SCAMS The not so good and even worse.

SCAMS & IDENTITY THEFT

You’ll never know what hit you UNTIL it is too late, it can take as much as a year, or more JUST to find out you’ve been had. Then more hours, days and weeks than you want to think about just to clean it up. IF EVER. It will have a severe impact on your credit report. This is only some of the stuff that might come your way. Someone is always coming up with a new way to rip people off. Be very careful with your money and your personal identification so you can enjoy it and leave some to your kids or whomever. It beats someone else spending it for you. Report ID theft to the ID THEFT CLEARINGHOUSE (877.438.4338) or go on line to www.Consumer.Gov/IdTheft. SEE SAFETY section also.

First, why are Seniors such a target for scams and ID theft? Because people 50 (and better ) control over 70 % of the money in our economy. Thieves are NOT known for being stupid. Remember that kids have SS #’s now and they are the newest target for long term identity theft.

The first scam that anyone enrolled in Medicare should be watchful of is overcharging and charging for services not rendered. You’ve paid for this all of your working life, don’t let anyone cheat you or America this way. If you think you may have been over charged or not gotten what is being paid for CALL IMMEDIATELY 1.888.838.7305 to report them. So they don’t get a new BMW. Too &*(%$ bad!

To make sure a charity is what it says it is
go to: www.charitynavigator.com

IT IS PROBABLY A SCAM IF IT SOUNDS LIKE ANY OF THESE
SCAM DEFINITIONS

Ponzi or Pyramid Schemes.
New Ponzi investors “pay” the people that “invested” earlier and usually quite nicely, that way they “share” their “good fortune” with their friends and get them to invest with them. It’s a good way to loose friends down the road and be broke. If the return looks too good, grab your checkbook and RUN! fast. Don’t even look back.
Yeah Right. Can you spell Bankruptcy?

Pyramid schemes depend on each person getting several people to invest “beneath” them. But unless you are the “top dog” you aren’t going to see any “return.” The top dogs live on an island somewhere with a fat off shore bank account that the US can’t touch. They both “sound” so good, especially with interest rates being so low but even low interest on your money is better than no interest on no money. This is the one where someone you trust “invites” you to join them. DON’T DO IT!!! You’ll live to regret it a long time and so will they.

Unlicensed people selling securities
This one is easy to avoid. If they don’t have a valid license to be selling securities, don’t buy. Take the time to check. It is more than worth it. Just say “I’d like to make sure you are licensed. I’LL CALL YOU as soon as I’m sure.” They will either try to bluff you into signing, DON’T, or they will run like rabbits. Do yourself a financial favor, call anyway.


Promissory notes
Buying promissory notes is incredibly risky. They are SO easy to fake. Just don’t do it. If you can’t resist, at least call the Secretary of State’s Securities Division first 486.2440

Prime Bank Schemes
PBGN’s and PBN’s (Prime Bank Guaranteed Notes) When this is explained to you by a con you will think you are the luckiest person on this earth to have the opportunity to get in on it. The luckiest person will really be the one that got your money, cause it is GONE. Forever. The interest roll overs and short term, overnight, high interest rates they tell you about just mean more money will roll over into their off shore accounts. It’s a fast way to lose a lot of money and feel like such a fool that a great many people never even report it to the police. It is also a popular way to launder money, Internationally.
REMEMBER!!! If it sounds too good to be true and you feel like you are unbelievably lucky to “get in on this,” you will be unbelievably lucky to get out without losing your life savings.
I personally know people that have been taken this way. Some of them maxed out several credit cards in order to be able to “get in on this investment.” So they wouldn’t lose out.

Affinity fraud
This type of scam usually comes from someone that you would feel you could trust. “They are affiliated with your church” or some other lie that works for them. If you are going to donate to your church, do it in the collection plate on Sunday.

Charitable gift annuities
Some of these are actually good. Just make sure if you do this it is a REAL charity, not a scam artists way to line his/her pockets.

No matter HOW HARD you try, you can’t BAPTISE a cat.
Then again, it’s harder to baptize a cat than to get money out of someone who thought they were in on a “deal that is too good to be true.” The cat will run and so should you!

Oil & Gas schemes
It’s another “sounds to good to be true” thing. Interest rates are high. And who couldn’t use a little, lot, more money on what they have in the bank just sitting there. Don’t touch these without a professional that is well known to you and others. Even that has proved to fail occasionally.

Equipment leasing
Again! The promise of high rates of return for the use of your money. Just a tempting little offer for you to get in on the payphone industry, ATM machines, Internet bays, etc. Don’t do it or you’ll be looking for a job to supplement your Social Security.

Internet Fraud & Phishing
If you are 50 (or better) and a licensed stockbroker, day trading might be OK for you. Never buy stock based on a “tip” from any internet source. Never never

“VERIFY” your account numbers or personal ID on the internet. There is something called Spyware and it is designed to make you think an account, or something else,
is going to be cancelled, immediately, if you do not respond RIGHT NOW. Your bank account will be cancelled when it has
been drained. This is what is called Phishing. The thief is “phishing” for a sucker

ID THEFT
and if you respond you’ll live to regret it. If you receive e-mails that you suspect might be a scam forward the e-mail to www.uce@ftc.gov or register a complaint with the Nevada attorney General’s office or through the FTC at www.ftc.gov . Don’t let them get away and rip another person off. Never respond or “check out” a link or e-mail when you don’t know the sender.

These kinds of scam artists are truly artists. They can make it look like you are dealing with a reputable company by faking their web site, getting your ID, money or whatever they are after and then they vanish. The reputable company gets your complaint but they don’t have a clue as to what happened to you. This has happened to people on AOL and e BAY and large department stores that also sell on line.

WHEELCHAIRS AND SCOOTERS
There is some REAL pond scum out there so beware or you may end up footing the bill and helping those who so generously help themselves to money that doesn’t belong to them.

PLEASE . . . .DON’T GIVE YOUR MEDICARE NUMBER OUT “TO SEE IF YOU QUALIFY” FOR A “WHATEVER” TYPE OF GIZMO THEY ARE PROMOTING. NEVER NEVER NEVER!!!!!. It is a license to steal. Your doctor knows if you need a wheel chair or scooter and if you do, he will let you know where to get it from. If you have a HMO, it most likely won’t cost you a thing. Or at best a small co-pay.

If someone tries to pressure you into buying anything, walk away, let them talk to air. Or just hang up your phone. Don’t worry about being rude. It is plenty rude to call a person just to try to rip them off. This is the time to be rude FIRST. It will save you time, money and headaches.
Good phone numbers and web sites to get familiar with.
State Senior Medicare Patrol
http://www.aoa.gov/smp/grantee/grantee_state,asp
Medicare Fraud Hotline 1.800.447.8477
Or email them at www.HHSTips@oig.hhs.gov