How to Navigate this Guide
Tips for navigating the websites found in our “Financial Fraud Prevention Guide”
You may find it useful to print these tips before you visit the websites listed in the guide.
Prevention
- Fighting Financial Fraud: How to Shield Yourself from Swindles
- Tip: Clicking on the above link takes you to the “Table of Contents” of the FDIC’s Special Report on Fraud. To access an article that interests you, click on its title. To return to the Table of Contents, either scroll to the bottom of the article and click on the Table of Contents link or use your web browser’s back button. To move through the report without returning to the Table of Contents, use the links at the bottom marked “Previous Story” or “Next Story”. Be aware that these links are written in very small print, so they can easily be overlooked.
- Scam of the Month Videos
- Tip: Clicking on the above link takes you to the Scam of the Month Videos main page. To view a video click on either the Dial-up or Broadband link (depending upon the speed of your internet connection) located directly beneath the description of the video you wish to watch. The videos need to be viewed by Microsoft Media Player. Most computers have Microsoft Media Player already, but if you do not have Microsoft Media Player on your computer, you can download it for free by clicking HERE.
- U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission�..For Seniors
- Tip: The above link takes you to the For Seniors page of the SEC website. It is very user friendly. To access a topic of interest, simply click on the appropriate link. To return to the For Seniors page, use your web browser’s back button.
- U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission
- Tip: This website is very easy to use. To access a topic of interest, simply click on the appropriate link. To return to the main page, use your web browser’s back button.
Reporting
- Federal Trade Commission
- Tip: This website is fairly easy to use. Use the menu on the left of the page to navigate through the main pages of the site. To return to the main page, use your web browsers back button.
- Michigan Office of Financial and Insurance Services
- Tip: This website is very complicated and can be tricky to use. If you are interested in filing a complaint, click on Consumer Services in the menu to the left of the page that is loaded when you click on the above link. You will be redirected to a new page that contains a link entitled “How to File a Complaint”. Clicking on this link will take you to another page filled with an array of options, the choice of which depends upon whether your complaint concerns a financial institution, insurance, health insurance/HMO, or securities.
Recovery
- Michigan State University School of Criminal Justice Identity Theft Program
- Tip: This website is very easy to use. Simply follow the instructions on the main page, which will walk you through the processes for reporting an identity theft and restoring your identity once it has been stolen.
- Rights, Roles, and Responsibilities
- Tip: Follow this link to a handbook produced by the U.S. Department of Justice for victims of federal fraud crimes. Examples of federal fraud crimes include telemarketing fraud, mail fraud, credit card and check fraud, fraud related to securities, commodities, and other investments, banking fraud, advance fee schemes, and Internet fraud. The handbook provides an overview of the federal criminal justice system, lists the rights of federal crime victims, explains the services available to victims, and offers tips to protect victims from being defrauded again.
* The links contained within this guide are provided as a service to users of the AAA 1-B website. In providing these links, the AAA 1-B and its representatives do not accept responsibility for or endorse the content or condition of any linked page.