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Scams have been circulating for many years but it seems there are always new ones popping up to try to scam people out of their money.

The following is information from the Hackers Brief, put out by the CyberWyoming Alliance, on some scams circulating Wyoming.

Solar Stimulus Scam Warning: Watch out for fraudsters with unfounded claims on how much solar panels will save you. If a high pressure sales person contacts you, this may be a clue that it is a scam. If you are interested in solar panels, the FTC provides guidance at https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0532-solar-power-your-home.

Free Roof Inspection Scam Warning: Beware senior citizens of door-to-door scammers who offer free roof inspections. They often get on your roof, damage it themselves, take photos, and then demand a deposit for work to be done and inflate the price of fixing the damage. Be sure to refuse any door-to-door free roof surveys. Contact your insurance agency or a local, reputable Wyoming roofing company if you are concerned about your roof.

Scammers Claiming to Provide Student Loan Forgiveness: With the increased unemployment rate, those with student loans are being targeted for fake student loan forgiveness. Scammers are contacting borrowers asking for an upfront fee to have the debt removed and claim that their loan has been forgiven under a lawsuit settlement and the lawsuit settlement is real, but the loan forgiveness is not.

Deep Fake Alert from Scambusters.org: As the elections draw closer, so will the prevalence of doctored videos (deep fakes). Watch for unnatural facial movements and facial features that aren’t quite right and make sure you get your information from a reputable source.

Please report scams you may experience to phishing@cyberwyoming.org to alert your friends and neighbors.

Other ways to report a scam:

• Better Business Bureau Scam Tracker: http://www.bbb.org/scamtracker/us/reportscam

• File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov/complaint

• Report your scam to the FBI at https://www.ic3.gov/complaint

• Reported unwanted calls to the Federal Trade Commission’s Do Not Call Registration. Online at https://complaints.donotcall.gov/complaint/complaintcheck.aspx or call 1-888-382-1222, option 3

• Office of the Inspector General: https://oig.ssa.gov/

• AARP Fraud Watch Network (any age welcome) Helpline 877-908-3360

• IRS: report email scams impersonating the IRS to phishing@irs.gov

• Call the Wyoming Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) for assistance with potential Medicare fraud, abuse, or errors at 1 800 856-4398