Scammed against seniors including theft

Scammed against seniors including theft

Don't Be Scammed- Tips For Avoiding Theft By Deception

Chief Raymond J. Hayducka says, “Don’t Be Scammed”
Learn how to prevent Fraud and Identity Theft in Senior Citizens
The South Brunswick Police Department has noticed a recent trend in central New Jersey showing an increase in reported cases of fraud and identity theft targeting senior citizens. Source:http://www.sbtnj.net/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC=%7B40116E30-5118-45CD-B688-EBEAFA36E03C%7D&DE=%7B6ED6CE38-E500-4B19-A650-F220D541548F%7D

Read  these tips in an effort to arm and educate seniors with the knowledge and skills necessary to combat this trend.
Why are senior citizens being targeted?
• May be more likely to have a nest egg
• May have physical limitations
• May be less aware/alert to scams
• May be more trusting of strangers
• May be more willing to speak to strangers due to loneliness
• May be more polite to potential scammers
• Are less likely to report fraud than other age groups
• May no longer have their partner/confidant to talk to
• Are less likely to report fraud than other age groups
Identity Theft
• Occurs when someone uses your identity- your information- for fraudulent purposes
• How can people get your information?
o Mail theft
 Get your mail every day
 Consider a locking mailbox
 Bring outgoing mail to a drop box
o Trash
 Don’t throw out old or unwanted statements or documents
 Get a shredder and use it
 Don’t leave documents laying around your house
o Lost documents or wallet
 Don’t write down passwords, pin numbers, etc.

o Phishing
 Con artists try to get you to give out information
• May look legitimate. Always check.
• Ex: PayPal e-mails
o Never follow the links
• Ex: “Missed jury duty” phone calls
• Ex: “This is the bank calling…”
 Share phishing e-mails
• What else can you do?
o Consciously safeguard your information
o Check your credit report regularly- at least annually
Scams
• Scams are when people trick you into willingly handing over your money
• Some types of scams:
o Nigerian Letter or “419” fraud
 Share newspaper articles
 Caller/contact pretends to be government official who wants to illegally move money out of the country
 He needs outside contact to make it work
 Promises to share the money with you if you help
 If you send money to bribe officials, money will be sent directly to you
 The money doesn’t really exist
 This is a crime in Nigeria- criminal code 419- so Nigerian officials are not sympathetic or helpful
 Checks sent are further used to drain the victim’s account
o International Lottery Fraud
 Share newspaper articles
 Scam operators, usually in another country, tell you won a foreign lottery
 You need to send money to cover the fees before the money is released
 Create a sense of urgency- “This ends at midnight tonight…”
 They may send a check “To cover fees” but the check will not clear
 These lottery solicitations would violate federal law anyway
o Inheritance Scams
 Research specialist locates unclaimed money
 For a fee, they will tell you how to obtain it
o Pigeon Drop
 Share newspaper article
 Money found (dropped wallet) is offered to be split
 Victim must put up “good Faith” money

o The sob story
 “I need an operation…”
o Home improvement scams
 Travelling con artists
 Driveways and fences are most common
o Pyramid scams
 Most never pay out
o Public Utility Scams
 Share newspaper article
 Workers lure you from your home to look at utilities
 A partner cleans out the house
o Telemarketing fraud
 Donate money or buy something
 Some warning signs:
-  "You must act 'now' or the offer won't be good."
-  "You've won a 'free' gift, vacation, or prize." But you have to pay for "postage and handling" or other charges.
-  "You must send money, give a credit card or bank account number, or have a check picked up by courier." You may hear this before you have had a chance to consider the offer carefully.
-  "You don't need to check out the company with anyone." The callers say you do not need to speak to anyone including your family, lawyer, accountant, local Better Business Bureau, or consumer protection agency.
-  "You don't need any written information about their company or their references."
-  "You can't afford to miss this 'high-profit, no-risk' offer."
 Ask for information on a charity to be sent to you
 Wait for information on a product before you buy
 It’s never rude to take time to think about an offer
 If it’s too good to be true- it probably is

Crime prevention is everyone’s responsibility, and protecting your money and your identity should be a very high priority.
Be sure to always:
• Protect both your incoming mail as well as your discarded documents.
• Keep passwords and PIN numbers secret and don’t write them down.
• Be wary of anyone asking for your personal identifying information whether in person, on the phone, or on the internet.
• Check your credit report regularly.
• If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
• Always remember that there are people out there who want to separate you from your money, and you must actively and continuously protect yourself from them.