Protect Yourself During the Holidays from Fake Delivery Scams

The holiday season is a time of joy, but scammers are using this opportunity to trick holiday shoppers into giving out personal details, including your name, address, and possibly credit card information. During the holiday season, online purchases and package deliveries have increased. 

In a recent alert from the Better Business Bureau (BBB), the mechanics of this package delivery scam are unveiled. Scammers are using emotional manipulation to catch people off guard during the holidays. The scam starts by receiving a text message or a phone call informing you that there is a package that is going to be delivered and they need your personal information. Once any personal information is given to these scammers, you are now putting yourself at risk of identity theft. 

To avoid falling victim to these scams, it is crucial to be aware of the warning signs. Unexpected delivery notifications, unfamiliar tracking codes, and requests for personal information should all raise red flags. The tactics employed by scammers are diverse, ranging from phishing emails to fake delivery notifications. Some go as far as impersonating well-known delivery companies like FedEx, as an example. Clicking on suspicious links or providing any personal information in response to these email notifications can lead to serious consequences. 

To help keep yourself safe, take some practical steps like verifying tracking codes directly on the official website of the delivery company. If you have any doubts about a delivery, contact the company directly using their official contact information. Report any scams you encounter to the BBB, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), or other relevant authorities. By doing so, you not only protect yourself, but also contribute to the collective effort to prevent others from falling victim to similar scams. By staying protected, you can avoid these types of scams and enjoy a secure and joyful holiday season.  

If you are interested in learning more about protecting yourself against holiday-related scams, speak with a Community Resource Specialist: (408) 350-3200, option 1. 

Avoid Scams Promising to Lower Your Credit Card Interest Rate

Credit card interest rate reduction scams could occur when a caller implies its company has special relationships with card issuers that can help secure lower interest rates. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) advises consumers who receive a call like this to approach the caller with extreme uncertainty and get on the “Do Not Call” list by filling out the form at DoNotCall.gov. This is a free national registry designed to prevent telemarketers from contacting you. You could still receive calls from charities, debt collectors, or political groups since the registry does not apply to them.

Finding ways to help lower your interest rate on your credit card may save you money. While there are no guarantees or shortcuts, the FTC shares the first step to lower your interest rate is to call the customer service number on the back of your credit card to ask the company for a lower rate.

These misleading debt relief companies could tell you almost anything to get your money. Scammers claim they can help seniors lower their interest rates to as low as zero percent. They suggest you need to act now to rush you into making a rapid decision. They use this information to apply for unauthorized credit cards in the consumer’s name. The new credit card with lower interest rate issued to consumers often have low promotional rates for a limited time and will eventually increase.

By law, companies that sell debt relief services on the phone cannot charge you a fee before they settle or lower your debt. Anything these companies say they can do for you, you can just do for yourself – at no cost. You have just as much advantage with your bank or credit union as these companies.

If you are interested in learning more about credit card scams, speak with a Community Resource Specialist: (408) 350-3200, option 1.

Report Fraud and Losses to Keep Yourself Safe Online

You might have heard that scams mostly affect older adults, but reports to the Federal Trade Commission tell a different story. Last year, adults under 60 — our Gen X, Millennial, and Gen Z neighbors — were more likely to report losing money to fraud than people 60 and over. And what did they report the most? Losing money to online shopping fraud, often when things pitched to them on social media never arrived.

According to the FTC compared to older adults, those under 60 were more than four times as likely to report losing money on an investment scam, often a fake cryptocurrency investment opportunity, and more than five times as likely to report losing money to a job scam. Many college students reported losing money to phony job offers sent to their school email addresses. Overall, adults under 60 most often reported losing money to scams that started on social media, a website, or an app, and their median reported fraud loss was $500.

People over 60 were less likely to report losing money to fraud, but their reported losses were higher. The median reported loss was $800 among people in their 70s and jumped to $1,500 for people over 80. Older adults were more likely to report losing money to tech support scammers — cons who urge people to pay for unneeded computer repairs — and prize, sweepstakes, and lottery scams that demand payment but never give a prize. About one in four of the older adults’ loss reports said the scam started with a phone call.

