By Barb Achenbaum, Executive Director, Staying Put in New Canaan on August 24, 2016 in Clubs & Organizations,Community, News · 0 Comments
Here is a guest column from Barb Achenbaum, Executive Director of Staying Put in New Canaan that gives tips so seniors can avoid internet and phone scams.
Many seniors are successfully embracing technology — surfing the internet, checking in with their grandchildren on Facebook, and booking travel online. However, because seniors are less technologically adept than younger folks, they are often the target of scams.
The Internet Crime Complaint Center says it received nearly 315,000 fraud complaints last year, with the bad guys making off with $485 million.
“Seniors especially can be vulnerable because they’re very trusting, and technology is advancing faster than the instruction that’s available to them,” says Donna Simone, assistant director of Staying Put in New Canaan.
Studies show that seniors are more likely to respond to what seem to be legitimate online requests. “No reputable company will ask you for your personal information over the internet,” says Sgt Peter Condos of the New Canaan Police Department. “If they do, it’s a red flag. And you should never send money to anyone you’ve never met through your computer.”
Here are some other tips for keeping your “surfing” safe:
- Never give your bank account, Social Security number or credit card information to a source you don’t know or trust over the internet.
- Don’t respond to an email message that appears to be from a legitimate institution, asking you to “update” or “verify” your personal information.
- Don’t respond to a message on your computer that says your virus protection has been compromised and you need to provide your credit card number in order for it to be reinstalled.
- Don’t trust a notification that you’ve won a sweepstakes and need to make a payment to unlock the prize.
While internet scams pose a high risk for seniors, the telephone presents dangers as well. According to the Consumer Law Center, Americans lose an estimated $40 billion each year to the fraudulent sale of goods and services over the telephone.
The FBI reports that people who grew up in the 1930s and 1940s were generally raised to be polite and to be gracious to strangers. Con artists exploit these traits, knowing that it is difficult or impossible for these individuals to say ‘no’ or just hang up the telephone.
“We were brought up to be so trusting. We really can’t believe someone would take advantage, especially when they sound so friendly over the phone,” says Staying Put member Jeannie Hart. And this is just what fraudulent telemarketers, who direct as much as 75% of their calls at older customers, are hoping.
Here are some tips for knowing when to hang up that phone:
- An agent of the IRS calls demanding immediate payment or announcing that you will receive a tax refund. The IRS always communicates first via the U.S. Postal Service, fondly known as “snailmail.”
- Someone who sounds like your grandson calls to say that he is in trouble and needs you to send money. Immediately call his cell phone or check with his parents to make sure that he’s okay.
- Someone claiming to be a friend calls to say he’s been in an accident in a foreign country and needs money wired to him in a hospital. Hang up and call his friends or family to verify. (This can also come as an email which you should not respond to.)
- A representative of Medicare calls to confirm that you received your new Medicare card and asks you to verify your social security number. New cards intentionally do not contain that information.
Finally, if you think that you’ve been targeted by a scammer, don’t be afraid to ask a trusted loved one or friend for help or advice.
While millions of older victims are targeted each year, about 80% of cases go unreported. Older Americans are less likely to report a fraud because they don’t know who to report it to, are too ashamed at having been scammed, or don’t know they have been scammed.
“Sometimes seniors hesitate to admit that they’ve been scammed, for fear that it suggests the beginning of a cognitive deficiency,” says Simone. “They think it might serve as evidence to their children that they’re no longer using good judgment. Scammers are very clever and we all need to be alert.”
In fact, the most important thing you can do is notify not only your family, but the police as well. If a crime goes unreported, it will not be publicized and it is more likely to happen again to others. “We are fortunate that we have police who are very understanding and will help,” says Simone.
“Never be afraid to contact the police,” adds Sgt. Condos. “That’s what we’re here for.”
For more information, contact the Elder Abuse Hotline at 800-677-1116 or visit their website at www.eldercare.gov.
Tags: assistant director of Staying Put in New Canaan, Barb Achenbaum,Consumer Law Center, Donna SImone, Executive Director, Facebook, FBI, Federal Bureau of Investigation, grandchildren, Internet Crime Complaint Center, internet safety, Internet security, irs, Jeannie Hart, new canaan, online travel, phone safety,Sgt. Peter Condos of the New Canaan Police Department, staying put, Staying Put in New Canaan, Tips for senior to avoid internet and phone scams, travel, U.S. Postal Service
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