03/22/2023
Elder Fraud and Financial Abuse: More than 369,000 incidents of Elder Fraud and Financial Abuse targeting older adults are reported to U.S. authorities each year, resulting in an estimated $4.8 billion in losses.
NINE TIPS TO HELP SENIORS AVOID SCAMS:
1. Be familiar with common types of scams.
2. Don’t rush to react. Scams are often presented as urgent situations requiring immediate action. Take time to consider the situation.
3. Be suspicious of odd payment methods. Scammers will often ask you to send them money with a wire transfer, money order, cryptocurrency, payment app, or gift card. Legitimate businesses will accept credit cards.
4. Protect your personal information. Scammers and con artists try to get you to provide them with personal information like your Social Security number, account numbers, passwords, credit cards, or other identifying information. Require written documentation before agreeing to a contract or giving away information.
5. Avoid suspicious e-mail or website links. Don’t click on links in unsolicited emails, texts, or social media messages.
6. When in doubt, ask a friend or family member. Before giving out your credit card number or money, ask a friend or family member if the request or situation seems suspicious—particularly if you’ve been told by someone you don’t know that the person needs help.
7. Add extra security to your accounts. Many online accounts let you use multifactor authentication. This requires you to enter a code that's sent to your phone or email, or that you generate with an app, before accessing your account.
8. Use direct deposit and automatic bill paying. Using direct deposit for Social Security or other benefit checks, and implementing automatic bill paying can make personal information harder to intercept.
9. Sign up for the National Do Not Call Registry at www.donotcall.gov or call 1 (888) 382-1222.
