11/25/19 Senior Savvy Space - Dec 4th Tips and Tricks to Avoid Scams

It is estimated that older adults lose billions of dollars to scammers each year.  Chances are good that someone you know has been scammed, whether they talk about it or not.  Some won’t mention it because they are embarrassed, thinking “I can’t believe I fell for that.”  But the truth is this…if you share what you know about scams, you can help protect someone you know from being scammed as well.  The Federal Trade Commission runs a website, www.consumer.ftc.gov., where you can easily report scams and/or find out about ones that may be happening in your area.   And it’s easy to talk about scams, simply start the conversation by asking if others are getting unwanted calls.  We  all get them, and the majority of them are from scammers.  The important thing to remember is to just hang up. And don’t trust caller I.D. either as it can be faked.   You can ask your carrier about call blocking – or consider buying a call blocking device as a holiday gift.  Or maybe you prefer a little friendly competition? Quiz your friends and family about what a money mule is. Not sure yourself? The short answer is: when someone sends you money and asks you to send it on to someone else, you could be what law enforcement calls a money mule. Don’t do it. You could lose money and get into legal trouble.  You can come to the Mill Pond Library in Kingston on Wednesday, Dec. 4th at 10am to learn about tips and tricks to avoid scams.  The presenter will be Chad Holdorf from the Green Lake County Sheriff’s Dept.  Don’t delay, sign up for this informative program the next time you are at the library, or if you won’t make it in before then, call 920-394-3281 to be added to the sign-up sheet.