As Connecticut moves through its annual Consumer Protection Week activities this week, we are prompted to recall two familiar sayings.

The first is “caveat emptor,” a fairly familiar Latin term that means “let the buyer beware.” It means that a buyer assumes the risk if a product fails to meet expectations or ends up having defects.

The second is a commercial catchphrase popularized by Sy Syms, CEO of the Syms Corporation, for company television ads in the 1980s that stated: “an educated consumer is our best customer.”

The state’s Department of Consumer Protection (DCP), the Office of the Attorney General, and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) are encouraging consumers to take some time between March 6-12 to become educated about the many ways unscrupulous characters from around the corner and around the globe are working overtime to rip you off.

Officials are highlighting the top scams that affected Connecticut residents in 2021, and reminding consumers to stay vigilant against scams, fraud, and identity theft this week and in the future.

Connecticut DCP Commissioner Michelle H. Seagull noted that on top of rising prices, consumers lost a lot of money to fraud and scams last year. In fact, reports of fraud increased in 2021, and Connecticut consumers reported losing $40.9 million to fraud and scams last year, almost double the reported loss in 2020.

The average consumer reported losing $460 in 2021, an increase from the average loss of $279 in 2020.

More than 21,000 consumer complaints were recorded in Connecticut last year, up from 18,000 in 2020, and 14,500 in 2019, according to newly released data from the Federal Trade Commission.

Last year in Connecticut, imposter scams were the number one complaint reported by consumers, while reports of identity theft, and complaints related to online shopping, exchanges and returns, continued to surge.

Kristen Johnson at BBB Serving Connecticut says online purchase scams accounted for more than 40% of the reports to the BBB’s ScamTracker, as reported by Connecticut consumers who lost money. The victims of these scams reported losing an average of nearly $200.

Counterfeit products were the second most reported scam in Connecticut where money was lost, and a majority of those scam complaints were tied to an online purchase as well.

To protect yourself, your credit, and your bank account, remember: Never send money to someone you have never met face to face; don’t click on links or open attachments in unsolicited e-mails or text messages; and don’t believe everything you see or read. Scammers are great at mimicking official seals, fonts, and other details on websites and e-mails.

In addition, take precautions when making online purchases: Never share personally identifiable information with someone who has contacted you unsolicited; don’t be pressured to act immediately; use secure, traceable transactions when making payments; and be cautious about what you share on social media.

If you have been victimized, do not retreat and suffer in silence. Go to BBB.org/ScamTracker to report a scam, and learn more about other risky scams on BBB.org/ScamTips.