Unfortunately, scammers are proliferating in today’s world. They like to target folks in their 50s and older. Scammers are specifically looking to target older Americans, thinking that they are easy targets. It’s important to protect yourself by being cautious and making smart choices when interacting with new people. Here are some tips to keep yourself safe from scammers.
1. Verify who you’re dealing with
It’s surprisingly easy for scammers to appear like a reputable business or even a well-known company. Scammers create fake websites, make calls from familiar-looking numbers. They have been known to copy logos to make emails and letters look legit. If you get an email that appears to be from a company you trust asking you to input your password and credentials, delete the email and make a call to the company to verify. It’s very easy to create a fake email that looks like the real deal to steal people’s passwords and logon information. If you’ve never heard of a company that’s trying to reach out to you, you can verify their legitimacy using resources from the Better Business Bureau, Federal Trade Commission, and National Fraud Information Center.
2. Keep your passwords secure and in a safe place
With so many passwords to keep track of nowadays, it can be very tempting to make them all the same thing or to use something simple, like the word “password”. In reality, this can make you a target for scams. Hackers go through websites and try out thousands of passwords to try to break into your personal accounts and steal money or information. Always use a secure password, and download a password manager like LastPass (http://bit.ly/2BXO90N) to keep track of all of them.
3. Beware of people soliciting information
Scammers will sometimes call you, pretending to be from your bank or phone company, and ask you for your passwords, pins and other identifying information. Hang up immediately. Your bank and your phone company already have this information, and they would never call or email to try to get them from you. Always verify the source of people calling to solicit information from you.
By taking these simple steps, you can help protect yourself from scams and keep your personal information safe. You can be proactive against scammers and prove that senior citizens are not easy targets!
