Protect yourself against SCAMS

Millions of Americans fall prey to scams each year, and people in Northwest Arkansas are no exception. Seniors in particular are often the victims of these devious crimes.

“There is no doubt in my mind that telephone and email scams are on the rise in Northwest Arkansas,” says Justin Elrod, Certified Elder Law Attorney with The Elrod Firm. “It seems like seniors are disproportionately targeted by scammers, so they have to be particularly diligent in knowing what to watch out for.”

Justin points out a basic rule of thumb: “You should never open an email when you’re not sure who it came from, and you should never click links in emails if you’re not sure where those links go.”

Most important, he says, is staying informed on the latest news about the most common scams.

Here are some scams making the rounds right now, and ways to avoid falling prey to them.

The fake IRS

Scammers know that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) strikes fear in the hearts of men and women. Two types of IRS scams have been making the rounds recently:

‡ Email “phishing” (as in “¿shing for information”).

Scammers send phony e-mails that claim to come from the

IRS and tell victims that they are due a tax refund. They get victims to provide their personal and ¿nancial information, which can be used to steal their identities.

‡ Fake IRS phone calls, claiming to be from IRS employees calling about unpaid taxes. They use fake names and phony IRS badge numbers. They may know a lot about you, and they may use a Washington, DC area code (202) to seem like the IRS really is calling. The scammer may even threaten victims with arrest or, in the case of immigrants, deportation unless they pay up immediately.

It’s important to remember that the real IRS never initiates contact with you via phone call, email, or through social media. The IRS cannot threaten to have you arrested or deported for not paying taxes. You can send any suspicious correspondence to phishing@irs.gov. If you get a fake IRS call, hang up immediately and report it to the Treasury Inspector General for

Tax Administration at 1-800-366-4484.

Medicare card scam

You may have heard that Medicare is in the process of sending out new cards to all beneficiaries. The new card removes the current Social Security-based identifying number and replaces it with a random number/letter sequence to help reduce identity theft and fraud.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warns that scammers are posing as Medicare

“agents” or health care providers, telling seniors they need to purchase a replacement card. You don’t have to pay for your new card. The new Medicare cards are free, and everyone with Medicare will be mailed a card between April 2018 – April 2019. The only action you need to take is to ensure Social Security has your current address.

If you’ve been solicited by a possible Medicare scammer, report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477).

Be tipped off by how scammers ask you to pay

Whether it’s a phone call from someone impersonating a grandchild in trouble, or a plea for a donation from a fake charity— often capitalizing on a recent disaster—one of the quickest ways to spot a scam is by recognizing how you are being asked to send money.

The Federal Trade Commission warns that if someone says you can only pay by wiring money, putting money on a gift card, or loading money onto a cash reload card: that is a scam. Hang up the phone, throw that email or flyer away, and report it to the FTC by going to www.ftc.gov complaint or call 1-877-FTC-HELP.

In general, “You should approach all unfamiliar emails and phone calls from unknown numbers with a healthy degree of skepticism,” Justin advises. “Always avoid providing any type of personal information in response to emails and calls when you’re not completely sure who you’re dealing with.”

Remember, sophisticated fraud operations are successful because they go to great lengths to appear legitimate. Do your research before opening your wallet or giving out any information. Stay informed and protect yourself and others from fraud. More good information can be found at ftc.gov.