
best at kind of create this realpeak in blood sugars followed by this big
drops. So when most of ourfluids are really high in sugar, there's
just going to kind of be thisconstant yo yo of energy that we feel
throughout the day, and it's hardto kind of keep that maintains energy throughout
(26:04):
the day. So really trying tolimit those sugar sweetens beverages and trying to
focus on just water. You know, even if you want to add some
flavoring to that can be perfectly finetoo, So things like thlemon juice,
you know, a little bit oflemon or even some you know on sweet
(26:26):
tea and things like that could beokay too, But definitely trying to maintain
even blood sugars with non sugar sweetenedbeverages. So sugary drinks and those really
processed foods packed with a lot ofsugar are those are the worst things you
could reach for if you're trying toimprove your overall health. So kind of
(26:47):
on a short term basis, sowhen we're thinking just kind of like the
day to day and even just kindof like I said earlier, how the
sugar in those beverages kind of causesour blood sugar to fluctuate a whole lot
on a really short term period,it does definitely have a big effect.
It's kind of like how I saidthat it affects our energy on a really
(27:10):
short term basis, but then whenwe're thinking a little bit more long term,
kind of on the more epidemiological standpoint, and kind of going back to
the processed foods as well, youknow, lots of sugar sweet and beverages
and processed foods can can definitely startto lead to more higher obesity rates,
things like hypertensions, you know,dyslipidemia and things like that. So it's
(27:37):
it's hard to oversae just how importantit is that we really try to limit
those sugar sweeten beverages, and youknow, it's hard to avoid all processed
foods, but just trying to makeslops where we wherever we can. And
finally, are there any other tips, suggestions, pieces of advice that you
generally offer up when talking about nutritionand diet and health, especially for kids,
(28:03):
but also for adults as well,stuff that we should keep in mind,
not just here during National Nutrition Month, but all year round. Yeah,
definitely, So I think I mighthave mentioned this earlier, but really
trying to develop healthy habits as earlyas we can. There's always something that
a kid can do to help preparewhatever is being prepared to eat. So
(28:29):
whether Vester goes back to, likeI said, taking kids to the grocery
store or trying even really small thingslike when you're seasoning of food, maybe
sprinkling a little bit as seasoning intheir pomps and letting them put it on
the food, letting them wash fruitsand vegetables. I'm here in Florida and
right now it's very seasoned, Somaybe trying to take kids to local farms
(28:52):
to do you pick berries for likestrawberries or blueberries can be a really great
way to get his excited about eatinghealthy and really starting into that ground level.
Danielle Finelli, a registered dietitian atJohns Hopkins All Children's Hospital, with
us for National Nutrition Month. Daniellereally appreciate the time and insight. Thank
(29:17):
you so much. Thank you somuch. Ryan, have a great day,
all right, and that's going todo it. For this edition of
iHeartRadio Communities. As we wrap thingsup, I want to offer a big
thanks to all of our guests,and of course to all of you for
listening. If you want to hearprevious episodes of this show, we're on
your iHeartRadio app. Just search foriHeartRadio Communities. I'm your host, Ryan
(29:37):
Gorman. We'll talk to you againreal soon.
Welcome to iHeartRadio Communities, a publicaffairs special focusing on the biggest issues impacting
you. This week, Here's RyanGorman. Thanks so much for joining us
here on iHeartRadio Communities. I'm RyanGorman, and we have a couple of
very important conversations lined up for you. In just a bit, I'm going
to check in with a registered dietitianat Johns Hopkins' All Children's Hospital for National
(00:24):
Nutrition Month. We'll talk about somebasic health and wellness tips for kids and
adults. But first, I'm herewith a few people from the Federal Trade
Commission to talk about something that's affectinga lot of US frauds and scams.
