Hi Annaka, This is an interesting question, and I'd be curious to see what kind of responses you get. Just several weeks ago, I taught a class on how to spot false information online. It was well-received, and I had a couple of people who attended contact me later to ask for help in identifying whether something specific they saw was a scam. I agree that we cannot give legal or financial advice to patrons, but at the same time we as librarians have always prided ourselves on helping patrons to find the best information possible on a given subject. If we can tell a patron that the information they find in a book is bad - either directly by speaking with them or indirectly by choosing not to purchase it for the collection - I don't see why we couldn't do that with websites and apps as well. It's hard to find that balance that you described, however. The way I approached the questions I got from patrons recently was to point out what in the posts could be an indication that something is a scam without actually telling them what to do. I might even show them other resources they could use to help them figure it out. If I know for a 100% fact that something is a scam and can show them concrete evidence that it is, I would say that yes, indeed it is a scam and should be avoided. However, if there's any doubt at all, or even any gray area in what we mean by "scam," then I think our goal should be to educate the public so that they can make an informed decision on their own. As for refusing service, I think where we draw the line is actually helping patrons get out of a scam. By that I mean we should not try to call a customer service line for a patron or something like that if they do indeed get scammed. That is their responsibility, I believe. We can look up the proper phone numbers or email addresses or tell them how to do it. But that's not something that we have time to do, not to mention that we can be held liable if we do something to make the situation worse. Sorry, that might be more information than you wanted and probably doesn't even answer your question. But this is something I have thought about a lot and am always trying to help people with. Thanks, Brian R. Johnston Adult Services Librarian Lincoln Township Public Library 2099 W. John Beers Road Stevensville, MI 49127 (269) 429-9575 bjohnston@lincolnlib.org ________________________________ From: Annaka Koster via Michlib-l <michlib-l@liblists.org> Sent: Monday, December 1, 2025 3:17 PM To: michlib-l@liblists.org <michlib-l@liblists.org> Subject: [Michlib-l] Does your library have guidelines around scams? 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<https://fightcybercrime.org/blog/why-do-scammers-love-telegram-whatsapp/>.) 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: * Have you noticed an increase in these sorts of inquiries at your library? * Do you have any official/written policy or more informal guideline that address these issues? * Is there ever a point at which you refuse service, either if you suspect you are encountering a scam in progress or once it becomes obvious that you 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! Annaka Koster Public Services Librarian Herrick District Library herrickdl.org<http://www.herrickdl.org>