A Beneficial Guide on Internet Safety for Seniors Every year, seniors are scammed out of tens of billions of dollars. The money they’ve spent their entire lives saving may be at risk of being stolen. The elderly community has always been a prime target for online...
News Archive
Protection & Security
We are committed to educating our community members about scams targeting seniors in Santa Clara County; as well as providing up-to-date information offering protection against such scams. This page offers timely data about scams reported, steps to take when targeted, and how to avoid these scams. Guidance is made available as scams are identified.
Receive updates on identified scams targeting seniors by visiting the national database: fraud.org.
Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office Warns of Sweepstakes Email
Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office Warns of Sweepstakes Email A 99-year-old Santa Clara County resident recently received an email claiming to come from the U.S. Department of Treasury to advise him that he had won a sweepstakes for $150 million...
Be Alert for “Medicare Genetic Testing Scam”
Be Alert for “Medicare Genetic Testing Scam” The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General is warning the public about a fraud scheme involving genetic testing. Scammers are offering Medicare beneficiaries cheek swabs for genetic testing...
Report Phantom Debt Collectors
Today, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a lawsuit against Global Asset Financial Services Group (GAFS) and fifteen related defendants for operating a fake debt collection scheme. The FTC’s complaint says that GAFS employees claimed to be lawyers or affiliated...
FTC Warns of Fake Social Security Scam Calls
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has received reports about people pretending to be from the Social Security Administration (SSA) who are trying to obtain your Social Security number (SSN) and even take your money. Scam Scenario 0ne: In one version of the scam, the...
Avoid Frequent Scams
Each year, the National Consumers League (NCL) compiles all complaints into an annual Top Ten Scams Report to identify emerging threats – like scammers demanding payment via gift cards – that aid in alerting consumers, companies, and the government about growing...
District Attorney’s Office Alerts Residents about Lottery Scam
The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office is warning residents to be careful of the “Advanced Fee Lottery Scam.” Scammers are actively working in Santa Clara County and recently stole more than $50,000 from an elderly resident in Morgan Hill. A quick and...
Be Alert for Fraudulent Social Security Administration Calls
Scammers are spoofing the SSA’s 1-800 customer service number to try to get personal information. Spoofing means that scammers can call from anywhere, but they make the victim’s caller ID show a different number – often one that looks legitimate to make the call look...
Social Security Administration Warns of Impersonation Schemes
The Acting Inspector General of Social Security is warning citizens about ongoing Social Security Administration (SSA) impersonation schemes. SSA and the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) have recently received several reports of suspicious phone calls from...
New Medicare card, same old scammers
To help protect your identity, Medicare began mailing new, more secure Medicare cards to individuals enrolled in Medicare. Due to the large amount of individuals enrolled in Medicare, participants should expect to receive their new card starting as early as April 2018...