Scam Alert

One type of fraud that continues to affect older adults is identity theft.

Perpetrators use the stolen identity to run up credit card bills, drain bank accounts and damage credit scores.

In addition to financial fraud there has been an increase of using stolen identities to procure medical care and services and prescriptions. The disruption in the lives of victims of identity theft is severe, time- consuming, and can take years to recover from such incidents. Nearly half of the identity theft victims in 2015 were over 50 years old according to the FTC. If you are a victim of identity theft, here are some helpful tips: What to do Right Away:

1. Call the companies where you know the fraud occurred.

2. Place a fraud alert with a credit reporting agency and get your credit report from one of the three national credit bureaus.

3. Report identity theft to the FTC.

4. File a report with your local police department What to do Next:

1. Close new accounts opened in your name.

2. Remove bogus charges from your accounts.

3. Correct your credit report.

4. Consider adding an extended fraud freeze.

Tips to Secure Your Identity:

• Neither Medicare nor Social Security will call to ask for your bank information or SSN.

• There will never be a fee charged to obtain a Social Security or Medicare card.

• Never give out personal information over the phone to someone you do not know.

• Sensitive personal and financial documents should be kept secure at all times.

• Review all medical bills to spot any services that you didn’t receive.

For more information, visit https://www.identitytheft.gov.

The prevalence of scams attacking consumers continues to threaten the financial well-being and peace of mind of older adults.

Numerous federal agencies and the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging continue to address these scams and try to provide guidance to help older adults combat these attempts.

While the Aging Committee continues to hold hearings on the scams affecting older adults, everyone must remain vigilant to help protect seniors.

If you or someone you know is the victim of a scam or fraud attempt, call the Aging Committee’s Fraud Hotline at 1-855-303-9470.

—from the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging 2018 Fraud Book IRS; the Federal Trade Commission, the Federal Communications Commission and the FBI.