Page 23 - Senior Times South Central Michigan - July 2019 - 26-07

HANG UP ON PHONE SCAMMERS
Advance fee loan scams: Bad actors promise consumers guaranteed loans for upfront fees.
One ring scam: Consumers receive calls from numbers they don’t rec- ognize that stop after one ring. The scammers hope victims will call back, because the numbers are international toll numbers that will appear as phone bill charges – with most of the fees going to the perpetrators.
When I think of July, I think about fireworks, picnics, trips to the beach, or summer vacations. While many of us settle in to enjoy some down time, scammers unfortunately don’t take time off during the warm summer months. Financial exploitation is being called the “crime of the 21st century,” as I noted last month, and awareness is the most important step toward pre- vention. The good news is that reliable resources exist to help you become more aware of the scams being run in our community.
There are new scams every year and it would be impossible to keep
up with them all. Remembering a few tips will help you avoid most of them, however.
• Be suspicious of anyone you have
Visit CareWell Services SW (Region 3B Area Agency on Aging) website’s Scam & Fraud Alerts page (www.carewellservices.org/scam-and- fraud-alerts/). It can help you keep up with local scam reports. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) has a BBB Scam Tracker resource (www.bbb. org/scamtracker), which allows you
to see those currently impacting your area, as well as report businesses or offers that seem fraudulent to help the BBB investigate and warn others. A third Scam Alerts offering provided by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) (www.consumer.ftc.gov/features/scam- alerts) shares descriptions of recent schemes and a guide to recognizing warning signs.
never met in person asking you to send funds via wire transfers, prepaid cards, or gift cards.
A few of the more common tele- phone scams include:
• Ask for phone numbers and address- es if callers claim to be from estab- lished organizations like the IRS, hospitals, charities, or law enforce- ment. Look the information up your- self and confirm before proceeding.
• A caller insisting on secrecy is a red flag. Never allow anyone to discour- age you from seeking or sharing information with family, friends or trusted advisors – such as Guardian Finance and Advocacy Services’ Money Management Partners – before making financial transactions.
• Never “pay to play.” Do not pay up front for loans or to receive your “winnings.”
Emergency scams: Sometimes called “grandparent scams,” these schemes involve perpetrators call-
ing consumers while impersonating loved ones to say they are in trouble and need immediate financial help. Scammers plead with seniors to wire money and not tell other family mem- bers for fear of upsetting them.
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) telephone scams: Perpetrators call consumers and tell them they must immediately pay owed taxes or face serious consequences.
Fraudsters call consumers congratulat- ing them on winning lotteries, draw- ings, or sweepstakes, then ask “win- ners” for upfront payments to cover processing fees or taxes.
Once it is apparent that no winnings are forthcoming, victims may receive other calls from scammers claiming to be attorneys representing sweepstakes winners. The “attorneys” offer to col- lect winnings on victims’ behalves in exchange for upfront fees.
• Never share personally identifiable information – including banking and/or credit card details, birthdate, Social Security number, or your driv- er’s license number, among others
Guardian
Senior Times - July 2019
Page 23
Empowering Lives, Guiding Futures
Here to Help with life’s challenges
Guardian Finance and Advocacy Services (Guardian) has been a trusted service provider in Southwest Michigan since 1966.As a 501( c )3 nonpro t corporation, our professional and compassionate staff provides a complete network of public duciary services to improve the lives of more than 1,200 clients each year.
Our core business has historically been in the court-appointed services of guardian- ship and conservatorship, though we also serve as representative payee, by appoint- ment of the Social Security Administration, andVA duciary, by appointment of the Veterans Administration.
Money Management Trust Management VA Fiduciary Guardianship
We are seeking to grow our services for the general public.These include trust management, nancial power of attorney agreements, and money management programs, preventive offerings that can help people remain independent, avoid nancial crisis, and prevent the need for court intervention.
We are a social enterprise driven by our nonpro t mission, and simultaneously working to maintain our successful business. Our services are supported
by client fees that are necessary to cover service costs, and our fee schedule is adjusted to accommodate each client’s ability to pay.
• Financial Power of Attorney • Special Needs Trust
• Representative Payee
• Conservatorship
Visit our website for more information www.yourguardian.org
693 Capital Ave. SW, Unit #3 Battle Creek, MI 49015
269-963-3253
FINANCE & ADVOCACY
Robert Copeland, CEO, Special to Senior Times
– when someone has initiated unso- licited contact.
Lottery and sweepstakes scams:
If you are interested in additional scam information, the “Money Smart for Older Adults” guide is another use- ful resource provided by the Federal Deposit and Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). You can find it by visiting https://www.fdic. gov/consumers/consumer/moneysmart/ olderadult.html.
Sweepstakes recovery scams:
As noted in this guide, older adults are increasingly targeted by telephone scam artists who use lies, deception, and fear to convince them to send money or provide personal account information. Taking the time to edu- cate yourself on scams can help pre- vent you from becoming a victim.
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Here’s wishing you a safe and happy summer!
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