Fighting Fraud
By Better Business Bureau Serving Greater Cleveland
You’ve spent a lifetime building your reputation, your credit, and your good name. Unfortunately, in today’s digital world, that can be ripped away at an instance.
Better Business Bureau® (BBB®) Serving Greater Cleveland can see the reports come in every day. The good news? You are actually less likely to fall for a scam than your grandchildren in their 20s. But the bad news is that when seniors do get tricked, the financial loss is often much higher.
You don’t need to be a computer whiz to stay safe. You just need to go back to basics and give yourself permission to be a little less “neighborly” to strangers.
Here is your BBB-approved guide to keeping your identity safe this year.
1. Permission to Just Hang up
This is the hardest advice for many of us to follow, but it is the most important. Many older adults fall victim to identity theft because they simply stay on the phone too long.
- The Rule: If you didn’t call them, hang up.
- The Reality: Legitimate organizations (like the IRS, Medicare, or your bank) will never call you out of the blue and demand immediate information. If it’s truly important, they will send a letter.
2. The “Grandparent Scam” Has a New Voice
You may have heard of the “Grandparent Scam,” where a fraudster calls pretending to be your grandchild in trouble. In 2024 and 2025, this scam has gotten a frightening upgrade: AI Voice Cloning.
Scammers can now take a short audio clip of a voice from social media and use Artificial Intelligence to mimic it perfectly. That panicked voice on the phone crying, “Grandma, I’m in jail, please help!” might sound exactly like your grandson.
- The Defense: Create a “Family Password.” Pick a random word that only you and your close family know. If someone calls claiming to be a family member in trouble, ask for the password. If they can’t give it, hang up.
3. Your Trash is Their Treasure
While we worry about hackers, good old-fashioned “dumpster diving” is still a primary way thieves steal identities. If you throw away pre-approved credit card offers or old medical bills, you are handing a thief the keys to your life.
- The Fix: Buy a cross-cut shredder. If it has your name, address, or account numbers on it, shred it. Do not just crumple it up.
4. Watch for the “Quiet” Red Flags
Identity theft isn’t always a sudden drain of your bank account. Sometimes it is silent. Watch out for:
- Missing Mail: If your regular bills stop arriving, a thief may have filed a Change of Address form in your name.
- Medical Denials: If you are denied a medical claim because “you’ve reached your limit” on a service you never used, someone may be using your Medicare number.
Have additional questions? Reach out to your BBB at 216.241.7678 or [email protected]. Have a scam to report? Report it to BBB.org/ScamTracker.
