Attorney General Herring launches holiday scam awareness effort

Today, Attorney General Herring launched “12 Days of Holiday Scams,” a public awareness effort to arm Virginians with knowledge and tips to avoid common holiday scams.  Each day for the next 12 business days, Attorney General Herring will issue a holiday-related infographic on Tumblr, Twitter, and Facebook detailing how Virginians can protect themselves and their families from becoming victims during the holiday season, a time when scams and fraud increase.

“The holidays are a time for joy and family, but unfortunately, scammers and fraudsters use this time of year to prey on consumers,” said Attorney General Mark Herring. “These tips will arm Virginians with the knowledge to protect themselves and their families from becoming victims this holiday season. From my family to yours, I hope you enjoy this joyous season and look to my office as a resource for your consumer protection needs.”

According to an FTC report, in 2014 Virginia had the 11th most fraud and other consumer complaints per capita in the United States, with Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads both positioned in the top 50 per capita in a metropolitan area ranking. The FTC received 55,458 identity theft, fraud, and other consumer complaints from Virginia in 2014.

An uptick in the number of fraud cases and scams surrounding the holidays make December an ideal time to spread the word about tips to protect Virginia consumers from predatory and fraudulent practices online, in person, on the phone, or through the mail.