The Reston District Police Station’s Community Liaison Officer, Brandi Horita, has reported that the Federal Trade Commission has announced the launch of a new website that makes it easy for people to report fraud, scams, and bad business practices. That link is shown below, along with additional information on education about fraud and scams.

The Reston District is the police station whose service area includes Great Falls, and its Community Liaison Officer is the community representative for Fairfax County’s Silver Shield Program. Silver Shield helps community members avoid being scammed by using a network of county agency representatives to share critical information about current scams.

In 2017, more than 37 percent of all fraud committed in Fairfax County involved victims over the age of 50. Identity fraud, credit card fraud and selling goods and services under false pretenses are just a few of the types of cases seen daily in Fairfax County. The Silver Shield campaign shares critical information to help older adults avoid scams. It builds on the education programs provided by various county agencies, allowing for consistent countywide messaging, efficient use of resources and creative methods of reaching older adult communities.

Silver Shield considers the FTC a community partner, and reports from members of the public helps provide essential information and awareness to the community. Such knowledge can help protect the community from theft and the fear often associated with fraudulent schemes.

Members of the community who feel that they have been a target of a scam and would like to report it should contact the Fairfax County Police Department at 703-691-2131. As an alternative, reports can be submitted to directly to the FTC’s new website.

The resources below provide more about Fairfax County’s Silver Shield, information on the warning signs of fraud, and can be used to report fraud to the FTC on its new website.

To report fraud to the Federal Trade Commission, click here.

To learn about Fairfax County Silver Shield, click here.

To learn about frauds and scams from the FTC, click here.

Click here for a downloadable Scam and Fraud Information Sheet