FBI launches "Take A Beat” campaign to raise awareness of fraud and scams

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Sacramento Field Office is participating in a nationwide effort, “Take a Beat,” to raise awareness of the frauds and scams impacting the public and to encourage reporting to law enforcement. Throughout this campaign, the FBI will offer tips for identifying and preventing them and explain how victims can report these incidents to help protect others.

“We urge the public to ‘Take a Beat’ when they receive an unsolicited call, text, email, or other communication,” said Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel, who leads the FBI Sacramento Field Office. Legitimate businesses will welcome these additional checks. Prioritize securing your personal information and life savings by scrutinizing all unsolicited communication that may come your way.”

One of the most common tactics criminals use to advance scams is a false sense of urgency. The FBI’s “Take A Beat” awareness campaign asks the public to resist pressure to act quickly, pause for a moment, assess the situation, and reach out to your trusted financial institution or law enforcement to verify the information and get help before a financial loss occurs.

According to the latest FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) data, victims have reported $1.6 billion in losses from January to May of 2024, which is nearly $300 million more than the same time last year. In 2023, 3.79 million people reported internet-enabled frauds and scams, which resulted in a reported $37.4 billion in losses.

While fraud can happen to anyone, the following small steps can be taken to protect yourself and your information:

- Protect your personal information. Immediately contact your financial institutions to place protections on your accounts and monitor for suspicious activity. Take precautionary measures to include two-factor authentication to protect your identity should a criminal gain access to your device or account.

- Beware of unsolicited contact. Be cautious of unsolicited texts, phone calls, mailings, and door-to-door service offers. Verify the legitimacy of businesses on websites such as Better Business Bureau. Other people have likely posted information online about businesses and individuals attempting to run scams.

- Resist the push for an urgent response or action. Criminals use a false sense of urgency to trick you into making an uninformed decision.

- Verify all claims and requests. Never provide personally identifiable information, cash, checks, gift cards, or wire information to unverified people or businesses.

- Don’t navigate online interactions alone. Reach out to known, legitimate sources to verify details and talk to friends and family.

If you believe you or someone you know may have been a victim of a fraud or scam, contact your local FBI office or submit a complaint on IC3.gov. You should document the name of the scammer/company and methods of contact, dates of contact, methods of payment, where funds may have been sent, and a thorough description of the interactions.

For more information on the common frauds and scams the FBI encounters, visit: www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/scams-and-safety/common-frauds-and-scams

To view the latest stats and trends, visit www.ic3.gov.