According to the FTC, scams continueto cost people big money. So what
are some of the hottest frauds andwhat's some practical advice about how to spot,
(00:45):
avoid and report scams. To answerthose questions and a whole lot more,
here with me are experts from theFTC. We have Maria Mayo,
Associate director for the FTC's Division ofConsumer Response and Operations, and Larissabungo,
Senior Attorney with the FTC's Division ofConsumer and Business Education. Maria, Larissa
I want to thank you both somuch for coming on the show, and
(01:07):
Maria, let me start with you. Can you share a little context for
our discussion today. How many scamsare reported to the FTC and what does
the data show? The big storythis year that for the first time ever,
reported losses to scams top ten billiondollars, even though the number of
reports was about the same as lastyear at roughly two point six million,
(01:30):
and this year one in four peoplereported losing money once again. The most
frequently reported scams involved imposters, peoplepretending to be someone you know. A
scammer might pretend to be from awell known company, for government agency,
or even a friend or family member. These imposters are after your money or
(01:51):
personal information. When they reach outby phone, emails, texts, or
even message you on social media.They say you have to act quickly,
trying to make sure you don't havetime to stop and think. These imposters
cost people. Are reported two pointseven billion dollars last year, and those
suggest the losses that people reported,we know they're actually much higher. Two
(02:15):
point seven billion dollars. That isa lot of money. Now, what
kinds of imposts are we talking about? How can we recognize them. There's
so many variations, so let megive you a few examples of these scams.
Maybe you get an email from whatlooks like your bank warning about in
anauthorized transfer, or someone calls sayingthey're from a tech company like Microsoft or
(02:39):
Apple telling you your computer was packedand offering to fix it. Of course,
that's the scammer, not your bankor those tech companies. Some cammras
to pretend to be from the government, calling to say you're in trouble with
the loss, and some even pretendthey're a loved one who supposedly needs urgent
help. That scam is even hereat a spot. Now that voice pony
(03:01):
can make it sound like your realloved ones when it's really a shammer.
And while the stories make change hammers, they'll always after your money for personal
information. For example, they mighttell you to buy gift cards and give
them the ten code. They mightsay to get caged r cryptocurrency and send
it to them, or they mighttell you to click a link or call
(03:23):
a number. These are all scams, but here's how you can spot the
scam. Let's say they insist youpay by cass cryptocurrency, a wire transfer
service like Western Union or money Gram, a payment app or a gift cards.
The minute they do, you knowis a scam period. Nobody legitimate
(03:46):
will tell you to pay that way, and anyone who does is a scammer.
What were some of the most commonimposter scams that were reported to the
FTC last year. Business imposter topthe list. People reported as staggering seven
hundred and fifty two million dollars inlosses last year. In a new twist,
(04:09):
people are losing big money to scammersrunning complicated scams. These scams usually
involve someone claiming their fraud or criminalactivity on one of your accounts and offering
to help to test your money,sometimes asking you to share verification codes,
and always telling you to lose moneyfrom your banks, investment or retirement accounts,
(04:32):
and every bit of it is ascam. I'm Ryan Gorman with Maria
Mayo, Associate director for the FTC'sDivision of Consumer Response and Operations, and
Larissa Bungo, Senior Attorney with theFTC's Division of Consumer and Business Education.
We're talking frauds and scams, andMaria, let me continue with you here.
Can you give us an example toreally put this into perspective for everyone
(04:56):
listening. In one variation of thisscam, you get a text alert that
says it's from your bank about broadenyour accounts. They give you a number
to call, and if you do, the person on the phone, who
by the way, is a scammer, not your banker. That person will
try to scare you about all thebad things supposedly going on. Then they
offer to transfer you to someone whocan hope that might be supposedly the US
(05:21):
Marshal or even a federal Trade Commission. Of course it's not, but that's
what they'll say. I fake Marshalor fake SPC official will keep talking about
the supposedly terrible things happening and tellyou the only way to protect your money
is to withdraw all of it rightaway. To protect your money, they'll
(05:42):
tell you to transfer it to asecure crypto wallet that they set up.
Some cammers even tell people to puttest in a box and drop it off
with someone to legalize it. Butall of this is a scam that could
cost your life saving it's such anintricate scam that they've put together. What
are some things that we should allknow in terms of being able to spot
(06:05):
this kind of a scam. Nevermove or transfer money to protect it.