Sharing what you know about scams helps protect people of all ages around you. Learn more at ftc.gov/PassItOn. If you see a scam, report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

If you are interested in learning more about protecting yourself against common scams, we encourage you to speak with a Community Resource Specialist at (408) 350-3200, option 1.

Be Alert for Financial Scams Targeting Older Adults

Scams targeting older adults are increasing. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), “In 2021 there were 92,371 older victims of fraud resulting in $1.7 billion in losses. This was a 74% increase in losses compared to 2020.” Scammers tend to target both wealthy older Americans and older adults with low income making them both at risk of fraud.

According to Genevieve Waterman, writer of The Top 5 Financial Scams Targeting Older Adults, the following five scams made up for more than 65% of the recorded complaints in 2021:

• Government impersonation scams – scammers call unsuspecting older adults and pretend to be from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Social Security Administration, or Medicare. They may say the victim has unpaid taxes and threaten arrest or deportation if they do not pay up immediately. Or they may say Social Security or Medicare benefits will be cut off if the victim doesn’t provide personal identifying information.
• Sweepstakes and lottery scams – scammers call an older adult to tell them they’ve won a lottery or prize of some kind. If they want to claim their winnings, the older adult must send money, cash, or gift cards up front—sometimes thousands of dollars worth—to cover supposed taxes and processing fees. Scammers may impersonate well-known sweepstakes organizations (like Publishers Clearing House) to build trust among their victims.
• Computer tech support scams – Technical support scams prey on older people’s lack of knowledge about computers and cybersecurity. A pop-up message or blank screen usually appears on a computer or phone, telling the victim their device is damaged and needs fixing. When they call the support number for help, the scammer may either request remote access to the older person’s computer and/or demand they pay a fee to have it repaired.
• The grandparent scams – Scammers call a would-be grandparent and say something along the lines of: “Hi, Grandma, do you know who this is?” When the unaware grandparent guesses the name of the grandchild the scammer most sounds like, the scammer is able to secure their trust instantly. The fake grandchild then asks for money to solve urgent financial problems (such as overdue rent, car repairs, or jail bond). They may beg the grandparents not to tell anyone. Since fraudsters often ask to be paid via gift cards or money transfers, which do not always require identification to collect, the older adult may have no way of ever recovering their money.
• Robocalls and phone scams
  • A common robocall is the “Can you hear me?” call. When the older person says “yes,” the scammer records their voice and hangs up. The criminal then has a voice signature to authorize unwanted charges on items like stolen credit cards.
  • A phone scam is an “impending lawsuit” scam. In this case, the victim receives an urgent, frightening call from someone claiming to be from a government or law enforcement agency (like the police). They are told if they don’t pay a fine by a specific deadline, they will be sued or arrested for some made-up offense.

There are plenty of other popular scams going around targeting older adults, both wealthy and poor. Remember to always be careful when sharing personal information. If you think you have been the victim of a scam, reach out to the following resources for help:

• Your bank (if money has been taken from your accounts)
• You can report scams online to the FTC. Sharing your experience can help prevent it from happening to another older adult.
• Adult Protective Services
  • To obtain the contact information for Adult Protective Services in your area, call the Eldercare Locator, a government-sponsored national resource line, at 1-800-677-1116, or visit their website.

If you are interested in learning more about protecting yourself against common scams, we encourage you to speak with a Community Resource Specialist at (408) 350-3200, option 1.

Protect Yourself from Scams and Find Support

Everyone has a right to safety and justice. However, it is estimated that millions of older adults, from all walks of life encounter harmful scams every year. Providing necessary supports to keep everyone safe and engaged as we age is crucial. Ageism (biases against stereotypes about older people that keep them from being fully a part of their community) also play a role in enabling elder abuse. By changing these contributing factors, we can prevent elder abuse for everyone to have the opportunity to thrive as we age.

Things we can do to help protect our communities from abuse and neglect:

Build Supports  

If we think of society as a building that supports our wellbeing, then it can be designed to be the sturdiest one to have beams and walls necessary to keep everyone safe from scams and healthy as we age.

