Newsletter - Halloween Fun

Trick or Treat Fun with Francine and Jack!

Jack and Francine, Community Outreach Liaison, hit the road in costume this week to go out and visit referral sources. They brought the treats and the entertainment! Thank you to all of our referral sources for participating in the fun! Jack also donned his best hat and mask to go out and deliver some more spooky treats to our referral sources, including the Fayetteville Chamber and the Hearthside Club.

Scams Targeting Seniors

While Halloween season zombies and ghouls may be frightfully fun, tricking seniors out of their cash is alarmingly scary. Every year thieves bilk almost $3 billion from older Americans, hatching increasingly elaborate plans to break into retirement nest eggs.

Criminals who prey on the elderly find the older generation more trusting and gullible, particularly those with cognitive challenges who typically believe the “nice young man” on the phone or on their doorstep. The Federal Bureau of Investigation notes that older Americans are less likely to report a fraud because they don’t realize they’ve been taken advantage of financially or they fear their mental capacity or financial management ability will be in question by relatives.

Common fraud schemes against seniors include the following:

• Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Imposter
• Telemarketing/Phone-Popular telephone schemes include the “help grandma” jail-time ploy or fake hospitalization; or a caller who immediately asks, “Can you hear me?”
• Internet/Email/Phishing -Phishing is a cybercrime in which someone posing to be with a legitimate company attempts to lure personal information from unsuspecting individuals. Medical Identity Theft
• Funeral and Cemetery -Some plunderers will read local obituaries and then show up at funerals pretending that the deceased owes them an outstanding debt.
• Counterfeit Tech Support -A growing consumer scam involves callers who pretend to be representatives from well-known technology companies like Microsoft and Apple. Investment/Time-Shares
• Fake Charities, Sweepstakes and Lotteries

These steps can help safeguard seniors from scam bullies:

• Make sure your senior’s phone has caller ID and he or she knows how to screen unsolicited calls. Remind elders to not answer calls from unfamiliar phone numbers.
• Advise older adults to not share personal information with strangers, especially common identifiers such as a mother’s maiden name or birth date.
• Become an authorized person on your senior’s checking account and/or the second signature on the elder’s checkbook.
• Instruct seniors to never hand over medical ID cards or read off Social Security, Medicare or health insurance numbers to anyone they do not know or trust.
• Direct elders to ask questions about and research any charity or company that asks for a donation or sells products. Charitynavigator.org is a reputable resource for investigating legitimate charities before making a financial contribution.

If a senior friend or relative is a victim of a scam, encourage them to report the incident to local police and talk to their bank or financial institution. The local area’s Adult Protective Services may also provide counsel as well as the government-sponsored Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116, www.eldercare.gov..

Right at Home Attends Local Golf Tournaments

Community Outreach Liaisons, Jack Moon (South Atlanta) and Francine Oglesby (East Atlanta), recently hosted booths at the Newton Golf Tournament and Sacred Journey Golf Tournament. Thanks to all who came out!