Every day, scammers target Utahns in your city. Each year, millions of dollars are given away under false pretenses as people fall victim to fraud. These funds, once sent, cannot usually be recovered, and consumers lose the hard-earned, long-saved money they were counting on.

Don’t be a victim.

1. Before you send money, stop, take a deep breath, and consider the situation.
2. Talk with trusted family members and friends. Talk with someone at your credit union or bank.

Every week, employees of credit unions recognize that consumers are falling victim to fraud and try to talk consumers out of sending money. But many of those consumers nevertheless choose to send funds to scammers. They never get their money back, and are left ripped off, taken advantage of, robbed.

You can learn more about scammers and fraud from many trusted sources. Here are just a few:

• Find your credit union, visit its site, and reach out using contact information provided publicly: https://utahscreditunions.org/index.php/credit-union-directory/
• The Utah Fraud Prevention Coalition (UFPC) outlines what to watch for: site forthcoming.
• Utah’s Department of Commerce has a site that teaches how to protect yourself against fraud and scams: https://scams.utah.gov/
• The FBI maintains a list of common scams and crimes: https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes