Seniors Site

Holidays are not safe from scammers, in fact, this is the very time when scammers take advantage of the gift-giving feeling when you put your guard down and really soak up the holiday cheer assuming that everybody is doing the exact same thing. Unfortunately, scammers are more active than ever during holidays and they continually improvise new ways to trick innocent merrymakers!

Dupe online shops. In truth, your search engine a.k.a Google, takes time before they catch dupes – those websites that copy legitimate websites hoping to deceive consumers into entering their personal information (credit card details included) and making transactions with their site. Of course, if you happen to use dupe websites, don’t expect for your ordered items to ever reach your door, instead, brace yourself for your next credit card’s billing statement since that dupe site, must have by then, maxed out your credit line. When shopping online, make sure you are using the right website and not a dupe.

• Online shopping directories. A little bit same when using your search engine and end up in a dupe site however, those found in shopping directories are more organized as they will present themselves as legitimate sellers, their websites all legit looking, designed to only operate during holidays and be gone soon after. If they are not after your credit card details, they are most likely to infect your computer with malware.
• Gift cards from racks. Gift cards must be the most sensible thing to give to loved-ones especially if you don’t have any idea what to get them! Young adults love receiving them as it allows them to shop and get whatever they want and not just contend with a horrible, knitted sweater every single year. However, authorities warn public from buying off department store racks as they are very much exposed to unscrupulous people who steal gift card codes and use it as
  soon as it is activated.
• Online greeting cards. Anything that has a link and the sender asking you to click it should send you doubting big time! Most ecards or electronic cards – the kind that you view on your computer – can be embedded into the email itself which won’t prompt the receiver to click any link anymore. Others will just give you a code which you can use in their website to view your electronic card.
• Undeliverable package notice from your local courier. We’ve had reports from several seniors receiving emails and calls from purportedly “couriers” telling the seniors that they have been trying to deliver a package and wasn’t able to do so. That they needed for the senior to claim it personally or call a number where they can claim their holiday package. Of course, at the other end of the number is a scammer waiting for you call.

Seniors are easy targets for unscrupulous people. Scammers target seniors. Con artists seek seniors – that’s just how it goes. Whether we like it or not, we become thief-magnet as we age so it is absolutely necessary for seniors to apply certain safety measures to protect themselves as well as their properties.
Yes, that’s right. Making sure that your home is adequately protected from unwanted “visitors” should be your top priority. Below is a guide to home safety for aging people especially for seniors living alone:
•    Home security involves the things found in and around your home. Installing locks on your doors is sometimes not enough to ward off robbers. Seniors should make a conscious effort of observing proper home security practices to be able to really secure the place you’re living in.
•    Adequate lighting. Again, that is inside and outside of home. Your lawn, if you have one, or perhaps your porch and back area (if applicable) should always be well-lighted especially at night so that there will be no chance a robber will go unobserved if an attempt is made.
•    Go for quality locks. These babies might be a little expensive than most locks in the market today but if your safety is on the line, might as well invest on them. Of course, don’t forget to actually use them after installation. For doors, double dead locks might also be a good idea to add. Make sure you got your windows covered too since next to doors, windows are a personal favorite of housebreakers.
•    Shop for alarm systems. There are many alarm systems available for seniors nowadays, some are even specifically designed for seniors which usually involve censors that can detect slips and falls. If you still have some money left, then might as well go for full home security system. It will definitely cost more but you are sure to put your mind at ease whether you’re inside your home or out traveling for long period of time.
•    Keep your lawn trimmed and cleared at all times. You don’t need those high bushes to hide your would-be housebreaker. By eliminating their possible hiding place, your would-be burglar is sure to have doubts in proceeding with the break in.
•    Be careful where you hide your spare keys. What was once a cute and convenient habit can now be the very thing that will let your robbers inside your home. Rocks, flower pots, up above door frames are out of the question. If you need to leave a spare key behind, might as well leave it with your trusted neighbor or install a safety box somewhere outside your home and put it there, under a combination lock.
•    Adopt a watchdog. This is highly recommended for those living alone since dogs are also a good companion as well as protectors. Get one from local training facilities.
•    Security cameras are very popular nowadays and it proves to be very beneficial in case a robber successfully broke into your home since footages can be used against them and in identifying them.

