“STOP. BREATHE. VERIFY.”

Virginia State Police Offer Tips to Avoid Scams Ahead of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (June 15)

 

RICHMOND – Virginia State Police is offering a number of “To Do’s” and “Not to Do’s” to avoid falling prey to monetary or identity scams.   June 15 is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, and while older people may be viewed as more vulnerable to such scams, the advice is beneficial for any person to consider.

 

“If it is too good to be true, then it is,” said Virginia State Police Senior Special Agent A. Galton, who is also an accountant and who gives presentations to groups on avoiding becoming a victim.  “Don’t rush into any decision.  Scammers benefit from urgency and fear.  Take some time and verify that what you are about to do is right.”

 

Independent verification is an extremely important step to take in order to avoid a scam.  This means even if a call or email appears to be legitimate, take their name and number and tell them that you will independently communicate – meaning that you will go look up the name and number of that organization and call them yourself.

 

Frequently changing passwords (and not repeating them) is also a good preventative step to take, especially for important accounts like email, which scammers can use to gain access to other accounts.  Having a buddy system, such as a trusted family member, that you can run calls or texts by without judgment, can also help people avoid being scammed.

 

As for things not to do, people should never share personal information unless they have confirmed the request is legitimate, and remember, you have time to confirm it (i.e. independently verify).  People should also be wary of what they place on social media, as information can be used by scammers to gain access to you or your accounts.

 

 

 

What to Do:                                                                          

 

• INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY before you act.  STOP, BREATHE, VERIFY, then ACT.

 

• “If it is too good to be true, then it IS!”   See Something, Say Something!

 

• Check your personal credit every quarter.  Assist vulnerable young people and adults with checking their credit bureau information.

 

• Consider freezing your accounts through the credit bureaus if you do not need to request credit for a large ticket item.

 

• Change your passwords often and do not repeat them, ESPECIALLY for important accounts like your email accounts. Email accounts are typically used for two step verification purposes.

 

• SLOW down before you act! SLOW DOWN.

 

• Help a family member create a “Buddy System” – a no question/ no judgement partnership to address a phone call, text, email, mail, visit.  Use a second set of eyes and ears!

 

• Check the email address or link to verify who is sending you the email.  You can inspect a link by hovering your mouse button over the URL to see where it leads.  Sometimes it is obvious that the web address is not legitimate.

 

• Watch for spelling or grammatical mistakes on correspondence.  Watch out for NON-US vernacular or sentence structure.  This can be a clue that the correspondence is FAKE.

 

• Avoid emails or phone calls that insist that you act now.  Their goal is to get you to do something before you have time to think about it, confirm it, or to tell someone else.  There is never something that urgent that you must act haphazardly.

 

• Change your passwords often. Do not use simple birth dates or words related to the account you are creating one for.

 

• Do NOT use the same password repeatedly, especially for important accounts.  Example: if a scammer learns your email password, then they will take it over and use “forgot password” for you other accounts and have the multifactor security link go to the email that was taken over to confirm and take over other accounts.

 

• Check all your financial statements regularly. (Including real estate)

 

• Use two factor verification.  Update your virus software.

 

• Watch over and be an advocate for our vulnerable adults, inexperienced youth, and our elders.

 

• Check on your parents! Check on your older/or vulnerable neighbors and friends!

 

• Power of Attorney’s are frequently abused.  Make sure there is an independent audit from other family members or a professional at least twice a year, if not more frequently.

 

• Lonely, exhausted, and overly busy people make rash decisions, whether it be romantic, fearful, or unrealistic hope, all of which can lead to ruin.

 

 

 

 

What NOT to do:                                                                         

 

• Do not rush into a decision.  The fraudster/scammer wants to create a sense of urgency, fear or threat, love from loneliness, and hate. This creates a need to decide immediately. This is why scams are so successful.

 

• If the caller is demanding that you act now, not hang up, not tell someone, or even threaten you with jail; then it is a SCAM.

 

• No one has the right to be abusive to another person and that includes via phone, text, social media, or any other form of communication. Hang up! Block the number or email.

 

• Do not believe that the number on the caller ID is legitimate as it might be spoofed. There is software that is readily available that the scammers have that can spoof any number.  When in doubt let someone leave a voicemail message. Try not to answer an unknown number.  Do not press a link on your text unless you have independently verified it through another medium.

 

• Do not challenge a fraudster. It might make you feel better to get angry or to try to trick them, but in the end they win.  Scammers can confirm your information and other basic information about you by simply answering the phone.

 

• Do not share personal information with anyone unless you have confirmed that it is a legitimate request.  You have the TIME to confirm it.  Kindly thank them, hang up, and then call that organization, like a bank for instance, confirm that it was legitimate and then handle it.  INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY

 

• Be very careful about what you put on social media!  It is not safe to tell the world about when and where you are going on vacation, or if you are buying a new expensive item, taking an online poll, or anything personal that could be used as background information for a scammer.  Oddly the poll questions look like the security questions that you might use on your secure accounts?  Right? We all do it to some extent, just think before you post!

 

• No credible business or organization will ask you to pay with gift cards or ask you to mail cash! Credible businesses and organizations will ask you to pay with a credit card or check.  No government agency will ask you to pay with a gift card.

 

• Do NOT open attachments in an email or text unless you have verified that they are legitimate.  Instead, visit the site independently and see if you have a message, or personally contact the person in a separate email or by phone call.

 

• If you are traveling or if you have a contractor/maintenance in your home, do not leave financial information around!  Secure your purse! Do not leave important documents laying around. Ask for a contract and have someone else review the contract with you.

 

• Do not give anyone your social security, credit card, banking…any information over the phone, online…without first checking to see if it is legitimate.

 

• Be careful who you meet and talk with online.  Be very cautious with romantic relationships, especially if they cannot meet with you personally. Do not give money or accept money from someone that you have not independently confirmed is real.

 

 

In summary, always verify the request independently, slow down as scammers use urgency as their primary weapon, do not open any links until you verify that they are legitimate, and never accept funds from someone to transfer to another person (as that could be illegal) unless you know that it is a legitimate transfer and you know the parties personally.  Be vigilant.  Protect our elders and other vulnerable populations.