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Senior Scams

How Home Care Can Protect Seniors from Online Scams

by Richard Bitner October 20, 2019

written by Richard Bitner

Today’s seniors are more tech-savvy than most people give them credit for. Unfortunately, the internet still poses safety concerns for elderly users. While many baby boomers are as knowledgeable as anyone about computers and the internet, older seniors and late-adopters are often easily fooled by online tricks and scams. How Home Care Can Protect Seniors from Online Scams
If you’re concerned about an elderly loved one’s safety and security online, solutions are few and far between. You can’t be there every time your loved one is on the computer or using their tablet, and there’s no such thing as a foolproof app for detecting and preventing online scams.
One option you might not have thought about is home care. To help seniors navigate the internet and social media, some home care providers now offer tech-focused home care programs that provide seniors with in-home support for online technologies. These programs can be especially useful in combatting online fraud targeted at seniors.

Online Security Risks for Seniors

If you have an elderly loved one who uses or wants to use online technologies, your concern for their online security isn’t unfounded. Those over 65 are twice as likely to be victims of online fraud as the rest of the population, and that risk is increased in older seniors.
Older adults who use the internet can be susceptible to scams for three main reasons.

First, seniors tend to be more susceptible than other age groups to all types of fraud, so many seniors are already at a disadvantage.
Second, seniors who started using the internet late in life often aren’t equipped to identify obvious scams. The newer someone is to the internet, the more likely they are to click on a link most people would avoid.
Third, and perhaps most disconcertingly, scammers know that seniors are more vulnerable. This has led scammers to target online spaces where seniors are more likely to spend time.

Senior dating websites, for instance, are rife with “sweetheart” scams, a type of catfishing scheme designed specially to target lonely seniors. Fraudsters pretend to be a senior looking for love, target a vulnerable senior, then spend weeks or months developing an online relationship, often moving the relationship offline to avoid detection. Finally, the scammer invents a story where they desperately need funds, convinces the targeted senior to wire them money, and then disappears forever.
Other common scams include impersonation of tax officials, pretending to be grandchildren asking for funds, phishing websites that trick seniors into giving up banking information, or emails that ask seniors to submit sensitive personal information to receive a free prize that doesn’t actually exist.

Senior Home Care & Online Security

Helping protect seniors from obvious online scams is one of the biggest benefits of tech-focused home care services. These programs partner seniors with caregivers who are experienced internet users. Caregivers guide seniors as they use the internet and social media, giving helpful tips and advice.
When caregivers spot a dangerous looking website, email, or instant message, they can warn the senior not to engage with it. If seniors are uncertain about whether or not something is safe, they can ask the caregiver for advice.
For many seniors, having an experienced internet user around can make their online experience much less stressful and much more enjoyable. If you’re worried that your loved one might fall for an online scam, chances are that they’re just as worried as you are. Pairing them with a caregiver who can help them stay safe online will give them peace of mind and allow them to surf without anxiety.
If you think a tech-focused home care program could be beneficial to your loved one, we invite you to contact your local Visiting Angels office to learn more. How Home Care Can Protect Seniors from Online Scams

How Home Care Can Protect Seniors from Online Scams

How Home Care Can Protect Seniors from Online Scams How Home Care Can Protect Seniors from Online Scams How Home Care Can Protect Seniors from Online Scams How Home Care Can Protect Seniors from Online Scams How Home Care Can Protect Seniors from Online Scams

October 20, 2019 0 comment

Fraud & Security

How to Stop Money Scammers

by Rod Spurgeon April 15, 2019

written by Rod Spurgeon

Why scammers get away with their crimes – and what you can do to stop them!

