The advent of smartphones has added a lot of convenience and capabilities to our lives. But for seniors, it’s spawned scams that must be avoided. Travelers Insurance experts warn about six types of scams targeted to seniors.
First are “romance” ploys aimed at isolated, lonely seniors who can be conned into virtual phone relationships to rob them of confidential info. Because of the challenges of dealing with technology, another scam is to make seniors think they have a computer issue to get virtual access to their devices.
Beware of callers who claim to be stranded family members or friends of those members to get money sent to help them. Another scam is done by callers who claim to be government officials from Social Security, the IRS, or Medicare seeking critical personal info.
Other cyber crooks claim to represent charitable organizations seeking donations or are representatives of sweepstakes or lotteries calling with fake wins to get vital information.
Be sure to report all suspected scams to your bank or the proper authorities to get help.
Council of Seniors Works for Better Senior Benefits
Here at Council of Seniors, we’re looking out for your best interests. That’s why Congress must pass The SAVE Benefits Act. We’re pushing this bill to make up for Social Security cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) in recent years that didn’t keep up with inflation. If it passes, seniors will be reimbursed the $581 that should have been paid but wasn’t.
The first step you can take to help is to sign our petition. Your participation in this effort can be a real difference maker.
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