Makin' Money

Fraud alert

Chris Farrell Mar 16, 2012

Financial fraud is on the rise. Americans submitted more than 1.5 million complaints about financial and other types of fraud in 2011. That’s a 62 percent increase in just 3 years, according to the Federal Trade Commission’s annual Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book. A recent report by Kimberly Blanton — The Rise of Financial Fraud: Scam Never Change but Disguises Do — details a number of common “disguises” of tried-and-true scams. Her report is part of the Financial Security Project at Boston College’s Center for Retirement Research. Disgusting.

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