I’m very concerned about my elderly parents. Bless their hearts, they are both too trusting for their own sakes (and wallets). Dad has already been scammed twice in the past year. While we all prefer my folks stay in their own home with access to their financials, there must be a way to protect themselves and stay relatively independent as they grow older. – Carla Concerned
Dear Ms. Concerned: Crooks use clever schemes to defraud millions of people every year, including identity theft to steal their (literally) lives. In order to stay a step or two ahead of these creeps, keep a copy of the following in a conspicuous spot and urge Mom and Dad to refer to it at least once daily.
Ellen Phillips Spot imposters. “Nana, I’ve been in an accident and need to get to the hospital. Something is terribly wrong with my back!” Scammers often pretend to be someone you trust, such as a family member, a charity, or a company you do business with. Use that consumer radar we all possess and never send money or give out personal information in response to an unexpected request, regardless if the appeal comes as a text, a phone call, or an email. Just. Hang. Up.
Do online searches. With this being tax season and the tax scammers crawling out of the woodwork, it’s always a great idea to investigate if you’re tempted to believe their spiel. Use online research to review a company and/or determine complaints,
Don’t believe your caller ID. One of my biggest hang-ups surround fraudsters’ use of my area code – or even my own phone number! 423 or 706 may appear to be a valid area code and caller who simply isn’t listed in our contacts. And, frankly, if we see our own identical number staring back up at us, surely most people would scratch their heads in confusion but, also, answer the call just to find out what’s going on. Technology makes it easy for scammers to fake caller ID information, so the name and number you see aren’t always real. If someone calls asking for money or personal information, hang up. In fact, if the familiar name doesn’t pop up, don’t answer the call; if the caller is legitimate, that person will leave a message for you to return the call.