Avoiding Cons

Senior citizens can be taken advantage of through telephone, internet, insurance, or home repair scams. Sometimes they are taken advantage of by people they know and think they can trust. Here are some tips for avoiding possible cons:
• Do not feel hesitant to hang up on telemarketers to protect yourself from possible bullying, suggestiveness, or false information.
• Never give personal information such as credit card numbers, social security numbers, or bank account numbers over the phone.
• Do not take money out of your account when instructed to by a stranger. A common scam involves strangers pretending to be bank tellers and asking people to take money out of their accounts. Banks never use these methods for testing purposes.
• Be cautious of deals that sound too good to be true or involve presenting large amounts of money up front with promises of receiving money later. Checking with your local Better Business Bureau can give you more information about real companies in your area.
• Be cautious of people going door to door and offering home repair services. They may not be properly trained and can overcharge for services. If you employ someone for this kind of work, check references, get an agreement in writing for the services, and never pay in advance.

– Donna

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 4th, 2010 at 6:30 pm. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

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