Senior Con Games by John Stuck
Posted by Steve Frazier
on May 03, 2011
Our meeting on May 3rd featured a talk by John Stuck, a Rotarian from Plymouth, who runs a company of 168 care givers. His primary clients are seniors, and he spoke to us about the scams and con games that are being used on elder citizens.
There seems to be a new scam every day, and there are more and more young people working the field to dupe others, especially seniors. John suggested that one way to protect against telephone scams is to get your phone placed on the "Do Not Call" list (www.donotcall..gov), which should protect you for five years from unsolicited calls. Also, always have your guard up to prevent identity theft; one step to take is to always shred papers with personal identity items on them. Also, don't give out info to anyone on line, on the phone, or in person without verifying that they have a right to have your personal information.
Some of the current scams are an invitation to a free dinner to learn about some product, phishing efforts (generally on line), contest winners who are require to send money to someone in order to get the promised winnings, secret shopper jobs where you are required to pay the costs of purchases for the employer, and a wide range of home improvement scams.
The bottom line of his talk seemed to be that you should know whom you are dealing with, and verify all credentials (and the firm's reputation with the Better Business Bureau) before proceeding to "make a deal". The saying "If it looks like too good a deal, it probably is" applies now more than ever. (Story by Tad Shaw and photo and posting by Steve Frazier)
There seems to be a new scam every day, and there are more and more young people working the field to dupe others, especially seniors. John suggested that one way to protect against telephone scams is to get your phone placed on the "Do Not Call" list (www.donotcall..gov), which should protect you for five years from unsolicited calls. Also, always have your guard up to prevent identity theft; one step to take is to always shred papers with personal identity items on them. Also, don't give out info to anyone on line, on the phone, or in person without verifying that they have a right to have your personal information.
Some of the current scams are an invitation to a free dinner to learn about some product, phishing efforts (generally on line), contest winners who are require to send money to someone in order to get the promised winnings, secret shopper jobs where you are required to pay the costs of purchases for the employer, and a wide range of home improvement scams.
The bottom line of his talk seemed to be that you should know whom you are dealing with, and verify all credentials (and the firm's reputation with the Better Business Bureau) before proceeding to "make a deal". The saying "If it looks like too good a deal, it probably is" applies now more than ever. (Story by Tad Shaw and photo and posting by Steve Frazier)