Continuing with last week’s columns regarding scams, be on the alert for:
• A message from your grandchild calling and crying for help can actually be a scam, especially when they ask for money to get them out of a tight. This is the bad news we all dread: the car’s broken down in the middle of the night; the kid is in jail; a mugging’s occurred. Whatever the reason for the call, grandparents want to quickly help out the person in need. To protect yourself, ask a few questions that only your grandson or daughter would know; for example, where did you visit the last time you were together, the ages of any siblings, or so forth. Do not send a dime until you’ve verified the story, even if it takes extra time for the phone call.
• Free weekend, free dinners, free golf games, free anything may definitely be fraud. The main goal of financial “seminars” like these is, frankly, to sell investments that offer big commissions for sellers – all legit. However, the ads, pitchmen and so forth can be either inappropriate or downright deceptive for seniors. The key to added investments is to deal only with long-time, trusted financial advisors. Sure, you can accept the invites and have a good time on the links or at the restaurant, but don’t sign a thing or agree to follow-up meetings, until you know all the in’s and out’s.
• Yes, your computer has a virus and we’ll get rid of it for a $100. A get-rich(er) scheme that’s been around for awhile is one that also keeps on gathering folks into the scammers’ nets. Supposedly, from Dell or Microsoft, someone calls or e-mails (or even pop ups) with a problem detected on all model numbers. (The key to their success is to promote a common number that hits many consumers, so even if it’s the wrong one for some people, the scammer still makes lots of money.) Obviously there’s no virus; worse, you could end up paying lots more for non-existent malware, etc. And to add insult to injury, the crook may also install software that scans your computer to steal the passwords and highjack your computer.
To protect yourself, install legitimate software to detect viruses, and be sure to keep it current. Hang up the phone on anyone who claims to be an expert at finding problems with your computer.