Your money is fine where it is, no matter what someone says or how
or can they say it. Movingyour money means you'll lose it, not
protect it. Someone who says youhave to move your money to protect it
is a scammer. Period. Ifyou're worried that something might be wrong with
(06:29):
your financial account, stop and checkit out with your banks, broker or
investment advisors. But use the numberon your statement, never the number the
caller gave you, which will takeyou to the scammer. Right, that's
good advice. Now, where canpeople learn more about imposter scams and how
to protect themselves. To learn moreabout protecting yourself than your loved ones,
(06:53):
visit at pc dot gov Last Imposter. There you'll find articles, consumer alerts,
and videos to help you thought avoidand report these scammers. One thing
I have heard a lot of recentlyromance scams. What are consumers telling the
FTC about those kinds of scams?The headline is that people are still losing
(07:18):
big money to romance scammers. Millionsof people use online dating apps for social
networking sites to meet someone but alltoo often the person they meet is a
scammer trying to trick them into sendingmoney. While they try to quickly make
a connect with you, they alwayshave a reason they can't meet you in
(07:40):
person. Maybe they're out of thecountry working on an oil rig or in
the military. Of course, theminute your online love interests ask you for
money, that's a sign of ascam. They might say they need your
help, say medical expenses, buya ticket to visit you, or helping
(08:01):
them get out of some kind oftrouble. Others even claim to be a
successful cryptocurrency investor o TSU house It'sdone, but that's a scam and any
money you invest so straight into theirpallets. Again, I hope red Flag
starts lying as soon as someone you'venever met in purpose asked you for money.
Now, based on all the newsstories I've seen about this recently,
(08:24):
it certainly sounds like the problem isgetting worse, is it. Yes,
we've seen an increase in the numberof reports and losses to romance scams over
the last three years. To giveyou an idea of the impact, reports
to the SPC, so that romancescamm are sotle more than one billion dollars
(08:45):
from people last year alone, andthat's nearly double the losses reported in twenty
twenty one. And that increase comesmainly because of the huge losses the cryptocurrency
investment mixed with romance scams. I'mRyan Gorman, joined now by Maria Mayo,
Associate Director for the FTC's Division ofConsumer Response and Operations, and Larissa
Bungo, Senior Attorney with the FTC'sDivision of Consumer and Business Education. We're
(09:11):
talking about frauds and scams. AndLarissa, let me turn to you.
What can you tell us about investmentscams that you can make a lot of
money quickly with little or no risks. You might hear about the so called
investment opportunity when someone reaches out byphone, email, and text, as
well as on social media. Unfortunately, these big promises seem to be working
(09:35):
for scammers because last year people reportedlosing four point six billion dollars to investment
scams. That's more than twenty percenthigher than the previous year. Wow,
that's a lot of money. Now, how are these scammers reaching people?
Scammers will try anyway they can toreach you, But our data showed some
interesting findings for the first time ever, people reported email as the top contact
(09:58):
method for scams. That said,when scammers got in touch by phone,
people reported losing more money. Onthe other hand, the highest overall loss
for any contact method, one pointfour billion dollars, was to scams that
started on social media. A takeawayis that we all need to be vigilant
about unexpected emails and calls, aswell as about what seems like amazing deals
(10:22):
in ads on social What should peopledo if someone does get in touch out
of the blue asking for money orfor personal information. The short answer is
do nothing. Nobody legitimate will everget in touch out of the blue demanding
money or information. If they do, low down and talk to someone you
(10:46):
trust. We know that talking aboutscams is one of the best ways to
avoid them. We also know thatscammers can be good at what they do,
so it can help to remember thatlegitimate businesses and government aid agencies we'll
never call, email, text,or message you on social media to demand
money. They also won't ask forpersonal information like your social Security or bank
(11:11):
account numbers, and they won't insistthat you pay by gift card, money
transfer, or cryptocurrency. If someonedoes, that's a scam every time,
since scammers can be convincing, checkit out. If you're worried, get
in touch with the real agency,person or company, but make sure you
(11:31):
look up their phone number, email, or website yourself. If you use
the contact info the scammers give you, you'll just be led right back to
them. And of course, ifyou think you've spotted a scam, let
the FTC know at Report Fraud dotFTC dot gov. When you report a
scam, the FTC can use theinformation to build cases against scammers, spot
(11:54):
trends, educate the public, andfare data about what is happening in your
commune, just like we're doing heretoday. I'm Ryan Gorman, joined now
by Maria Mayo, Associate director forthe FTC's Division of Consumer Response and Operations,
and Larissa Bungo, Senior Attorney withthe FTC's Division of Consumer and Business
Education. We're talking frauds and scams. And Larissa, do you have any
(12:18):
advice for those listening who maybe justheard you and Maria talking about these scams
and realize they pay the scammer.What steps should they take? The important
thing is to act quickly. Contactwhoever you use to pay the scammer,
whether that's your bank, credit cardissuer, the gift card or wire transfer
(12:41):
company, or the cryptocurrency platforms,tell them you've been scammed and ask them
if they can reverse the payment.There's a chance you can get your money
back, but again, it's soimportant to act quickly. I want to
talk more about reporting fraud and Maria, let me bring you back in here.
