Scamming is a huge criminal enterprise and there are a number of steps you can take for peace of mind, including freezing your credit so that no one can take out loans in your name. Thank you Matt Netto from AARP Rhode Island and Mikaela Driscoll from the Office of Attorney General Peter Neronha for helping educate folks at the Senior Center and Westerly Library

Actions You Can Take Today:

• Freeze Your Credit (instructions here)

• Enroll in Identity Theft and Credit Monitoring

  Everyone affected by the RIBridges hack can receive free credit monitoring and identity theft insurance for 5 years and identity restoration for your lifetime through Experian. The instructions to enroll were sent to you in the mail, with a unique code to enroll. Ensure that you enroll by April 30, 2025 (Your code will not work after this date.

• Make it a dinner table topic: talk to your older family members and friends about common scams/fraud and how to protect themselves

Finally, make sure to report scams so that law enforcement can stay up-to-date on the latest scams targeting Rhode Islanders:

• If you think you may be a victim of a scam, contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection team at 401-274-4400, prompt 1 or email us at consumers@riag.ri.gov. If you are over the age of 60 and in need of assistance, please contact the Elder Abuse Unit at 401-274-4400, prompt 6.

• Common scams are listed here: https://riag.ri.gov/scams