Most likely, you know someone who’s been the victim of a scam – or maybe you worry about your older relatives as they become increasing targets of bad actors. There are a few things you can do to help.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently launched the “Pass It On” campaign, which encourages caring people like you to pass on information about how spot and avoid scams, as well as what someone can do if they find themselves the victim of scammers.

Pass It On lists scams by type, so you can easily share information with your loved one the moment they get that irresistible offer from foreign royalty.

You can find all these resources on the Pass It On page.

As a reminder, scammers often try to impersonate your bank – that’s why First Merchants uses secure, consistent short codes when we text you account alerts or other information. You can always trust a text message that comes from one of the following numbers:

• 86975 – Debit Card Fraud Alert
• 86434 – Secure Access Codes and Alert Notifications
• 226563 – Text Banking
• 77972 – Informational Messages
• 20736 – Zelle^® Notification
• 75243 – Connecting External Accounts with Plaid
• 57358 – Account Opening
• 301128 – Consumer Lending

You can get more information about these codes, what they mean, and when you may receive them here.

And don’t forget to explore the rest of our Security Center for the latest information on trending scams, how to report a scam attempt to your bank, and more.