Page 24 - Senior Times South Central Michigan October 2022 - 29-10

Page 24
Senior Times - October 2022 Updates on Your
SOCIAL SECURITY
Vonda VanTil, Special to Senior Times
PROTECTING OUR LOVED ONES FROM ELDER ABUSE
All Tables Cleaned & Sanitized After Every Customer!
Senior Citizens 10% Off
Open For Indoor Dining
Call For Take-out
1089 E. Michigan Ave. • Battle Creek, MI 49014 • 269.962.1325
Clip this coupon and present to R&R Grill
Are you concerned about protecting your older relatives and friends from elder abuse? The pandemic highlighted the disproportionate impact of tragedy on underserved communities, including older adults, who face high rates of elder abuse, fraud, and nursing homes deaths.
cially when money is lost. Many older Americans are unsure about the report- ing process or feel too embarrassed to report. Understaffed Adult Protective Services offices can also cause long pro- cessing times and underreporting.
an estimated $113.7 billion a year! Reporting fraud can be difficult and older adults tend to underreport– espe-
It’s important to remember that elder abuse can happen to anyone, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, or financial status We are committed to helping and preventing further victimization – espe- cially in underserved communities.
We work hard to protect beneficiaries from Social Security and government imposter scams. You can learn more about protecting your loved ones at blog. ssa.gov/slam-the-scam-how-to-spot- government-imposters and our Protect Yourself from Social Security Scams webpage at www.ssa.gov/scam.
A MEDICARE RATED FIVE STAR FACILITY!
Please share these important resourc- es with your family and friends.
Fraud
A recent Federal Bureau of Investigation report showed that elder fraud has increased. Older adults in the United States reported over $1.6 billion in losses in 2021. This includes victims of COVID-related scams. Older adults in the U.S, also lose nearly 25 times more money to scammers than other groups,
Protect Yourself
★★★★★
We Provide Top
FOR A VIRTUAL TOUR VIST www.laurelsobedford.com
Vonda Van Til is the Public Affairs Specialist for West Michigan. You
can write her c/o Social Security Administration, 3045 Knapp NE, Grand Rapids, MI, 49525 or via email at vonda.vantil@ssa.gov.
Quality Nursing
Care & Therapy!
SERVICES WE PROVIDE
• Skilled Nursing Care • Respite Care
• Palliative Care
• Wound Care
• Short-Term Rehab
• Outpatient Rehab
• Stroke Rehab
• Joint Replacement Rehab
From Scams
By: Staci Stefan, Social Catfish
By the time 2021 wrapped up scam- mers had made a significant impact
on the finances of our aging popula- tion. According to the FBI 2021 Elder Fraud Report, found at https://www.ic3. gov/Media/PDF/AnnualReport/2021_ IC3ElderFraudReport.pdf, the top five most common types of scams targeting elderly victims in 2021 include:
1. Tech Support Scams –13,900
2. Non-Payment Or Non-Delivery Scams – 13,200
3. Identity Theft – 8,902
4. Confidence Fraud Or Romance Scams – 7,658
5. Personal Data Breach – 6,189
75% of Romance Scams Victims Are College Educated: There is a misconception victims must be unin- telligent. However, 2,305 of the 3,074 victims polled (75%) have some college education and 13% earned graduate degrees.
(269) 968-2296 • www.laurelsofbedford.com
270 NORTH BEDFORD ROAD • BATTLE CREEK, MI 49037
FALL!
Swonk’s can create traditional arrangements, trendy arrangements or something special.
84 West Goguac Street in Battle Creek 269-963-5571 • www.swonksflowersandgift.com
Gifts, gift baskets, or boxes are always available.
Middle and Lower Class Americans Make up 84% of Romance Scam Victims: The poll found 44% of romance scam victims make less than $100,000 and an addi- tional 40% make less than $40,000 per year. In total, 84% earn less than $100,000. On the flip side, 60% make $100,000 or more.
STOP IN... we have many colorful arrangements to choose from.
While members of the elderly pop- ulation are by far the most likely to be targeted and fall victim to scams and fraudulent activity, the demographic groups below also suffered significant losses in 2021.
Tech-Savvy Teens See Largest Increase in Money Lost: Victims under 20 saw a 1125% increase in money lost to online scams in the last five years, the highest increase of any age group per FBI IC3 reports from 2017 and 2021. Seniors saw a 390% increase during this period.
A new study offers an unprecedent- ed look at the growing online scam cri- sis in America as a record $6.9 billion was lost to online scams in 2021, up from $3.5 billion in 2019. The amount lost has nearly doubled since the start of the global pandemic.
Cryptocurrency Scams are Skyrocketing: Scammers hit the jackpot with fake crypto investment scams. A record $1.6 billion was lost to Cryptocurrency scams in 2021, a nearly seven-fold increase from $246 million in 2020 per the FBI’s IC3. Beware that scammers of all stripes often ask to be paid in crypto. It is a big red flag.
Michigan is the number seven most- scammed state with 10,930 victims los- ing $185 million in 2021, up from $84 million in 2020. The average victim in the state lost a staggering $16,617 last year.
Five Tips to Avoid Online Scams:
Award-Winning | 5-Star Rated
50 Sanderson Lane 517.279.9587 Coldwater, MI 49036 Maple-Lawn.org
Romance, cryptocurrency, and investment scams are skyrocketing and are highly sophisticated; highly educat- ed people as well as large corporations are increasingly being scammed; and teens are now losing money at a higher rate than any other age group including seniors.
• Do not give money to anyone you have never met in person.
Social Catfish today released its second-annual study on the State of Internet Scams 2022 using data from the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center and the FTC released in 2022, and a poll of 3,047 romance scams victims who are among the company’s reverse search users.
• Five big red flags include poor gram- mar, refusing to video chat, being in the military, working overseas, asking to be paid in gift cards or cryptocur- rency.
KEY FINDINGS FROM THE STATE OF INTERNET SCAMS 2022:
• Use a password manager to cre- ate many passwords so if one has been compromised the rest of your accounts are protected.
Money Lost to Online Scams Has Doubled Since COVID-19: A record $6.9 billion was lost in 2021, up from $3.5 billion in 2019 per the FBI IC3. The amount lost has nearly doubled since the start of the global pandemic.
Visit the complete State of Internet Scams 2022 study to see all the find- ings and learn how to avoid every type of scam.
• Do not give out personal information if you have never met in person
• Perform a reverse search using photos, emails, phone numbers, and addresses to verify if the person or entity you are speaking to online is who they say they are.
Social Catfish was founded by David McClellan. They can be found online at socialcatfish.com.