Summit County Scam Safety

Last year, there were over 2.6 million reports of fraud resulting in $10 million lost to scammers across the United States. From imposter scams over the phone and on social media, to investment and prize scams, Americans are being overwhelmed by devious new scams every day.  

Summit County is committed to combatting these scams by educating the public, increasing tech literacy, and providing resources to report and take down these scams as they come up. With our “Outsmart the Scam” events, Summit County offers classes and workshops to strengthen skills online. 

 

Outsmart the Scam

Attend Summit County’s Outsmart the Scam informational sessions and workshops to increase your tech literacy and learn how to protect yourself and loved ones from potential scams. Our next event is “Outsmart the Scam: At The Holidays” on Saturday, December 11 from 5:30pm-6:30pm at the Main Library (60 S. High St, Akron). Together with County Prosecutor Elliot Kolkovich, Sheriff Kandy Fatheree, and sponsored by County Councilman Brandon Ford, we welcome residents to attend a workshop on how to stay safe on your devices.

This workshop will feature a speaker from the Better Business Bureau of Akron focused on keeping you safe from scams throughout the holiday season.

Those who pre-register will be entered into a drawing to win 4 tickets to the Akron Art Museum courtesy of Downtown Akron Partnership! Pre-register here.

Outsmart the Scam Holiday Flyer

What To Do If You've Been Scammed? - Report It!

If you or a loved one has fallen victim to a scam or online extorsion, report it to your local law enforcement immediately. Reporting the incident and sharing your experience can help protect others and can help shut down these scams. Reporting the incident with one of the scam tracker tools linked below also helps to keep others informed of potential scams and allows organizations to identify where scams are occurring.  

There is support! Call the crisis lifeline at 9-8-8 if you are experiencing a mental health crisis while navigating a scam or online extorsion situation.

AARP Scam-Tracking Map

The AARP Fraud Watch Network Scam-Tracking Map shows scams reported in your area. Click on the map to report your scam, warn your neighbors, and see what else has been reported near you. 

  

Scam Reporting Resources

Due to the overwhelming need for support, a number of hotlines and reporting tools have been created to track and combat scams.  

Summit County's Fiscal Office has created an online tool to protect you from property record fraud. 

The FBI provides an Internet Crime Complaint Center to track and combat crimes and scams for consumers and businesses. 

The U.S. Treasury Inspector General has generated a hotline and information center for crimes and scams involving stolen IRS payments, tax fraud, identity theft, and false tax returns. 

The FTC has put together a database of fraudulent callers, businesses, and other consumer related scams. This can be used as a resource to report scams and research potential scammers. 

Fiscal Office Logo

Be Aware!

There are dozens of scams to be aware of these days, and below are just a few of the most prevalent in the community. The links below provide additional information to keep you and your family safe.  

The Summit County Sheriff’s Department has issued information about a jury scam that involves fake calls from the Sheriff’s Department coercing victims to send money to avoid arrest.  

The Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission has issued information about an ongoing scam involving fraudulent texts from scammers requesting payment for unpaid tolls through fake websites.  

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) maintains an extensive list of information about common ongoing scams, as well as a scam tracker. The link below leads to numerous informational articles about each and ways to stay safe. 

Local news organizations have reported on spoofing scams that involve scammers posing as police officers and asking for money.  

A recent tragedy involved the extortion of a minor online and serves as a cautionary tale for community members. Families and friends need to support and look out for one another online and adopt safe online habits at an early age. 

More information about each of these can be found through the links below. 

2023 Scam Snapshot

The FTC tracks ongoing scam data, including the types of scams on the rise and impact on the country as a whole. The "Scammy Snapshot" provides an overview of scams in the past year, as well as a look at trends around scams. Learning about the most common practices of scammers can be an important first step to identifying and avoiding future scams. The infographic provides an outline of the most common scams and the damage they do to victims.