By Liv Osby • HEALTH WRITER
May 27, 2008
The first time Greta Mills' mother was the victim of a scam, it cost her $1,200. The second time ran her $900.
Now the 80-year-old is so fearful of scammers that she says she'll never give financial information over the phone again.
"They sound so serious. And they scared me to death," says Virginia White, who shared her story in the hopes it will keep others from becoming victims.
Senior citizens like White are often easy prey for con artists who cajole or bully them into turning over personal financial information or otherwise get them to pay for something they're not going to get.
In fact, 6,000 complaints were lodged with the state Department of Consumer Affairs last year, and that represents just the tip of the iceberg because many people are too embarrassed to report that they've been duped, says Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer.
Bauer's Office on Aging has just launched a task force on senior fraud.
- DON'T BECOME A VICTIM
Never give Social Security, credit card or bank account numbers to anyone over the phone. - Never click on emails purportedly from banks -- they could be fishing for your personal information.
- If you get a call from someone claming to be from a bank or the Social Security Administration or Medicare or even a phone company, hang up and call the agency directly to find out if the call was legitimate.
- Don't put outgoing mail in your mailbox.
- Review your bank and credit card statements carefully for false purchases or withdrawals.
- Check your credit report regularly.
If you've been scammed, report it to the Department of Consumer Affairs at 1-800-922-1594 or the Lt. Governor's Office on Aging at 1-800-868-9095.Source: AARP and Office on Aging
AbridgedSOURCE: GreenvilleOnline
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