Opinion: Beware of impersonation scams
Randy Hutchinson
Randy Hutchinson is the President and CEO of the BBB of the Mid-South, serving 28 counties in Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas. He graduated from Western Maryland College and has an MBA from Wilmington College.
The FTC received 850,00 reports of impersonation scams in 2024, with total losses of almost $3 billion.
And only a fraction of scams are reported, so the actual numbers are much higher.
Impersonation scams include crooks claiming to be:
- Your utility company calling to say your power is about to be cut off unless you pay a past due bill immediately.
- A grandchild or other loved one in trouble and needing money.
- Amazon or your bank saying they’ve detected fraud on your account.
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