Howard T. Markey National Courts Building • 717 Madison Place, NW, Washington, DC 20439 • 202-357-6400
Court Solicitation of Personal Information
The Court of Federal Claims DOES NOT call, email, or send letters requesting money, gift cards, or personal identifying information.
Vaccine Program petitioners SHOULD NOT provide money, or “a tax payment,” to anyone in exchange for a Vaccine Program settlement check even if the request allegedly comes from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Vaccine Program, the Office of Special Masters, or the United States Court of Federal Claims.
Common Scams:
Identity Theft:
Identity theft occurs when someone assumes the victim’s identity to perform a fraud or other criminal act. Criminals can get the information they need to assume the victim’s identity from a variety of sources, including theft, rifling through trash, or by compromising credit or bank information. They may approach the victim in person, by telephone, or on the Internet.
Advance Fee Scams:
An advance fee scam occurs when the victim pays money to someone in anticipation of receiving something of greater value and then receives little or nothing in return. For example, vaccine program petitioners SHOULD NOT provide money, or “a tax payment,” to anyone in exchange for a Vaccine Program settlement check even if the request allegedly comes from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Vaccine Program, the Office of Special Masters, or the United States Court of Federal Claims.
Telemarketing Fraud:
When money or personal/financial information is given to an unknown person or caller, the chances of becoming a victim of a telemarketing fraud increases dramatically.
Here are some warning signs of telemarketing fraud—what a caller may say:
If these or similar “lines” are spoken from a telephone salesperson, just say “no thank you” and hang up the telephone.
Things you can do to avoid Scams:
What to do if you are a victim of a Scam:
For the most up to date information on how to identify and report frauds and scams, please visit here [11].
What to do right away:
What to do next: Report the Scam
Reporting is important because it establishes accurate statistics on the number of people affected and because the FBI and other law enforcement agencies devote considerable resources to breaking up fraud rings. Start with the police (essential if you want to make an insurance claim on stolen property). The AARP Fraud Watch Network also has a hotline available to anyone (877-908-3360), and volunteers there can advise you of the best next step if you’re unsure of what to do. Depending on the crime, other places to contact include:
Links
[1] https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/avoiding-debt-relief-scams
[2] https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0078-advance-fee-loans
[3] https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0100-mortgage-relief-scams
[4] https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0243-job-scams
[5] http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0199-prize-scams
[6] https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0090-using-money-transfer-services
[7] https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0027-comparing-products-online
[8] https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0259-robocalls
[9] https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0101-free-trial-offers
[10] http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0159-fake-checks
[11] https://www.usa.gov/stop-scams-frauds
[12] https://www.transunion.com/
[13] http://www.experian.com/
[14] https://www.equifax.com/personal/