Walking back to my car from the grocery, I heard the voice of an adorable little boy, maybe 18 months old, squealing, “Dodo! Dodo!” He was kicking and lunging himself forward in the cart, pointing at me with each word. His mom noticed me watching, clasped her hand over his, said something that made him smile, and mouthed, “Sorry!” I chuckled, waved at them both, finished putting my groceries in the car, and left wondering how that little guy knew I’d been feeling like a Dodo.
I play 3 word games on my phone. Once I’ve solved the puzzles, I’m finished until the next day’s challenge. Brain games…you know? Earlier that day, though, I succumbed to clicking on an advertisement and answering some, what I considered to be, innocent-enough questions. By the time I realized the questions were more intrusive than they should’ve been, it was too late. I’d signed up. I spent an hour unsubscribing, and making sure I hadn’t divulged any personal information that could be used to steal my identity.
It happens in a blink. A scammer entices us to click on a link, answer questions during a phone call, reply to an ambiguous text, add a friend on Facebook that we’re already friends with, reply to a message within a game application, reply to official-looking mail, answer our front door … there are a multitude of ways to inadvertently allow someone access to our private information.
When it comes to scams, seniors are some of the most preyed-upon. The scammers count on us not being technologically savvy, too polite to hang up, or too compassionate to close the door. Spring is coming, which brings a seasonal host of scams, and it’s time we armored up!
With the region’s likelihood for natural disasters, Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron warns us against Natural Disaster Fraud. Boggles the mind, doesn’t it – that someone would prey on us when we’re in such a vulnerable situation, and yet they do! Charity scams abound, too, during those tragic times, so make sure you’re donating to a reputable organization.
Construction and home repair scammers – particularly as the weather warms up, may approach you about work they claim to be doing in your neighborhood. Now’s not the time to be polite. Let them know that you don’t have any work done on your property without checking the Better Business Bureau, www.bbb.org, references, and getting several estimates; thank you, but no thank you! Close the door – hang up the phone – whichever is appropriate. If you linger, they can come up with all kinds of trickery to convince you to let them do the work. A reputable company will respect your response. It may feel unnatural, in fact, I’m sure it will. Better to be safe, do your homework, and call them back later with an apology, than to risk losing thousands and possibly even damaging your property.
Online shopping – this is where I probably get myself into the most trouble. I think my therapy is, “Add to cart!” It’s so easy, isn’t it? Just one click here, a click there, enter payment information, and *boom!* You may never get your item, or it isn’t as it was described, and now they have all your payment information. Some advice AARP shares to keep you from making my mistake is to never click on an advertisement. Instead, bookmark the URL of your favorite sites, (the web addresses) and use those to start your shopping searches. If you want to make a purchase from someplace new, check the customer reviews, and again the BBB.
Let’s talk about phishing (pronounced fishing) – we receive an email or a text from someone claiming to be a bank, or other service provider. It’ll read that there’s been some sort of security breach, or your order is on the way (except you never ordered anything from them) and they need you to address it right away by using the attached link. DO NOT CLICK!!! To be safe, just exit out of the text or email. If you really want to verify your suspicions, pick up the phone and call that bank or service provider directly.
By now, most people have heard of the IRS scams. Unfortunately, with tax season coming up, you can count on an increase in calls, emails, and even fake postal mail slipping through. These look and sound very convincing. Those looking to commit fraud are good … very good at making things appear authentic. Know that the IRS will NEVER call you, threaten you, email you, text you … to act on any tax situation. You will likely receive a letter in the mail, if you have any legitimate IRS issues, which I recommend you verify by reaching out to your local IRS office.
How many of us have been on our computers, or on our mobile phones when a message pops up alerting us to a virus that has been added? By now you know what I’m about to say … DON’T CLICK! If you can’t find a way to exit out of that screen, stop using it, and have someone you trust, or a professional take a look.
Gift card scams – Scammers reach out to have us pay a bill, any type of debt, or even to claim a prize, by using a gift card. AARP tells us you’re usually asked to purchase more than one gift card, or “electronic vouchers,” to make the payment quickly. You’re then asked to share the numbers on the back of the card with them. The requests come from places you’d not ordinarily expect to take this type of payment, for example, a utility company, or Social Security. They may even try to tell you that your grandchild is in jail and needs bail money! Hang up, delete the email or text – call your grandchild, or her guardian and just ask! Along those lines – law enforcement will NEVER come to your home asking for bond money for anyone. Close the door.
Robocalls – Do you get calls about an expiring extended car warranty? Ugh! Hanging up on these doesn’t seem to stop them. You can usually tell when you’ve received one. They’ll come from a number that you may or may not recognize, may look official, or local, but when you answer, there’s sometimes a brief second where no one acknowledges you answered, and then the spiel starts. That’s if you’re lucky and there’s a live person on the phone … other times, it’s just a digital sounding voice warning you that you’ve defaulted on something. Hang up, yes, and then register your phone number on the national Do Not Call registry at www.donotcall.gov. Once you’ve done that, calls should slow or cease completely. It may take a couple months for it to kick in, though, so be patient. Once you’ve registered, if you continue to receive calls, you can report them on the same website where you registered your number. I’ve done it, and they stopped.
“You’ve won!” – Unfortunately, you probably haven’t, especially if they ask you for money to get your prize!
There’s no way to cover all the scams these fraudsters are coming up with in this one article. I encourage you to sign up for email consumer fraud alerts at: Kentucky Attorney General Consumer Alerts under the Resources/Consumer Resources tab on their website. Kentuckians are encouraged to report scams to the Office of the Attorney General at 888-432-9257 or file a scam complaint online.
Scammers have been perfecting their craft since snake-oil, so why should we feel like a Dodo when we realize we’ve been duped? Don’t let embarrassment prevent you from telling someone you think you may have been scammed. Your story just might keep someone else from making the same mistake!
