State AG's Office urges extra vigilance on 'Slam the Scam' day

CONCORD - Attorney General John M. Formella announced on Friday that the New Hampshire Department of Justice's Consumer Protection and Antitrust Bureau is urging Granite Staters to participate in National "Slam the Scam" Day, a nationwide effort to raise awareness about scams and help consumers avoid fraud.

"Scammers are becoming more sophisticated and more aggressive," said Formella. "They target seniors, families, small businesses, and even government agencies. Our message to Granite Staters is simple: slow down, stay skeptical, and never send money or personal information to someone who contacts you unexpectedly."

As part of this national effort, state, federal, and local government, non-profit organizations, and private companies are joining forces to help protect consumers from scams. Over the years, scams have grown and evolved in scale and sophistication.

The first line of defense against scams is awareness. The New Hampshire Department of Justice accordingly presents the top 5 tips to help Granite States Identify and Avoid Scams:

1. Urgency - If you are told that there is an urgent need for you to provide money or personal information, assume you are communicating with a scammer.
2. Cash Conversion - If you are told to make a payment by converting US currency into crypto currency, gift cards, or any other specified form of payment, assume you are communicating with a scammer.
3. Requests for Payment - If someone is asking you to make any type of payment by phone, email, text message, or any other form of communication besides face-to-face interaction, assume you are talking with a scammer and verify the identity of requestor before continuing communication.
4. Requests to Click on a Link - If you receive a request to click on a link, assume it is a scam. Sending a link by text message, email or other messaging platform, along with a message that encourages you to click it is one of the most common methods used to perpetrate scams. Avoid clicking on any links that are sent to you unless you can verify the legitimacy of the link first.
5. Fear of Inaction - Scams are effective because scammers convince hard working people that something bad will happen if they don't engage with the scammer and follow instructions. This can take many forms from threatening imminent arrest to the loss of financial resources or benefits. Anytime you are told that something bad will happen if you don't provide money or information, you should assume it is a scam.

The FTC reported that consumers lost over $12.5 billion to scams in 2024, a 25% increase from 2023. Consumers lost more than $5.7 billion to investment scams and almost $2.95 billion to imposter scams.