Sure reports help the FTC find scammersto sue, but why else should
(13:05):
people be reporting scams? And canyou tell us about how to report them
to the FTC. Every support mattersat the FTC, and we absolutely use
reports to build investigations and bring capers. We also use them to help target
education and outreach, and we hopethat stopping that guys and spreading the word
(13:26):
are good reasons to report scams.But telling your story can also help your
friends, family, and community avoidscams. Both research and experience tell us
that the more we talk about thescams that target our communities, the more
likely we are to spot and avoidthem. That keeps money in people's pockets
(13:48):
and information out of the hands ofcriminals. We recognize that not everyone feels
comfortable sharing information that goes into agovernment database, but you can always submit
the report anonymously or work with anadvocate or someone else who can help report
on your behalf. In English,share your story at report fraud dot SPC
(14:09):
dot gov and in Spanish visit reportefrauday dot FTC dot gov. I also
want to share an exciting update.You can also report fraud in other languages
by calling and talking with an interpreterin your language. To do that,
called eight seven seven three eight twofour three five seven, impress three to
(14:35):
select your preferred language phone lines thatopen between nine am the five pm Easter
standard time. Once you make areport, you'll get advice on how to
recover from the scam and how toprotect yourself against fraud. Lurisa, let
me bring you back in for asecond here. What are some key takeaways
(14:56):
you can share with everyone to helpthem spot and avoid scam. Scammers tell
different stories to steal money or personalinformation, but j'll often see three common
tactics. Scammers contact you unexpectedly,they create a sense of urgency, and
they give you a specific way topay or send money. Any One of
(15:18):
these is a sign of a scam, so to steer clear. Never share
money, or information with anyone whocontacts you unexpectedly. Legitimate businesses and government
agencies won't unexpectedly call, email,text, or message you on social media
to ask for information or money.Only scammers do that. I'd also suggest
(15:41):
slowing down and checking it out.Scammers want to pressure you to act quickly.
That way, you don't have timeto think or check out their story.
So slow down, do some research, talk to someone you trust before
you do anything else, and finally, never pay someone who says you can
(16:02):
only pay a certain way. Nobodylegitimate will ever demand that you pay by
gift card, wire transfer, cryptocurrency, payment app or cash. And nobody
legit will ever tell you to moveyour money to protect it, but scammers
will. I'm Ryan Gorman, joinedby Maria Mayo, Associate Director for the
FTC's Division of Consumer Response and Operations, and Larissa Bungo, Senior Attorney with
(16:27):
the FTC's Division of Consumer and BusinessEducation. We're talking frauds and scams,
and Maria, let me go backto you here. Is there anything else
we should all know about all ofthis? Wow? Scamspin feel really personal,
broad effects every community. Scammers lookfor ways to build trust to get
our money and information, and it'snot unusual for them to run their scams
(16:48):
in languages we speak at home.If you or your community want to learn
more about spotting and fighting fraud inanother language, step out FCC dot gov
Languages. There you'll find information ina dozen different languages to help spot and
avoid scams and know what to doif you might have paid a scammer.
(17:10):
The resources at FPC dot gov lastlanguages can help many communities spread the word
about houses, spot, avoid andreport scams, and please remember to report
scams to the SPC. In English, share your story at report fraud dot
FPC dot gov and in Spanish visitreport tekfraday dot FPC dot gov. If
(17:34):
you are more comfortable reporting in otherlanguages, called eight seven seven three eight
two four three five seven and pressthree to select your preferred language. Phone
lines are open between nine am tofive pm Eastern times. And finally,
Marisa, how can everyone keep upwith the latest scams? That's easy?
(17:59):
Just sign up for the FTCs freealerts at STC dot gov slash Consumer Alerts.
We hope they help you know whatscammers are up to, and we
hope you'll spread the words remember thattalking about a scam helps you avoid it,
and it also helps others you careabout avoid the scams, so it's
good for you and for them.Maria Mao, Associate Director for the FTC's
(18:23):
Division of Consumer Response and Operations,and Larissa Bungo, Senior Attorney with the
FTC's Division of Consumer and Business Education, with me to talk frauds and scams,
and you can learn more about howto spot, avoid, and report
all types of frauds and scams atConsumer dot FTC dot gov. That's Consumer
(18:44):
dot FTC dot gov. Maria,Larissa, thank you so much for taking
a few minutes to come on theshow. We really appreciate it. Thank
you for having me. Thank you. Ryan. All right, I'm Ryan
Gorman here on iHeartRadio Communities. Andnow let me bring in our next guest.
