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Press Release
BOISE – During the holiday season, online criminals increasingly target Idahoans through online scams and fraud schemes. Today, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit, along with the FBI, the Fort Hall Police Department, the Bannock County Prosecuting Attorney’s and Sheriff’s Offices, the Bonneville County Prosecuting Attorney’s and Sheriff’s Offices, the Idaho Falls Police Department, and the Pocatello Police Department, announced their joint “Don’t Click December” Consumer Protection Campaign. The AARP is also participating in the announcement and the awareness campaign.
The campaign advises members of the public to exercise skepticism and caution when receiving unsolicited online, email, pop-up, or text communications from unknown or unverified sources. If there is any doubt about a link, message, or attachment, law enforcement cautions: “Don’t Click It.”
As part of the campaign, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, and their partners will release a public service announcement each week in December leading up to Christmas. In the first PSA, available here, FBI Special Agent in Charge Shohini Sinha, Fort Hall Police Chief Pat Teton, and U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit introduce “Don’t Click December” and explain some of the ways in which individuals can be targeted.
Three additional PSAs will alert the public to common online fraud schemes that Idaho law enforcement has seen affect Idahoans. These schemes are:
Unfortunately, these are not the only schemes affecting the public, and new schemes arise all the time. Law enforcement hopes that the “Don’t Click December” Consumer Protection Campaign will raise public awareness and encourage individuals to talk to their friends and relatives about not clicking suspicious links, texts, messages, pop-ups, or attachments.
“We have witnessed many Idahoans lose their hard-earned money or their entire retirement savings to online scams. And, sadly, this type of crime tends to spike during the holiday season,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “But, together, we can reduce the risks by talking with each other about how to avoid such scams, and I’m grateful to our law enforcement partners and the AARP for joining us in the Don’t Click December campaign. We also encourage Idahoans to report any scams as soon as possible so that law enforcement can investigate and we can bring these vicious online criminals to justice.”
“According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, Idahoans lost more than $33 million to various scams last year,” said Special Agent in Charge Shohini Sinha of the Salt Lake City FBI. “As we shop, bank, and stay connected online, it’s important to be alert and aware of internet‑enabled crime. The FBI is proud to partner with our law enforcement partners to share these important safety messages to keep you and your money safe, especially during the busy holiday season.”
“We are pleased to join with our partners to raise awareness about online fraud targeting our citizens. If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. If you’re not familiar with it, don’t click on it,” said Pocatello Police Chief Roger Schei.
“Increases in technology, especially the use of AI, and the complexity of criminal organizations is making it more challenging for Idahoans to avoid the criminals who want to defraud them,” said AARP Idaho State Director Lupe Wissel. “This initiative is a great way for Idahoans to share information with their friends, family and neighbors to help keep everyone safe from scammers.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and its law enforcement partners recognize that we all must work to eliminate the stigma individuals may experience if they are victimized. There is no shame to falling victim to an online scheme, which are often designed by professional criminals, sophisticated, and tested repeatedly across the country.
For this reason, the “Don’t Click December” Consumer Protection Campaign also publicizes ways to report scams and incidents of fraud to the FBI and local law enforcement.
To learn more about these and other scams targeting Americans visit FBI.gov, and if you believe you have been victimized, take-action by reporting it to FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.gov or by contacting your local law enforcement agency.
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CASSIE FULGHUM
Public Information Officer
(208) 334-1211