March 5 Marks “Slam the Scam” Day, Top 5 Tips to Help Granite Staters Identify and Avoid Scams

Concord, NH - Attorney General John M. Formella announces that the New Hampshire Department of Justice's Consumer Protection and Antitrust Bureau is urging Granite Staters to participate in National "Slam the Scam" Day on March 5, 2026, a nationwide effort to raise awareness about scams and help consumers avoid fraud.

"Scammers are becoming more sophisticated and more aggressive," said Attorney General Formella. "They target seniors, families, small businesses, and even government agencies. Our message to Granite Staters is simple: slow down, stay skeptical, and never send money or personal information to someone who contacts you unexpectedly."

As part of this national effort, state, federal, and local government, non-profit organizations, and private companies are joining forces to help protect consumers from scams. Over the years, scams have grown and evolved in scale and sophistication.

The first line of defense against scams is awareness. The New Hampshire Department of Justice accordingly presents the top 5 tips to help Granite States Identify and Avoid Scams:

1. Urgency - If you are told that there is an urgent need for you to provide money or personal information, assume you are communicating with a scammer.
2. Cash Conversion - If you are told to make a payment by converting US currency into crypto currency, gift cards, or any other specified form of payment, assume you are communicating with a scammer.
3. Requests for Payment - If someone is asking you to make any type of payment by phone, email, text message, or any other form of communication besides face-to-face interaction, assume you are talking with a scammer and verify the identity of requestor before continuing communication.
4. Requests to Click on a Link - If you receive a request to click on a link, assume it is a scam. Sending a link by text message, email or other messaging platform, along with a message that encourages you to click it is one of the most common methods used to perpetrate scams. Avoid clicking on any links that are sent to you unless you can verify the legitimacy of the link first.
5. Fear of Inaction - Scams are effective because scammers convince hard working people that something bad will happen if they don't engage with the scammer and follow instructions. This can take many forms from threatening imminent arrest to the loss of financial resources or benefits. Anytime you are told that something bad will happen if you don't provide money or information, you should assume it is a scam.

The Federal Trade Commission reported that consumers lost over $12.5 billion to scams in 2024, a 25% increase from 2023. Consumers lost more than $5.7 billion to investment scams and almost $2.95 billion to imposter scams.

We are all vulnerable. Scammers target individuals, businesses, and even government agencies to attempt to steal money or personal information. They pretend to be from a well-known business or organization. Scammers state there's some sort of problem or offer a prize, such as a benefit increase. They pressure you to act quickly. Most alarming, scammers tell you to pay using currency that is hard to trace, such as cryptocurrency, gift card, prepaid debit card, wire transfer, cash, or even gold bars. They might even say they are helping to keep your money safe.

Follow #SlamTheScam posts on social media and share them with your loved ones and your community. Stay skeptical about unexpected contact from businesses or organizations. Hang up or delete suspicious messages. Do not click on links. Report scams to the Federal Trade Commission (reportfraud.ftc.gov). Visit ftc.gov/scams to stay up to date on the latest scams and the tactics scammers use.

The New Hampshire Department of Justice Consumer Protection and Antitrust Bureau investigates unfair, deceptive, or unreasonable practices involving New Hampshire consumers. To file a complaint with the New Hampshire Department of Justice, call the Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-888-468-4454 or file a complaint online at https://www.doj.nh.gov/consumer/complaints.