#MiddleburyCT #Scammers #Seniors
To those of us who wander the internet: beware. The scammers, thieves and troublemakers have kicked things up a notch or two, and frankly it’s getting a bit dangerous.
By dangerous, I mean when it comes to the safety of our personal information and money. These scammers will do nearly anything to get it.
You might come home to a voicemail message that asks you to call back. The scammers might pretend to be your bank or another company you know. They’ll ask you to verify your account number to identify yourself. Don’t do it. If the message comes to you in a text message, don’t click that link.
If you’ve applied for a job, a scammer will ask for upfront fees or personal information. Or you might get a call from a scammer pretending to be your insurance company or Medicare. They’ll claim they need to verify your card number.
A scammer might pretend to be from your local town office and say that you haven’t paid your property taxes and that you could be arrested if you don’t send them money.
If you’ve tried to get rental assistance, a scammer might call to ask for your personal information as well as an upfront fee.
If there is a life event or occurrence, there is sure to be a scam involved somehow. The Federal Trade Commission scam alert webpage lists several right now: fake hurricane relief, fake Geek Squad invoices, fake student loan aid, fake winter prep assistance, fake internet and cable offers … and so much more.
If you’re in the market for a new or additional cellphone, it could be the first step in foiling some of those scammers. How? By not giving the new number out to anyone but trusted family and friends.
Remember: Your name, number and email address are for sale out there. There are websites around the world that do nothing but collect this information … and sell it to scammers. Do everything you can to stay off those lists.
© 2022 King Features Synd., Inc.
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