03 Dec STOP SENIOR SCAMS ‘END-OF-THE-YEAR’ POP QUIZ
Dr. Sherry McCoy PhD
is a freelance writer & actor for the Stop Senior Scams Acting Program (SSSAP) in Los Angeles. Follow SSSAP on Facebook . For more info re: SSSAP, contact Adrienne Omansky at SSSAP4U@gmail.com. Questions for the writer should be directed to “Dear Sherry” at Not Born Yesterday! P.O. Box 722, Brea, CA 92822 or nbynews@juno.com.
“STOP SENIOR SCAMS ‘END-OF-THE-YEAR’ POP QUIZ”
Dr. Sherry McCoy, PhD – Stop Senior Scams℠ Acting Program
Season’s Greetings! It’s December 2020, and what a year it has been! Sadly, the pandemic is still going strong and most of us are still staying at home and social distancing in order to be safe. That means this year’s holiday season will be quite different than in years past. Gatherings of friends and family will most likely be “virtual” rather than “face-to-face.” So be it. I’m grateful for the technology of Zoom, Facetime, Skype, and the telephone which will allow me to stay in touch with loved ones during the holidays. Of course, the same technology that allows us to stay in touch with friends and family, also allows scammers to wiggle their way into our lives, whether we want them to or not. Lest we forget, con artists are exceedingly fond of targeting seniors in a wide variety of scams! And fraudsters aren’t taking a vacation during the holidays or planning on working part-time. Most likely, they’re doubling down and moving full speed ahead with plans to separate us from our hard-earned cash! So, let’s stay smart, vigilant and savvy. Here’s a little Pop Quiz to help you and your friends steer clear of fraud during the holidays. Stay Safe Everyone. Happy Holidays to All!
STOP SENIOR SCAMS ‘END-OF-THE-YEAR’ POP QUIZ
- You receive a letter in the mail that says you’ve won a prize of $10,000! All you have to do is send them $600 in processing fees to collect your prize. What should you do?
- A. Send them a check for $600 right away!
- B. It’s a scam. Report it to your local postmaster and the FTC.
- C. Tell friends & family about your good fortune. Buy extravagant gifts online to celebrate!
- D. None of the above.
- Red flags that your new cyber sweetheart might be a scammer are:
- A. Declares he or she has “fallen in love with you” too quickly.
- B. Uses language that doesn’t seem to fit their supposed identity — “scammer grammar.”
- C. Claims a hard-luck story and needs you to send cash right away.
- D. All of the above.
- E. None of the above.
- You get a phone call from someone who claims to be a friend of your grandchild. The caller tells you that your grandchild is in jail in a foreign country for a DUI and needs you to send $2,500 for bail right away. What should you do?
- A. Hang up the phone.
- B. Report the call to the Federal Trade Commission.
- C. Call a family member to check status of your loved one.
- D. All of the above.
- You receive an unsolicited text message that your email account has been compromised and shut down to protect your account from further unauthorized activity. The text message instructs you to send a text back to regain access to your account. What do you do?
- A. Send a text back and provide pertinent info needed to re-open your account.
- B. Do not reply to unauthorized text message.
- C. Report unsolicited text message to your verified service carrier.
- D. None of the above.
- If the IRS calls you and says you owe them money, you should:
- A. Send it to them.
- B. Give them your Social Security Number to verify your account.
- C. Hang up the phone.
- D. Ask for the caller’s number and call them back.
- E. None of the above.
- Television and newspaper ads that offer a “free” back brace to Medicare beneficiaries are always legitimate.
- A. TRUE
- B. FALSE
- You should always carry your Social Security card with you.
- A. TRUE
- B. FALSE
- Pet scams have skyrocketed during the pandemic! Buying a non-existent pet from a scammer is an emotionally devastating and heart-breaking experience. How can you protect yourself from falling victim to a pet scam?
- A. Adopt a pet from your local animal shelter or rescue league.
- B. Find a reputable breeder in your area to purchase a pet.
- C. Contact the Humane Society for info about local animal shelters and breeders.
- D. Don’t pay for a pet with gift cards or by wiring money.
- E. All of the above.
- F. None of the above.
POP QUIZ ANSWER KEY
1 – b 2 – d 3 – d 4 – b & c 5 – c 6 – b 7 – b 8 – e
If you believe you have been the victim or the target of a scam, report it to the Federal Trade Commission at 877-382-4357 or online at https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/#crnt&panel1-1. And then — Pass It On! You can also report scams to the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging Fraud Hotline at 1-855-303-9470. If you have questions about Medicare fraud / abuse or believe you have been the victim of Medicare fraud, please contact the Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) at 1-855-613-7080. For more info regarding California SMP, go to www.cahealthadvocates.org. Contact the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office online at http://da.lacounty.gov// or phone (213) 974-3512.
STOP SENIOR SCAMS℠ ACTING PROGRAM is on YOUTUBE!
Although the Stop Senior Scams ℠ Acting Program (SSSAP) in-person performances are on hold during this time of the coronavirus pandemic, we are committed to continuing our education program through our videos on Zoom.
- We are happy to announce our most recent video, released mid-October, called “Robocalls, Mail Fraud, and Merlin with the Stop Senior Scams Acting Program.” Besides taking a look at scams that utilize robocalls and the U.S. Postal Service, this video also explores pet scams and features our friend “Merlin, the Cat!” Watch it here — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dA3noym9JPo&t=2s
- For an overview of some of the most prevalent scams that target seniors in the United States, watch our video called “The Top Senior Scams with the Stop Senior Scams Acting Program.” —https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cp097g7hTUg&t=13s
Please subscribe (free of charge) to the SSSAP YouTube Channel and you’ll be notified when new videos are released! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjFjb-WPPr8KAXq1dlu1EvA Together we can combat fraud!
Remember: You may be a target, but you don’t have to be a victim!
Dr. Sherry McCoy, PhD, is a freelance writer & actor for the Stop Senior Scams℠ Acting Program (SSSAP) in Los Angeles. For more information re SSSAP, please contact Adrienne Omansky at SSSAP4U@gmail.com. Questions for the writer should be directed to “Dear Sherry” at Not Born Yesterday! P.O. Box 722, Brea, CA 92822 or nbynews@juno.com.
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