FTC: 10 steps to avoid fraud

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - Con artists are constantly coming up with clever new ways to steal your hard-earned money. The Federal Trade Commission has a list of 10 things you can do to avoid fraud.

The list includes:

Spot imposters - Scammers often pretend to be someone you trust like a government official, relative, or a business. Think about the recent IRS and FedEx scams. The FTC cautions you to not give out money or personal information in response to an unexpected request.
Don’t pay upfront for a promise - If you do, you’ll likely be out of the money you sent and never hear from the person again!
Do online searches - Type the company or product name into a search engine followed by the words fraud and scam.
Don’t trust your caller ID - It can be fake!
Hang up on robocalls. If you hear a recorded sales pitch, hang Don’t press 1 to be taken off the list. That could lead to more calls.

You can see the full list of tips here.