WHITMAN – Online scams are big business in our technical world, and the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office wants residents – especially seniors – to know how to spot them and what to do about them.
At the top of the list is for seniors to understand that Social Security will never call you on the phone about any problems, they will send a letter by mail unless you have called them first and requested a callback.
Plymouth County is currently the target area for grandparent call scams.
“We’ve been telling people to have a codeword with their grandchildren, so, if anything were to happen and there’s an emergency – there’s a codeword,” said Lori Sullivan of the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Department Outreach Division. “It’s happened in Hanover, Hingham … a lot of towns throughout the county.”
The most common scams being used against consumers in Massachusetts are currently identity theft (20 percent); imposter scams (13 percent); credit bureau scans (8 percent) or online shopping scams (8 percent).
Whitman seniors received pointers on avoiding scams from Sullivan and Becky Lee and during their presentation on detecting and defending against fraud at the Whitman Council on Aging. The program may be viewed on WHCA-TV or its YouTube channel.
“One of the biggest ways people try to attack your information is online through your computer,” Sullivan said, advising some important steps including checking your security software and virus protection regularly.
Imposter scams are those calls in the middle of the night from people posing as a loved one in trouble, tech support fraud or someone purporting to be from a government agency.
But there are pre-emptive steps people can also take to protect their information. Seniors were also cautioned to:
- Check reviews of websites/retailers you do not recognize before buying anything;
- Use a strong password and do not save passwords on your devices;
- Never respond to unsolicited emails;
- Do not send personal information on a public network; and
- Make sure your personal information is permanently deleted before disposing of a cell phone or computer.
In the event one clicks on a scam popup ad, Sullivan said click on “control-alt-delete” to turn your computer off immediately without clicking on any other keys.
“When you turn the computer back on, that will be gone,” she said.
When people click on such scam ads, a lot of times someone can remotely access your computer, Sullivan explained.
“If you’ve saved passwords on you computer, now they can access that, too,” she said.
Sullivan also repeated the caution against giving out one’s Social Security number, including the fact that one is not required to fill in the Social Security blank on any form – even at your doctor’s office.
“We’ll talk about five scams today, and there will be five more tomorrow,” Lee said.
People with online banking are advised to only carry the credit cars they use regularly and keep them in an RFID case; - Protect Social Security numbers;
- Review all bank and credit card statements to ensure all purchases are legitimate;
- Shred documents listing personal information;
- Review credit card reports every year or enroll in a credit monitoring program service; and
- Prevent credit reporting companies from reporting your credit file information at www.optoutprescreen.com to prevent unsolicited offers for credit cards or insurance programs.
Lee and Sullivan also went over the procedures to follow if you have been the victim of online fraud, or a company with your information has been hacked.
A federal site reportfraud.ftc.gov walks you through the steps you need to take as well as a format of a letter you might have to send to your bank.
Personal safety programs
“It’s a fabulous program that is underutilized because you all say, ‘I don’t need that yet,’” Lee said of the Safety Assurance Plan, especially those elders who live alone, as participants receive a call between 6 a.m. and noon as selected by each participant. “It takes about 20 seconds. They’ll ask you if you’re OK. If you’re not OK you’ll let them know that there’s a problem and there’s an officer sitting right there, listening to the entire conversation to make sure that you’re OK.”
If an elder says they need help or don’t feel well, the officer will get on the call to determine what type of services are required.
“Recently, a woman in the process of a stroke was on the phone [and] he could tell she just didn’t sound right,” Lee said. “As he was talking to her, he was getting in touch with emergency services and she’s alive today because of that phone call.”
An ambulance and paramedics arrived at her door while the officer was still talking to her.
Lee said “I don’t need that yet” is the number one excuse against participating, followed by seniors saying their family or a neighbor always checks in.
“What if this day, they didn’t?” she asked. “They’re going to feel terrible for the rest of their life and it’s a simple, quick phone call.”
Check-in calls are made seven days a week, making three attempts to reach a participant, or one of three other people you can list in the event you are not able to take a call. There is also a number to call for pausing check-in calls if you plan to travel.
“It has nothing to do with your age,” Lee said. “It has everything to do with the fact that you live alone and that there’s no one there to know if something happens.”
The TRIAD program, involving town committees formed by police, fire, sheriff’s department, the DA’s office and Senior Center representatives to discuss issues of importance to a community’s elder population.
“Not every Senior Center is involved yet, but we’re trying,” Lee said of the county-wide program.
One recent program presented by TRIAD demonstrated how to use a fire extinguisher, which not everyone knows how to do, even if they own one. Sullivan added that not everyone is aware that fire extinguishers expire or that there are different types of extinguishers and people should make sure they have the right kind for their home.
The Safety Net program serves people of all ages who have cognitive disorders, from autism to Alzheimer’s. There is a cost for this program, and for more information, those interested should call 508-830-6200.