Lowey Talks About Internet Scams, $1B Lost by Victims

New Internet-related scams are targeting immigrants and people who may think a loved one is in trouble and needs money.

U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey, D-Harrison, along with Lois Greisman, associate director of the Federal Trade Commission's division of marketing practices, held a press conference Wednesday to try to get people to be more cautious when asked for personal information.

"Most people today shop online, read magazines and newspapers online," Lowey said. "This is the way they do business. They are very trusting."

She said one scam uses imagery and tricky wording to convince people they are with the federal government to send them $850 for a processing fee that will guarantee the victims legal permanent residence in the United States.

The other—sometimes called the "grandmother scam"—gets ahold of a person's entire directory of email addresses and sends a plea for thousands of dollars because they had been robbed in a foreign country and had no way to get home.

"Anyone who believes the federal government is emailing them to ask for money should contact the FTC," Lowey said.

She said the "grandmother scam" takes advantage of relatives who may have no way of knowing the email isn't legitimate.

Greisman said it is difficult to know exactly how much people are losing because of the scams.

"We know that consumers report (these incidents) to the FTC and attorneys general offices," she said. "They are probably well in excess of $1 billion in losses."

It is a challenge to educate consumers about these Internet pitfalls, Greisman said.

"If you receive an unsolicited email, once they start asking for personal information, hit delete," she said. "Anyone who is suspicious about an email should report it to the FTC."

They can go to OnguardOnline.gov to file a complaint or to get more information, Greisman said.