Have fun while avoiding scams
By Jeremiah Landes
Chances are, as you get older, you will receive an increasing amount of spam email, official-sounding phone calls threatening Social Security benefits, and text messages that seem legitimate. Authorities estimate seniors are losing $500 million annually to fraudsters, but this number is likely much higher due to victims who won’t report losses because they’re embarrassed or still believe the con was real.
If you avoid accepting calls and texts from unknown numbers or people you do not count as contacts on your phone, you will minimize the risk of falling for a scheme.
If you use a landline phone that will not show you who is calling, consider screening your calls before answering. Let all calls go to voicemail and decide later which callers deserve a response.
Never click on an email attachment from someone unknown–even if it looks like a business or bank you have used before. Bogus email addresses can be easily created by thieves to pose as a business you trust.
Caring for an aging parent and want them to carry a cell phone for emergencies? You might prevail upon them to only use the phone/text features for a lower price and completely avoid the Internet. Tell them to avoid accepting calls from anyone unknown. You could set up a unique ringtone for numbers that belong to their children or others who are trustworthy.
Have you ever clicked on something on a website that made it seem like your computer or phone has been taken over by a virus? Don’t panic. Turn the machine off for a couple hours and then restart to see if their threats have gone away. If you still seem to have a virus, there’s definitely ways to clean your cache and start over. Don’t quickly accept an offer from someone via email to clean up your computer.
If you get a call from someone claiming to be your grandchild who’s using their one phone call locked inside a Tijuana jail, you should just hang up and verify with someone else that your grandchild is safe. Some people tired of scam attempts may spend a few minutes tantalizing the criminals, for instance:
1) Play along with names – Someone calling may have the name of one actual relative because your information might not be protected on sites like Facebook. Ask them about another family member and pre-select a fake name to learn how they respond. After you hang up, use #01#, which blocks the most recent number that has called you.
2) Act slow; sing loud – Scammers often demand you act quickly and cannot “waste time” calling anyone else to verify their threats like: “Your Social Security benefits have been compromised.” Their solution to this might be: “Please hold to speak with my supervisor.” You may hear some on-hold music and have to wait a couple minutes because they’re trying to make you wait anxiously and hook you like a fish. When the “supervisor” finally comes to the phone with a price you can pay to quickly resolve the problem, tell them, “Please hold,” and then sing one of your favorite songs as loudly as possible. Or blast them with your television or radio. Government agencies favor letters and almost never call phones or send texts.
3) Offer fake information – You can pretend to believe them and simply ask how much they want in order to “fix this today.” If they will accept a credit card, always start the fake set of numbers with a zero and then come up with about 19 additional numbers and top it off with an expiration date from 2023. Act like it’s really hard for you to see the card. If they want cryptocurrency or demand you go mail them a Visa gift card, just keep asking if they will accept Kohl’s credit coupons instead.
4) Feign deafness – When they say “Visa,” you say, “Lisa?” If they say “Bitcoin,” you say, “Never heard of him–is he from Chehalis?
5) Ask them for money – Tell them how your kids never visit and you could really use a bean burrito with a low portion of red sauce. Explain: “They’re less than $3 and less pricey than those chalupas. Please - I’m down to my last three Triscuits.”
Should you just hang up on fraudulent phone calls or avoid texting a reply to a stranger? In most cases, yes, that will be the safest course of action. There are an overwhelming number of methods being used to bilk you out of your savings and cause you to distrust everyone–even legitimate charities.
Hopefully, this article helps you realize how it’s not impossible to avoid being scammed. People coming up with these schemes may also be reading this article and trying to figure out ways to still drain your bank account. They should go to jail, and you should always seek to avoid meeting one of them in person. If someone unexpectedly comes to your door who’s not in uniform or selling cookies, don’t feel any pressure to open the door.
The AARP website has ample information about current schemes being used. Many Americans are generous toward organizations that claim to be charities. Fraudsters will choose a recent crisis like a hurricane or wildfire to solicit funds from the public and never face accountability for how the funds are used. Charity Navigator and Candor (Guidestar) are two good sources of nonprofit ratings to check with before you send a new organization money.
If you have been a victim of fraud, tell someone you trust to help you avoid future schemes because thieves often circle back with information they have gained or sold to others for a profit. If you’re currently in touch with someone claiming to be a long-lost friend or relative or a potential love interest, listen for complaints about a money loss or health crisis. Even if they don’t demand money and just wait for you to offer, don’t ever send anyone money to someone you have never met in person. Zoom or Facetime do not count.
Have you come up with a better method of avoiding or frustrating scammers? Email jeremylandes@protonmail.com to share what has worked for you.
Jeremiah Landes works as a videographer from his home in Battle Ground with his wife, Katherine, a violin teacher, and their two teenagers. Their phones stay unlisted to avoid scams.
