It’s almost open enrollment time for more than 60 million Medicare participants. As you consider the many options, keep an eye out for scams. Scammers use this time as an opportunity to take advantage of older adults. Here are some common Medicare scams and how to avoid them: You receive a phone call from someone claiming to be from Medicare. They say you need to provide your Medicare number …
Last month, the FBI field office in Memphis, TN issued a warning that scammers have spoofed the FBI Nashville Resident Agency phone number.
According to the Better Business Bureau of Middle Tennessee (BBB), online shopping scams have accounted for 40% of scam cases since the beginning of the COVID pandemic. BBB offers these tips for safe online shopping: 1. Know the advertiser. Some of the best deals are only available online, but be careful. It’s easy for a fake site to mimic a famous …
Virtual kidnapping is where the caller states that the grandchild has been taken and you need to pay ransom for them to be released. In this situation, no one has actually been kidnapped. The scammer is attempting to use fear and deception to elicit a quick response before the scam falls apart. The FBI has issued a warning that they …
It’s almost open enrollment for Medicare’s more than 60 million participants. As you consider the many options, don’t forget to keep an eye out for scams. Scammers use this time as an opportunity to take advantage of older adults. Here are some common Medicare scams and how to avoid them: You receive a phone call from someone claiming to be …
Last month, the Social Security Administration (SSA) issued a warning that scammers were spoofing calls from the SSA’s Fraud Hotline. The impostors are telling lies that instill fear like “your social security number has been suspended for criminal activity” or “your benefits might be suspended if you don’t follow these instructions.” For years, IRS impostor scams have topped fraud reporting …
As people all over the world try to help survivors of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma with donations of food and water, clothes, shelter and money, we want to remind you to be aware of charity scams. Scammers will use any method to manipulate your generosity. Here are a few tips to keep in mind in the aftermath of the recent hurricanes: Chose …
The Federal Trade Commission is getting reports about people pretending to be from the Social Security Administration (SSA) who are trying to get your Social Security number and even your money. In one version of the scam, the caller says your Social Security number has been linked to a crime (often, he says it happened in Texas) involving drugs or …
Did you know that during April in the U.S., 3.4 billion robocalls were placed?! That breaks down to each person receiving 10 calls per month. At the very least, these calls are a nuisance, but for some they become a costly financial nightmare. The most recent robocall scam is called neighbor number spoofing. That means that the area code and …
Virtual kidnapping is where the caller states that the grandchild has been taken and you need to pay ransom for them to be released. In this situation, no one has actually been kidnapped. The scammer is attempting to use fear and deception to elicit a quick response before the scam falls apart. The FBI has issued a warning that they …