It’s not always easy to avoid scams. Criminals are tricky, aggressive, and they’ll say whatever they have to that will convince someone to hand over their hard-earned money. If one of these scoundrels rips you off, what will you do about it? How to Stop Money Scammers

Everyone has the potential to become a victim of a scam, including you. I’ve seen countless stories come across my desk of victims who refused to believe that scammers ripped them off until they’ve lost everything. Some victims were too embarrassed to ask for help and allowed scammers to take every dime they had over time. Scammers count on the silence and compliance of their victims, using them as their personal piggy banks over and over again for as long as possible.

You can’t afford to lose everything you’ve worked so hard to earn throughout your entire life. How to Stop Money Scammers
If you become the victim of a scam, take the following actions immediately before it happens again:

Call the police to report the scam. Give them as much detail about the scammer as you can. The police will not only do what they can to catch the criminals, they can also give you the guidance you need to avoid becoming a victim again.
Learn from the mistake. Remember the details of the call and how the scammer convinced you to give up your money. If you receive a similar call in the future, hang up without saying another word. It’s not rude to hang up on someone who is trying to steal your money – it’s self-preservation. How to Stop the Money Scammers
Don’t answer phone calls from unknown numbers. The best way to avoid calls from scammers is to review the Caller ID and only answer the phone when you know the identity of the caller. How to Stop the Scammers
If you get a large number of calls from people trying to sell you something, even if you don’t answer unknown numbers, your phone number is probably on a scammer’s list of potential targets. A good way to stop these calls is to change your telephone number, even if you’ve owned it for years or decades. That phone number is now in the hands of those who will never stop calling and will always try to steal your money.
Don’t sign up for free prize drawings or contests. These are ploys to get your contact information for marketing purposes. The more marketing calls a person receives, the more likely that individual will become a victim of aggressive marketing tactics. How to Stop Money Scammers
If you feel overwhelmed by aggressive callers or large amounts of advertising mail and don’t know what to do, seek guidance from family members. Rely on help from loved ones to stop aggressive scammers from taking advantage of you.

Don’t be embarrassed if you find out that you’ve become the victim of a scam. It happens to people of every age, gender, and ethnicity. It’s what you do after it happens that will determine if it stops or continues until you’ve lost everything. Take the actions listed above to reduce your chances of becoming a victim again.

How to Stop the Money Scammers

How to Stop the Money ScammersHow to Stop the Scammers

April 15, 2019 0 comment

Fraud & Security

Jailhouse call: Scam preys on father’s love

by Rod Spurgeon April 9, 2017

written by Rod Spurgeon

A man received a phone call recently from someone claiming to be his daughter. The woman said she was in a Las Vegas jail and needed his help to get out. Her voice sounded genuine to the concerned father, and he wanted to do what he could to help her in her time of need. What he didn’t know was that this was an elaborate ploy by scammers to steal his hard-earned cash. Here’s what happened next and how you can avoid becoming a victim. Jailhouse call: Scam preys on father’s love
Desperate to get out of jail, the daughter told her father that her lawyer was going to call him with more details on what to do next. Shortly after that, the lawyer called and told the loving dad that he needed $15,000 to get his daughter out of jail and clear her driving record. Rather than wire cash, the lawyer asked the father to purchase gift cards from a particular retailer.
The worried father prepared to do as instructed, but at the last minute, decided to call his daughter’s office see if she’d answer. When she answered the phone, the father realized he was the target of an elaborate two-person scam.
Two hours later, the lawyer called asking for the gift card information. The father told the lawyer that he spoke with his daughter at work and knew the call was a scam. Without another word, the scammer hung up the phone and never called back.
In this scam, the caller had basic information about the target. The scammer knew the target’s name, the name of his daughter, and the target’s phone number. Using this information, the scammer manufactured a scenario that would instill enough fear and concern in the target to force him to take immediate action.
Emotion is a powerful motivator, often causing some to act quickly without carefully evaluating a situation. In the scenario above, the father paused to assess the predicament before giving the lawyer $15,000. That assessment saved the dad a considerable sum.
If you find yourself the subject of a similar phone call, take the time to carefully evaluate the legitimacy of the situation. At the very least, call the person who needs help using contact information you already have. Don’t use alternative contact information provided by the caller. It could be false.
You might ask how the caller had information about the father to begin the scam. That’s a good question, and the answer is – the availability of such information is more abundant than ever.
A technically-minded scammer can dig up basic information on potential targets by running a search online. There are many websites that aggregate such information for a variety of purposes. Skilled scammers can harness the power of this modern, easily accessible data to arm themselves with valuable ammunition in their scams. It takes a criminal more time to obtain such information and implement these scams, but the effectiveness of targeted attacks results in higher returns because they’re more personal in nature.
Always take the time you need to carefully evaluate a caller’s story before acting. It could save you a large amount of cash and considerable anguish. Jailhouse call: Scam preys on father’s love

Jailhouse call: Scam preys on father’s love

April 9, 2017 0 comment

Fraud & Security

Job Offer Could be a Reshipping Scam in Disguise

by Rod Spurgeon December 26, 2016

written by Rod Spurgeon

When a man recently posted his resume online, he looked forward to a new career opportunity. What he found was a chance to become an unwitting partner in a reshipping scam. Job offer could be a reshipping scam in disguise
After posting his resume online, a company contacted “Billy” to tell him about a unique job offer. The company claimed to be a charitable organization that needed an independent contractor to receive donated items and mail them out to other destinations. Billy thought the job sounded easy enough, so he accepted.
Soon, Billy received a variety of expensive items in the mail and mailed them out as instructed by the charity. Billy was never paid for his time performing this service and ultimately reported the fraud to the authorities.
This charitable organization received its “donations” from stolen credit cards, and used Billy to ship items purchased with the stolen cards out of the country. Billy not only wasted his time performing work for a fake charity, he also became an unsuspecting party to a fraud.
Don’t let this happen to you. If a company contacts you and offers the opportunity to work from home as a reshipper, the safest action is to say “no thanks.” If you feel compelled to learn more about the company and whether the offer might be legitimate, here are a few ways to do your homework:

Check with the Secretary of State for the state in which the company operates to see if the business is licensed.
Check with the Better Business Bureau to see if there are any complaints against the company.
If the company is a charity, check out give.org to see if it’s listed.
Perform a web search for the company using your favorite search engine. Type the name of the company followed by the word “scam” and check the results.

Job offer could be a reshipping scam in disguise Job offer could be a reshipping scam in disguise Job offer could be a reshipping scam in disguise Job offer could be a reshipping scam in disguise Job offer could be a reshipping scam in disguise Job offer could be a reshipping scam in disguise Job offer could be a reshipping scam in disguise Job offer could be a reshipping scam in disguise

December 26, 2016 0 comment

Life Lessons

Beware Deceptive Friend Requests

by Rod Spurgeon September 6, 2016

written by Rod Spurgeon

Social Media Safety Tips Beware Deceptive Friend Requests

Social media has become a prime target for scammers in recent years. Beyond sensationalized photo and video posts that lure unsuspecting viewers to click on an item for the juicy details, fraudsters have a more despicable technique to extract personal information from social media users – impersonating members of the military. Beware Deceptive Friend Requests

Facebook Friend Scams Beware Deceptive Friend Requests

A friend of mine recently received a friend request on Facebook from someone she didn’t know. She perused the personal page of this individual and saw that he posted a profile picture of a gentleman in a U.S. Army uniform next to a military Humvee. The header on this page also displayed a group of men in uniform posing for a photo. In a message he sent to her along with his friend request, he claimed to be a Captain General in the U.S. Army. Beware Deceptive Friend Requests
His biggest mistake wasn’t the one you probably have in mind. The rank Captain General is non-existent in the U.S. Army, and anyone claiming to be one has never served. While this is a dead giveaway, his biggest mistake was telling her that his name was something contrary to the embroidered name on his uniform. Also visible on the uniform also was the rank of Sergeant First Class (SFC). The real SFC in the photo will always outrank and outclass a shameful Captain General scammer any day of the week. Beware Deceptive Friend Requests
Besides these glaring errors, there’s another giveaway that should have anyone turning down this friend request. The requesting individual has only eight friends. For someone with such few friends to have located and made contact with my friend without any prior contact or acquaintances in common is extremely unlikely.
The best course of action to take when you receive a friend request from someone you don’t know is to turn down the request. If you’re not sure about your affiliation with the person, look for telltale signs that the individual might not be who he or she claims to be: Don’t fall for deceptive friend requests

