The Delaware Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Unit (CPU) is putting everything on the table to help Delawareans avoid being caught in a scam before it’s too late.
Imposter, shopping, and auto scams had the greatest number of reported instances last year.
There were over 2,000 reports of imposter scams, and about 1,250 auto scams, which CPU Director Marion Quirk says have been on the rise as more and more people look to buy used vehicles.
“We’ve had recent issues with flood damage, and things that maybe a mechanic would have seen, but by just looking at the outside of the car, you wouldn’t know that there was a problem,” she said.
In a case like that, the CPU will address misrepresentations at the time of sale- investigating whether something was known by the seller and not disclosed.
They also work to prevent future scams from occurring.
In auto fraud, Quirk advises people to obtain the vehicle’s history before purchase, and to get an independent inspection to look for any hidden damage.
But there are a wide range of scams to look out for - and tips to avoid them all.
This week, the Consumer Protection Unit is targeting two groups most vulnerable to scams - younger and older adults.
Quirk says they don’t get a lot of reports from college-aged students, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t affected.
“And that’s one of the reasons we want to go on campus and talk to students about some of the issues they may be facing,” she said. “It could be job-related scams, or security deposits that their landlord is wrongfully keeping. But just to make sure the population knows we’re here and we’re a resource.”
The CPU will be visiting the Modern Maturity Center and the University of Delaware to help educate people on how to protect themselves.
They also point Delawareans to the CPU website, de.gov/ncpw.
It has a list of 2023’s top scams in the state, and extensive tips on how to avoid being caught in each of them this year.
