Hello! My name is Annaka and I am a public services librarian at the Herrick District Library in Holland, MI.

Over the past several years, we have noticed an increase in scam-related reference questions, where a patron either a) asks library staff whether or not something that they have encountered online is a scam or b) has come to the library for technological assistance while in the process of being scammed. (For example, an older patron came to us looking for help installing WhatsApp on his phone after a stranger he met on Facebook told him to do so; one of the hallmarks of digital scams is moving the victim to an encrypted messaging app.)

While it is our general practice not to dispense legal or financial advice to patrons, we want to both avoid complicity in scam behaviors and see educating the public about this kind of misinformation as part of our library's mission. We have hosted anti-scam programs both on our own and with our county sheriff's office, but we are interested in creating a policy/guidelines for staff when they find themselves in this situation at the information desk.

Our current MO is usually to advise the patron that we believe that they are in a fraught situation and to consult their bank (which is legally obligated to refuse service if their customer is being scammed) before proceeding if it seems that money is already involved. We find, however, that patrons are often reluctant to take our advice or that we are entering into the situation before it's gotten to that point.

My questions are:

If you have a moment to answer any of the above questions or if you have any more resources about this issue in libraries specifically that you don't mind sending along, I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks!