How to avoid common scams

SCAM REPORT

By Laurie Bullock

laurieb@lwsb.com

Unfortunately, seniors are one of the most targeted groups for financial scams. Scammers may target seniors by telephone, in person or online. It can happen to anyone at any time, no matter what your current financial situation may be. Luckily, there are a few things seniors can do to prevent getting scammed.

1. Take yourself off calling lists. While it won’t prevent every call from coming through, you can visit www.donotcall.gov to take your number off telemarketer listings. This can help lower the number of unwanted calls that may try to scam you.

2. Never give your credit card, Social Security number or any other personal information on a phone call you did not initiate. If you receive a call from someone claiming to be from a collections agency or your bank and they need your personal information immediately or something bad will happen to your account, hang up. Look up the company’s number online or by phonebook to call them directly. It will most likely turn out to be a scam. Scammers have the technology to hide their numbers to look like a familiar number, so it’s always best to avoid giving your information to someone who has called you.

3. Take your time. Scammers thrive on fear. They will call you with a dire situation and try to get you to act immediately. Although it might seem like a scary situation, take a deep breath, hang up the phone or put off replying to the email, and talk to someone you trust to get his or her opinion. A trusted loved one can help bring perspective to a scary situation and protect you from a potential scam.