grow older better

Tag: scammers

  • April Tax Scams

    office_calendar_april_15_400_clr_1743This came from the Oregon Attorney General – but I suspect each state is getting its share of scams related to April 15th with federal, state and local taxes dues for many in the United States.

    Older persons are perhaps a it more vulnerable for many reasons. So if you know of anyone being pestered by phone about taxes, please help that person find the Attorney General information in their state.

    *****************

    Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum is warning consumers about a sophisticated phone scam targeting Oregon taxpayers during this tax season

    Victims are told they owe money to the IRS or Oregon Department of Revenue and they must pay immediately through a temporary debit card or wire transfer. If the victim refuses to pay, they are then threatened with arrest, deportation or suspension of a business or driver’s license. In many cases, the caller becomes aggressive and insulting.

    “Oregonians need to be vigilant as the April 15th tax deadline approaches. The IRS and the Oregon Department of Revenue will never ask you to pay with a pre-paid debit card or make a wire transfer,” said Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum.

    Other characteristics of this scam include:

    • Scammers use fake names and badge numbers. They generally use common names and surnames to identify themselves.
    • Scammers may be able to recite the last four digits of a victim’s Social Security Number.
    • Scammers spoof the IRS or Department of Revenue toll-free number on caller ID.
    • Scammers sometimes send bogus IRS or Department of Revenue emails to some victims to support their bogus calls.
    • Victims hear background noise of other calls being conducted to mimic a call site.
    • After threatening victims with jail time or driver’s license revocation, scammers hang up and others soon call back pretending to be from the local police or DMV, and the caller ID supports their claim.

    If you get a phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS or Oregon Department of Revenue, here’s what you should do:

    • If you know you owe taxes or you think you might owe taxes, call the IRS at (800) 829-1040 and/or the Oregon Department of Revenue at (800) 356-4222.
    • If you know you do not owe taxes or have no reason to think that you owe any taxes, call and report the incident to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at (800) 366-4484.
    • If you have lost money as a result of this scam, file a complaint with the Oregon Department of Justice online at www.oregonconsumer.gov or by phone at (877) 877-9392.

  • Beware: Medical Alert Impostors Targeting Seniors

    medical laertThe following alert came from the Oregon Atty. General, but it applies to anyone in any state who is a senior citizen or who knows any senior citizens.

    Scammers are not picky as to what state they operate in.

    Please pass this message along.  Thank you.

    ***********

    The Oregon Department of Justice has recently learned older Oregonians are receiving pre-recorded messages from medical alert imposters claiming to be from Life Alert, a personal emergency response and home medical alert system company.

    The recordings sound like a real person claiming that either “someone has purchased a Life Alert system for you,” or that “you qualify for a free Life Alert.” Others may say they are calling from a shipping department to confirm a free order or to send you new Life Alert equipment.

    Life Alert has confirmed the calls are not made by the company. (See Life Alert’s Fraud Alert online at http://www.lifealert.com/fraudalert.aspx.)

    Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum urges Oregonians to simply hang up the phone if they receive a recorded call saying they are with Life Alert or the “I’ve fallen and can’t get up” people. “DO NOT press a button to talk to sales person, and never give personal information or credit card numbers over the phone unless you have initiated the contact or you are sure you know who you are dealing with,” says Attorney General Rosenblum.

    If you think you have fallen victim to these medical alert imposters, contact the Oregon Department of Justice online at www.oregonconsumer.gov or call 1-877-877-9392.

  • Your Aging Brain and Scams

    brainIt turns out that as we age, some brain changes seem to make it more difficult to assess untrustworthiness.

    It turns out that older people have less activity in a part of the brain called the anterior insula.

    A study on brains and scams indicates that:

    One of the functions of this area of the brain is that it helps interpret sensations in the body that form “gut feelings,” according to lead author Elizabeth Castle.

     [This part of our brain is sort of behind the green section in the image]

    This may account for older persons being more prone to believing scam artists.

    Email scams, telephone ploys and door-to-door scam artists are taking advantage of older citizens and taking off with large amounts of money.

    The scammers seem to know this and older people are being targeted more and more..

    So if you are getting older, or know people who are older – PLEASE tell them to say NO or “let me think about it” when asked for money, car rides, or approached by strangers to do “house repairs.”

     

    Thoughts? Comments? Thank you. 

  • New Scam Tied To Affordable Care Act

    phone scams

     

     

    Now that the Supreme court has upheld the Affordable Care Act –

    the scammers are in full swing scamming – using the act and saying they are from the government and need some further information.

    According to the Federal Trade Commission [the FTC:]

    They [the scammers] say they're from the government and that, using the Affordable Care Act as a hook, they need to verify some information. They might have the routing number from your bank, and then use that information to get you to reveal the entire account number. Or, they'll ask for your credit card or Social Security number, Medicare ID, or other personal information.

    I've said it before and I will say it again –

    Do not give personal information to people who call you!

    Even if they say they are from the government….

    Believe me, the government already has your information!

    Stay safe! Stay healthy! Keep your personal info private!

  • Scam alert!

    I haven't posted about email scams in a while so it's time for an update.

    The scammers are increasing their "volume" by saying  that they "know" you have been dealing with x, y and z [named persons] and you have to stop!  They are also using Barrister and Esq. in their names so you might think they are really lawyers.

    Why do they do this? Most people get anxious when they get mail from attorneys.. [I have a law degree and I hate getting mail from legal entities.]

    BUT – remember these scammers DO NOT KNOW YOU!

    They are making idle threats to scare you into contacting them…

    As the economy stays stagnant and people are out of work and hoping for a solution to money woes – a promise of inheriting millions that "someone" left to you has appeal.

    But ask yourself – if they were legitimate wouldn't they know how to reach you via "real" mail and not be using email? and email that is not sent to your actual name.

    If you have friends or family who you think might actually believe these emails – please pass this post along to them.

    The reason we all keep getting this kind of email is that people actually DO fall for the scam because if not one did – they would stop!