(Photo By Flickr User West Midlands Police)

National Consumer Protection Week is from March 3rd-9th.

This is a nationally coordinated campaign to help consumers understand their rights and become informed about making decisions to avoid being scammed.

According to WGEM-TV,  Police Chief Eddie Bogue of Palmyra, MO, said the elderly are usually the target for scammers in their area, often using phone scams.

Chief Bogue said they can use a local number, asking people to wire or send money, when often times the calls are from out of state or country, which makes them harder to trace and prosecute.

The Better Business Bureau said there are multiple scams out there including home improvement, romance, employment, and the BBB offers a scam tracker map, so you can see what scams are being reported in your area.
For a list of tips to avoid being scammed, log on to www.bbb.org/avoidscams, right now!