Senior Scams - Seniors being targeted in scams

Make sure you don't get ripped off. Every couple of weeks there seems to be a new story in the media about someone who was a victim of fraud. And unfortunately senior citizens seem to be targeted more than any other group of society.

Don't think it can happen to you? A recent case in Birmingham involved a family who found after the death of their elderly aunt that she had lost £21,000 in paying 'processing fees' for prize draws and lotteries. She also owed a further £15,000. They had found 10,000 letters at her home. On one of the letters, opened a day before her death, she had scribbled, 'I can't afford this anymore'.

The Office of Fair Trading has also stated 80% of the people who fall victim to the Canadian National Lottery scam are over 65 years.

Seniors, it's a sad state of affairs and downright illegal but there are some simple steps you can take to protect yourself and make it unlikely that you will become a victim of these criminals.

Fraud on the internet

The golden rule is to only use your card on trusted and secure websites. The easiest way to recognise a secure website is once you have decided to purchase an item you will be taken to the checkout area of the website. Once you reach this page the website address(URL) will change from http:// to https://. The "s" means your details including your credit card are encrypted making it incredibly difficult for someone to read your information. Another way of telling you have reached a secure website is a yellow padlock may appear on the screen. This usually appears in the bottom right hand corner but may vary on different internet browsers.

Email

Never send your credit card details via email. There is no encryption so there is the danger someone could intercept your message and fraudulently use your details.

Computer protection

Always make sure your computer is up-to-date with the latest virus protection software and spyware. Virus protection and spyware software assists in preventing harmful computer programs(viruses) from making your personal information vulnerable to fraudsters.

If you don't have any virus or spyware software take a moment and download the free software from both these sites. I use both and have found them to be very beneficial:

AVG - Free virus software

SE Personal Edition - Free spyware software

Offline fraud- Day to day use

The introduction of chip & pin has helped to reduce fraud. But for every preventative measure introduced the fraudsters quickly think of news ways to overcome these obstacles.

Here are some help tips to prevent you being scammed:

• When making payment for goods never let your card out of your sight as this will reduce the possibility of someone being able to copy your card or its details.


• Always retain all receipts and invoices, and if you decide to throw them away the best option is to purchase a paper shredder. This will ensure any personal information is completely destroyed before being disposed of.


• If using a cash machine carfeully check the machine to make sure a scanning device hasn't been attached to the front of the machine. For cash machine fraud to be successful the fraudster requires your PIN number. This is usually obtained by a small camera hidden in the scanning device. One of the easiest ways to avoid falling victim is to place one hand over the keypad while you type in your security PIN number. In most cases this will prevent them from seeing your PIN number. More on cash machine fraud.

• If you receive a telephone call from a credit card company, bank or other retail company asking to confirm certain details about yourself decline them and ask to call them back preferably through a central switchboard.


• The same applies to emails, and is more widely known as Phishing. If you receive an email from your bank or any other company asking you to clarify you account details or personal information via email DO NOT resond. Simply find your latest bank statement or phone number for the company in question and call their customer service line directly if you have any concerns.


• When changing address remember to inform all of the companies that send personal information to you in the post. Always consider re-directing your post with Royal Mail. If you fail to do this people moving in might have free access to your personal details.


• Never keep your PIN numbers in your purse or wallet. If it's lost or stolen it fraudsters can empty your bank accounts within minutes.


• Always open bank statements immediately and make sure every month is accounted for. This information in the wrong hands can be very easily used to duplicate your identity.


• Any documents, envelopes or postcards if being thrown away should be shredded. These items contain personal information such as your name and address and in the wrong hands can lead to identity fraud.

If you're worried about falling victim to fraud try contacting Credit Expert. They will provide you with early identity fraud detection and identity theft assistance. Credit Expert has found that it takes, on average, more than a year to discover an identity fraud and over 400 hours to clear your name. CreditExpert's weekly alerts mean that you quickly learn about any changes to your Experian credit report.