Use of a non-existent rank in the military
Claiming an identity other than what a photo indicates
The individual has few if any friends
Neither you nor anyone you know has any prior contact with the individual

Why would someone resort to such a contemptible means of connecting with someone? The scammer is either looking to glean enough information from an individual to hack that person’s social media account, or the fraudster is looking to use the connection as a springboard to launch a scam. Whatever the reason, accepting a friend request from someone you don’t know is always a dangerous course of action.
My friend ultimately turned down this scammer’s friend request after pointing out the glaring errors in his profile. Two days later, this fraudster’s account was deleted. Don’t fall for deceptive friend requests
Always scrutinize friend requests whenever you receive them, even if the individual claims to be a member of the military. That friend request might be from a scammer in disguise. Don’t fall for deceptive friend requests

September 6, 2016 0 comment

Fraud & Security

How to Avoid Telephone Scams

by Jeff Dailey January 26, 2016

written by Jeff Dailey

How to Avoid Telephone Scams

Scams work best when a fraudster has real-time contact with a target. People find it far more difficult to say no to a live pitch than an email or mail scam. That’s exactly why telephone scams are highly effective, and why you should learn how to avoid them. How to avoid telephone scammers
Scammers convince their targets to fall for their pitches by controlling a person’s emotions. Most scammers hone their pitches well before they contact you. They’ve learned what works to convince people to hand over their money, and they’ll use those skills to target you. Can you pierce through the veil of a scammer’s lies to avoid becoming a victim? Let’s find out.
Someone calls to tell you that you’ve been selected by the U.S. Government Treasury Claims Department in Washington, D.C., to receive $8,600. According to government records, you pay your bills on time, have no criminal record, haven’t filed for bankruptcy in the last six months, and are a loyal U.S. citizen. Because of this good record, you are among 1,000 citizens selected by the government to receive this money. All you have to do when you receive it is to use it for a good purpose such as paying your bills or taxes, fund your education, or start a business. In order to claim the money, you must first provide proof of your identity by telling the caller your name, address, employment status, marriage status, and age. Once you offer this information, the caller asks for your account information for the bank in which you would like the funds transferred. Do you provide it?
In this example, a scammer I preying on the emotion of hope to sucker a target into coughing up personal information. With it, the scammer can not only clean out someone’s bank account, the fraudster can also steal the victim’s identity.
The best way to avoid telephone scams is to refrain from answering the phone when you don’t know who is calling. When the phone rings, unless you recognize the number, don’t answer it. If the call is important, the caller will leave a message and you can return the call if it’s someone you want or need to talk to. If the caller doesn’t leave a message, then it’s unlikely you would have wanted to talk to that person anyway.
Though a caller may not leave a message, you might still be able to find out who dialed your telephone number. Many people who receive calls from scammers report that contact to various websites. All you have to do find out if the caller is a scammer is to type his or her telephone number into your favorite search engine. Based on the results of your search, if you find out that the number is from a scammer, add that number to your contact list as a Do Not Answer. The next time that phone number calls your phone, you’ll know immediately it’s from a scammer.
Remember, to avoid telephone scammers, never answer the phone unless you know who is calling. If you pick up the phone anyway, never give your personal information to an unsolicited caller. The safety of your personal information is in your hands, so choose your telephone conversations wisely.
Author Rod Spurgeon at http://www.ownyourdefense.net

January 26, 2016 0 comment