Scams & Fraud Prevention

Did you know that Facebook users who share the most fake news are over age 65?

That’s likely because Boomers need to learn how to discern fact from fiction better. Just because it’s on your friend’s ‘news’ feed doesn’t make it true!

Don’t be duped. Learn how to spot fakes from facts, using the techniques trusted by fact-checkers around the world.

An organization called MediaWise offers courses tailor-made for people over age 65. Their mission is to empower people of all ages to be more critical consumers of content online. They teach people key digital literacy skills to spot misinformation and disinformation so online users can make decisions based on facts, not fiction.

This is just one of a growing number of educational tools aiming to help older Americans identify and reject misinformation, including:

• Fact Tracker interactive videos from AARP
• The News Literacy Project
• Checkology

Paula Span, a New York Times journalist who writes The New Old Age column, covers this and more in a new story worth reading.

Source: Next Avenue
Photo courtesy Pexels

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Scammers take advantage of the most vulnerable people during times of uncertainty and change. You must protect yourself by making sure you only give your Medicare number to your doctor, pharmacist, hospital, health insurer or other trusted healthcare provider. Follow these tips to avoid becoming a victim. ...

Minimize your chance of PII (personally identifiable information) falling into the hands of criminals when dealing with e-waste. It’s easy to protect PII on paper documents — shred them. If you don’t own a shredder, many office supply stores offer it for a fee and some municipalities hold free shredding day events for residents. Data on your computer requires another approach. ...

June is World Elder Abuse Awareness Month. Throughout the month, government agencies, businesses, and organizations sponsor events to unite communities, seniors, caregivers, governments, and the private sector to prevent the mistreatment of and violence against older people. The most effective way to defeat scammers is by knowing how to identify scams then hanging up or ignoring the calls. Read on for more tips that will equip you to recognize and reject a scam before it makes you a victim. ...

"One of our most important responsibilities is to protect the hard-earned money you pay into Social Security, which is why we have zero tolerance for fraud," says Brandon P. Smith, Social Security Public Affairs Specialist. "We take fraud claims seriously and investigate them thoroughly. We innovate and develop anti-fraud initiatives because any level of fraud is unacceptable." ...

Don’t be fooled.  Social Security employees will never threaten you for information or promise a benefit in exchange for personal information or money. So, if you get a call from someone claiming there's a problem with your SS number or account, just hang up. ...

While Social Security offices are closed during the coronavirus crisis, services are still available online and limited, critical services are accessible via phone and email. Also, beware of scammers who may try to trick you into thinking the pandemic is stopping your Social Security payments. This threat is not true. Payments continue, as always. ...

Fear and uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus pandemic could give rise to an outbreak of scams, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost warns. ...