Unless you’re totally off the grid and have no contact with the world, you are a candidate to be scammed. Scammers will contact people by telephone, by email, through social media, by snail mail, and in person.
Scammers want your stuff. They want money. They’ll take gift cards. They love it when you give up your personal identification information such as your Social Security number or your Medicare number. To scammers, this is a business.
*With social media scams such as Sweetheart Scams, the scammer will try to lure you in, get you interested, and make you believe that there is a mutual relationship. They will come across as everything you want. They will probably be attractive (quite often a stock photo from an online source or they may have copied an image). They will have a secure position such as military, a doctor, an oil rig worker. They will profess their affection. They will make promises to you saying they will meet you, marry you, spend the rest of their lives with you.
Then, they will want money. Perhaps they have items stuck in customs. Maybe they or one of their family members have contracted an illness and need medical care. Perhaps they can’t get out of the country because of a problem with a visa. They always have an answer.
Don’t let the scammer reel you in. Cut off contact. Don’t respond to instant or personal messages. If they have your phone number, block the calls.
*Another scam that is making the rounds (again) is the Grandparent Scam. The caller claims to be a grandchild but they may speak very low so you can’t really distinguish their voice. They are in trouble and need help. They may be stuck in a foreign country. With the pandemic, some scammers resort to saying the ‘grandchild’ has been hospitalized with Covid and needs money for care.
The first thing to do is take a deep breath. Scammers want you to react, and react quickly. Ask for the code word that you have pre-established with your family. Say you’ll call them back, and call the grandchild’s phone. Call the family to check. Do not give the scammer ammunition by saying “Is this Johnny?” If you do that, they have a name and can ‘confirm’ that yes, indeed, it is Johnny and Johnny needs help. Scammers play on your emotions. Stay calm.
*We are coming up on the Annual Enrollment for Medicare. Scammers are anxious to hit the phones and get your Medicare number! Do NOT release your Social Security number or Medicare number. Your current company will send you information on the 2022 plans. Medicare doesn’t need your number. They have it. Do not give out your personal information!
Scammers have no remorse. To them, we are ‘marks’. We are sources of income. They don’t care if we’re young or old, on a fixed income, or have health issues. They see us only as a payday.
Don’t let these people get their hooks in you. Once you’ve been scammed, you are far more likely to be scammed again.
Stay safe.
