How to protect your money against scammers

SALT LAKE CITY — According to the Federal Trade Commission, scammers stole nearly $9 billion from consumers in 2022. It was a record high and a 30% jump over 2021 levels.

Financial website Kiplinger broke down the most common scams and how to protect yourself from falling victim to scam artists.

The most common scams

Far and away the most common frauds were impostor scams. There were more than 725,000 reports of that type of fraud. Second, online shopping scams, followed by fraud involving prizes, sweepstakes and lotteries.

How can you protect yourself?

Start by not trusting the caller ID on your phone — especially if it’s someone asking for private information. A legitimate bank or credit card won’t ask for that by calling you.

And when shopping online, there are plenty of red flags to look for. Be suspicious of online shopping sites with unusually low prices or ones that have a no returns policy.

One final thing to keep in mind — never send money to someone you’ve met online but not in person. There’s a pretty good likelihood it’s a scam.