With March being now National Nutrition Month, we're joined now by Danielle Finelli,
registered dietitian at Johns Hopkins All Children'sHospital, to talk about ways to
(19:07):
improve your diet and overall health.Danielle, thank you so much for taking
a few minutes to come on theshow, and obviously with you working at
Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital, let'sstart with kids and some of the basics
that parents can do and start tomaybe think about with March being National Nutrition
Month, to get their child's dieton the right track. Yes, thank
(19:30):
you so much. I had anintroduction Ryan so kind of being in that
specialty of pediastriss, I think it'simportant to remember that, you know,
it's never too early to start towork on healthy, sustainable habits with kids,
and a lot of that really startsat the home and demonstrating healthy habits
for our kids. And that includes, you know, trying to make sure
(19:56):
making sure that we're getting a varietyof fruits and vegetables, really focusing on
plant proteins and lean meat and goodhydration, and then also really trying to
get is involved in this cooking processas much as possible from an early age.
So that can be really small thingslike taking them to the grocery store
with you, you know, lettingthem pick out a color for that week,
(20:21):
and walking around the grocery store andtrying to pick out some healthy food
options in that color. So thatcan be things like fruits or vegetables,
or even things like beans or grainsor a spice or herbs and letting that
kind of be the color of theweek, and figuring out ways to prepare
that and cook it and eat itand use it in a variety of different
(20:45):
ways. You know, people seeall the time the news, this food
is good, this food is bad. Now wait, this food now is
good. This study shows this,This study shows that. What are some
things that have held true regardless ofhow many times they've been looked at when
it comes to hell the nutrition,great question. So the first thing I
want to address with that is thatwhen it comes to really developing healthy habits,
(21:07):
it's really important that we're focusing onoverarching diet patterns and not quite getting
so bogged down with individual foods orindividual nutrients. And kind of what goes
hand in hand to that is thoseindividual studies that you'll see come out that
really vilify certain foods or certain dietarypatterns. So just really making sure that
(21:30):
it's healthy eating habits over a patternof time or period of time. But
to kind of go back to yourquestion, some of the things that will
always hold true are, you know, focusing on minimally processed foods as much
as we can, so trying tobuy foods in their most fresh states.
So fresh fruits and vegetables mean meats, you know, dragged beans and cooking
(21:59):
them at home as much as wecan, but then also understanding that that's
not always doable for everybody, especiallyif we have a large family or you
live in a food desert. Sorecognizing that it's also okay to have things
like frozen foods, frozen fruits andvegetables in particular, it can be really
great. And then when it comesto fluids, you know, trying to
(22:23):
focus on non sugar sweetened beverages wherewe can, and trying to eliminate caffeinated
beverages as well. For kids goingto school, that first meal, breakfast
so important to start their day,right. What advice would you have for
parents specifically on that meal. Yeah, and it's hard to overstate just how
(22:45):
important breakfast is, especially for kids. And it's as much as we always
say breakfast is the most important meal, it's something that's definitely still overlooked.
So I think what can be reallyhelpful is trying to prepare ahead a find
as much as possible. So it'sreally hard and a lot of times unrealistic
to wake up in the morning andcook a full breakfast. So trying to
(23:08):
think earlier in the week of thingsthat we can do ahead of time.
So that could be things like makinglittle egg muffins that we can keep in
the fridge and maybe pop on thetoaster or even the air fryer. That
could also include things like overnight oatsthat can be made and put in individual
containers that can kind of be agrab and though option that could even eat
(23:30):
in the car on the lay ofschool or on the bus, or even
you could have some yogurt and someindividually packed granola that they can take with
that. So having ready made optionsthat can kind of just be grab and
go is a really great way tomake sure that there's healthy options available for
(23:52):
breakfast. Now, let's talk aboutkids in lunch. When you're at school,
you know what it's like, you'recomparing your lunch, especially your snacks,
to all the other kids. Sometimes. I remember when I was in
school, we were trading our snacks. So what can a parent do to
make sure their child has a wellrounded lunch but also something in there that
is fun for them in the middleof the day. Yeah, so I
(24:14):
think that we it's it's important thatno food is there's there's no never foods.
