Provided by the Bucks County Department of Consumer Protection:
Fraudsters are constantly perfecting their scams. They use the latest technological innovations and are constantly improving their methods to manipulate their victims. Although organizations like the Better Business Bureau are constantly developing new tools to combat fraud and identify scammers, the scammers are always one step ahead.
They are getting better and better at psychologically manipulating their victims and backing up their attempts at persuasion. They have honed their skills at minimizing their accent and building an emotional connection with their victims. The longer they keep you on the phone, the more likely it is that a recording of your voice will be used to create a “deep fake” version that can be used to impersonate you. This could cause very serious concerns as it could be used to access your insurance company, your bank – anything you can access over the phone using your voice.
One example of this is the age-old “sweepstakes” scam. It has been reused so many times that you might think it is no longer effective. Any request for personal and/or financial information should immediately set off alarm bells. In addition, everyone should take a moment to consider: “Have I even entered a competition or sweepstakes?” It is usually not a good idea to enter competitions or sweepstakes, as providing a phone number and email address will result in a flood of unsolicited emails and calls, potentially putting your security at risk.
Many older people still pay their bills with checks. With the increase in “check forgery” scams, it may be a good idea to rethink your payment method and use a credit card instead, or make sure you mail the check from the nearest post office. In addition, you should monitor your accounts for suspicious activity and report it immediately to the company or banking institution you do business with.
Protect yourself by not answering the phone if you don’t recognize the number. If it’s important, leave a voicemail. If you do answer the phone, hang up as soon as you realize it’s not the person you think it is!
Remember to only mail your check from a post office. Or better yet, pay with a credit card. And as for that “you’ve won the sweepstakes” call, remember there’s no such thing as a free lunch.
Please add these ideas and suggestions to your arsenal of cheating weapons and stay safe!
Monthly fraud alerts from the Bucks County Crimes Against Older Adults Task Force, 24-hour hotline: 1-800-490-8505, Bucks County District Attorney’s Office: 215-348-6344, A Woman’s Place (AWP): 1-800-220-8116, Bucks County Area Agency on Aging: 267-880-5700, Bucks County Consumer Protection Office: 215-348-6060, Bucks County Coroner’s Office: 215-348-3852, Bucks County Registry of Wills: 215-348-6265, Network of Victim Assistance (NOVA): 1-800-675-6900 and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services/OIG: 1-800-447-8477.
Report correction by email | Editorial standards and guidelines
