A Senior Moment- Scams Galore!
August 17, 2020
“YOUR PAYMENT TO NETFLIX HAS BEEN REFUSED BY YOUR BANK”
“GRANDPA, I HAVE BEEN ARRESTED FOR SPEEDING AND NEED BAIL MONEY”
“CONGRATULATIONS, YOU HAVE WON $50,000 IN THE LOTTERY!”
“YOUR ACCOUNT AT WELLS FARGO HAS BEEN COMPROMISED!”
And on and on it goes. Smart, innovative, unscrupulous people are using every trick in the book (and inventing new ones each day) to get you to send money, provide account numbers, your social security number and even your Mother’s maiden name! And, it all looks so legit. Many, many people are responding out of fear, concern or just curiosity to their great regret. Every day, literally thousands of people lose large sums of money or even their life savings to these disgusting parasites, often simply by opening the email without responding.
So, what to do?? There are no magical caveats, but there are a few rules and/or warnings to observe:
- If it looks like it is too good to be true—it probably is—delete it!
- Legitimate businesses (i.e. Banks) NEVER ask for account numbers or other critical info.
- If the IRS emails you and threatens to attach your account unless you send money right away—delete it. They never do that.
- If you are contacted and told that you have just won a lot of money and just need to send a processing fee to claim it—this is a huge red flag to delete and not respond.
- If a family member is reaching out, watch for signs it is not them. Maybe they are calling you by a different name than usual, or starting the email in a way you know they would never do… if you question it or have any hesitation, do not respond. If it truly is an emergency, they will call you.
Sadly, scammers just get cleverer and more dangerous. You must be just as clever. If, for example, you think your bank may really have a concern or question—call or email them—not at the number on the scam notice, but at an address you know, have used before and know is safe.
This guy believes there is a special place in hell for these people, but in the meantime, they are making fortunes off decent, trusting folks like you. All this new technology is marvelous and a great benefit to our lives, but you must remain diligent and wary of everything that crosses your desk or appears in your inbox. Oh, and do not forget, these same folks love to use your phone to the same crooked end. You must be just as careful with your phone!
Ever diligent,
Ted
seniormomentbyted@benefitresults.com