• Construct community supports and human services for family caregivers and older adults to alleviate risk factors tied to elder abuse like ageism (bias against older adults in our culture) or social isolation.
• Increase funding to support efforts to train service providers in how to prevent and detect scams when working with older adults.
• Create, maintain, and improve organizations like consumer protection agencies that work to stop scams and make sure companies, banks and lenders treat us fairly.

Recognizing Scams 

• Is the salesperson using high-pressure sales tactics? Scams often say things like, “Act Now, Time is running out, this is a onetime offer!”
• Are you being asked to pay upfront fees? Lottery and sweepstakes scams often employ this tactic. If you really won something, the fees can be taken out of your winnings.
• Are you being told that you won a contest that you did not enter? Lottery and sweepstakes scams almost always start this way. You cannot win a contest that you did not enter.
• Have you been scammed in the past? Often, scam victims have their personal contact information sold to other con artists. You may get unsolicited calls from people promising to get your money back or provide other remedies or offers. These ‘offers’ can be scams too.
• Did you receive unsolicited mail, emails, or phone calls for services that you were not seeking? Research the companies that you want to employ. Many scams begin with someone knocking on your door offering services or sending out promotional materials. This often happens in the case of home repair scams.
• Are you being contacted by the police over the phone? Verify that they are who they say they are. Some scams begin with a person pretending to be an officer who tells you that they are concerned that you have been a victim of a crime. They then proceed to solicit your personal information. In truth, the police will contact you in person if they have questions for you or believe that you have been a victim of a crime.
  

Protect Yourself 

• Sign up for the Do Not Call Registry at donotcall.gov.
• When no longer needed, shred junk mail, old bills, bank statements and any other documents that have personal identifying information.
• Do not give out personal information over the phone unless you originated the call and you know with whom you are talking. Particularly safeguard your social security number.
• It is ok to be assertive. If a salesperson calls you or comes to your door who does not seem to be taking no for an answer, it is ok to terminate the conversation. Hang up the phone or close the door. You do not have to let yourself be pressured into anything.
• Never sign something that you do not understand. Have a trusted and unbiased professional assist you when enter contracts or signing legal documents.
• If you hire someone for personal assistance services, in home care services, etc. ensure that they have been properly screened with criminal background checks completed.
• Learn more about scams and stay informed.
  • Consumer Financial Protection Bureau offers information and tools for older Americans:  consumerfinance.gov/older-americans
  • The Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force offers resources and reports to help protect yourself against common types of frauds and scams: stopfraud.gov/protect
  • External Web Site Policy and FBI Common Fraud Schemes: fbi.gov/scams-and-safety/common-fraud-schemes

If you are interested in learning more about protecting yourself against common scams, we encourage you to speak with a Community Resource Specialist at 408) 350-3200, option 1.

FTC Warns of Scams Related to Economic Payments

Becca Kelly Slaughter, Acting Chair of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), validates that the American Rescue Plan is now law. That means a lot of individuals will soon be getting desperately needed economic impact payments of up to fourteen hundred dollars. 

Many individuals have been here before, so they know these funds will come through direct deposit, check, or debit card. The FTC would like to remind you that scammers follow the headlines, too. Here are a few ways to spot a scammer trying to take your money or personal information. 

First, know that nobody in the government will ask you to pay anything up front to get your economic impact payment. There is no way to get your payment faster and there is no form to fill out. That is simply a scam. 

Second, the government will not call, email, text, or message you on social media to ask for your Social Security, bank account, or credit card number. Anyone who does this is a scammer. 

Third, anyone who tells you to pay by money transfer, gift card, or cryptocurrency is a scammer, no matter the reason they say you need to pay. 

If you spot these scams, tell the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Every report helps them try to stop scammers. The FTC will use their enforcement authority to go after scammers who try to take advantage of people awaiting relief. 

To learn more about avoiding pandemic-related scams, visit FTC.gov/coronavirus and help them spread the word. Share these tips and video through your network.  

If you are interested in learning more about protecting yourself from COVID-19 stimulus scams, we encourage you to speak with a Community Resource Specialist: (408) 350-3200 option 1.