There's no foods that kids should neverhave, and you know, just
trying to create that that healthy relationshipwith food, between allowing kids to have
those fun snacks that you know,lots of kids other kids might be having,
(24:37):
but also recognizing that that's not necessarilygoing to help us feel our best.
So I think it's trying to findthat balance of allowing kids to have
those foods so they kind of,you know, feel like everybody else,
but then also you know, pairingthat with something like veggie's and hummus or
(24:57):
you know, full grain crack guacamoley, so that there's that balance there between
between the two kind of extremes.I'm Ryan Gorman and for National Nutrition Month,
we're joined now by Danielle Finelli,a registered dietitian at Johns Hopkins All
Children's Hospital. She's with us totalk about ways to improve our nutrition and
(25:19):
overall health. I want to goback to something you mentioned before, and
that's hydration, the importance of drinkingenough water and staying away from those sugary
drinks. Can you spend a littlebit more time on how all of that
impacts our health more broadly speaking,yeah, so's we're there's no there's no
(25:40):
secret that you know, more sugarseed beverages do not help us feel our
best at kind of create this realpeak in blood sugars followed by this big
drops. So when most of ourfluids are really high in sugar, there's
just going to kind of be thisconstant yo yo of energy that we feel
throughout the day, and it's hardto kind of keep that maintains energy throughout
(26:04):
the day. So really trying tolimit those sugar sweetens beverages and trying to
focus on just water. You know, even if you want to add some
flavoring to that can be perfectly finetoo, So things like thlemon juice,
you know, a little bit oflemon or even some you know on sweet
(26:26):
tea and things like that could beokay too, But definitely trying to maintain
even blood sugars with non sugar sweetenedbeverages. So sugary drinks and those really
processed foods packed with a lot ofsugar are those are the worst things you
could reach for if you're trying toimprove your overall health. So kind of
(26:47):
on a short term basis, sowhen we're thinking just kind of like the
day to day and even just kindof like I said earlier, how the
sugar in those beverages kind of causesour blood sugar to fluctuate a whole lot
on a really short term period,it does definitely have a big effect.
It's kind of like how I saidthat it affects our energy on a really
(27:10):
short term basis, but then whenwe're thinking a little bit more long term,
kind of on the more epidemiological standpoint, and kind of going back to
the processed foods as well, youknow, lots of sugar sweet and beverages
and processed foods can can definitely startto lead to more higher obesity rates,
things like hypertensions, you know,dyslipidemia and things like that. So it's
(27:37):
it's hard to oversae just how importantit is that we really try to limit
those sugar sweeten beverages, and youknow, it's hard to avoid all processed
foods, but just trying to makeslops where we wherever we can. And
finally, are there any other tips, suggestions, pieces of advice that you
generally offer up when talking about nutritionand diet and health, especially for kids,
(28:03):
but also for adults as well,stuff that we should keep in mind,
not just here during National Nutrition Month, but all year round. Yeah,
definitely, So I think I mighthave mentioned this earlier, but really
trying to develop healthy habits as earlyas we can. There's always something that
a kid can do to help preparewhatever is being prepared to eat. So
(28:29):
whether Vester goes back to, likeI said, taking kids to the grocery
store or trying even really small thingslike when you're seasoning of food, maybe
sprinkling a little bit as seasoning intheir pomps and letting them put it on
the food, letting them wash fruitsand vegetables. I'm here in Florida and
right now it's very seasoned, Somaybe trying to take kids to local farms
(28:52):
to do you pick berries for likestrawberries or blueberries can be a really great
way to get his excited about eatinghealthy and really starting into that ground level.
Danielle Finelli, a registered dietitian atJohns Hopkins All Children's Hospital, with
us for National Nutrition Month. Daniellereally appreciate the time and insight. Thank
(29:17):
you so much. Thank you somuch. Ryan, have a great day,
all right, and that's going todo it. For this edition of
iHeartRadio Communities. As we wrap thingsup, I want to offer a big
thanks to all of our guests,and of course to all of you for
listening. If you want to hearprevious episodes of this show, we're on
your iHeartRadio app. Just search foriHeartRadio Communities. I'm your host, Ryan
(29:37):
Gorman. We'll talk to you againreal soon.
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