If you are like me—paranoid and all—when it comes to identity theft, then the one thing you should be securing under lock and key is your social security number! Why? It’s because if someone gets hold of your social security number, it is good as stolen! Here are some tips on how to protect your Social Security Number and avoid identity theft from happening:

•    Your Social Security card does not belong in your wallet eventhough it must be the first place you’ll ever think of putting it. It should be stored in some place safe and personal. This will keep wallet snatchers from getting your social security card details and use it as their own.
•    Never give away your number even if the request looks legitimate enough. I have posted about it twice: your email addresses are the number one target of scams requesting for your social security number and quite horribly, they even duplicate legitimate pages to fool you. A legitimate request won’t have you providing numbers on unsecured places, they will notify you to report to them personally most likely in the secured confines of their offices.
•    Stolen properties should be reported at once, so does your lost wallet. Even if it might only be a bad case of forgetting where you last put it down or a real case of a stolen property, a lost wallet should be considered as a serious situation since you are most likely to put your personal numbers in there where unscrupulous people might see them and use to their advantage.
•    Be vigilant. It’s okay to ask questions when you need to especially if it is about your debts you are asking. The only way to know if there are transactions made not by you is to check your account regularly. Credit reports can be requested online so take advantage of it. This way you will be able to keep track of your accounts thus protecting it against thieves.
•    Remember, thieves abound. There are thieves who do things the traditional way, that is, scamming you and squirreling away your hard earned money under your nose and there are those savvy enough to con the unknowing you. One good example is cyber thieves who target seniors who are merely doing their transactions online. To combat this, you will need to practice safe online measures such as installing and updating your anti-virus programs and not be as trusting as you normally would.
•    Your Social Security Number is CONFIDENTIAL. No matter how difficult the situation might be, do not and absolutely never give your number to anyone except when requested by law.

Scams are like seasons, they come and they go, some may stay a little while longer, others are just one-hit wonders. Its “earth-time” will depend on how sophisticated and intricate the scam design is—the harder it is to detect, the longer it stays. The only thing that can temporary kill it is exposure. Apparently, when the public is aware of its existence, the scammers will have to play it safe and let the awareness pass, only to resurrect the scam years later.

For us seniors, there are two main factors which make us fall for a scam:  the prospect of easy money and strong family ties. Remember the sweepstakes scam or perhaps the grandparent or grandchild scam? These two are the most popular—not to mention the longest standing—scams to ever hit the senior group. It is because these scams played with our softest spots, our fears and our emotions in general. With this said, it is important that we remember scams from years back as they tend to turn up again years later while being vigilant for new scams being played against us. To keep seniors updated, here are some of the scams discovered lately:

•    Phishing. Sometime ago, I posted Phishing 101 here but it only discussed what it is and how it works. Phishing, as it was then, largely attacks social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter however, phishing is also used for tricking you in providing your access info to some of your more sensitive accounts such as PayPal or even your bank so it is best to practice safety measures when logging into your account. It may also help if you change passwords on a regular basis.
•    Smishing. A close cousin of phishing. This is when you receive a text message (naturally through your mobile phone) asking you to call a number for whatever reason only to be tricked into giving your sensitive details such as account number and password. Before you give anyone or anybody your details, make sure you are giving it to a legitimate body by checking if the number you called truly belongs to the company you are calling.
•    Pop-up windows and ad banners. You would think these innocent looking thingies that keep on popping up on your computer monitor are harmless.. well, think again, one wrong click and they will hijack your legitimate purchase from a legitimate online shop. Of course that means your credit card is now charged with something you really didn’t buy.
•    Stripped gift cards. You remembered a loved-one’s birthday coming up and you decided to give a gift card inside. You went ahead and bought a gift card, loaded it and gave it to the celebrant. The celebrant went to buy his or her gift only to find out the card has nothing on it. Sounds familiar? It’s because your gift card has been stripped even before you bought it from the store.

Seniors who are dabbling with the internet long enough to know that internet shopping is really the “in” thing nowadays must have experienced once or twice the joys of online payments. I must admit, the first time I experienced a successful online transaction, I was instantly hooked! From then on, I tried to resist the temptation of buying online. Just consider this:  prices are almost cut down in half, convenience in paying for these things, no need to go out and risk foot injury at the end of the day just by inspecting rows upon rows of stuff—most of them you don’t even need, and most of all, just wait for your parcel to be delivered right at your doorstep—no matter how big or small your item must be! I say, for a senior like me, online shopping is one of the most valuable things made possible by the internet–EVER!
So you could just imagine the excitement I felt when I discovered that my bank actually encouraged their members to pay bills online—and they are giving away rewards for doing so. E-payments are the next best thing that ever happened to seniors like me who are having a hard time ordering checks from a bank, mailing it to pay their bills as well as the cost that comes with it—that is, stamps, checks etc., then let’s not forget the risk of losing the check on its way to the billing company. All these can add stress to an already stressful senior life every month, whereas paying your bills online is as easy as few clicks on your keyboard!
If security is your problem, rest assured that most banking institutions are triple safe than your regular online shopping sites. However, just to stay on the safer side, here are some online bill payment practices you need to remember:

• Your password is the most crucial. You need to change them on a regular basis so that your account won’t risk being cracked by identity thieves. Try to do combinations of letters and numbers that are not in anyway connected to your personal information such as birthdays, anniversaries, and even names.
• Never pay your bills on public computers since you can never be sure if these computers are safe or if they are infected with malicious programs that can steal your bank information.
• Never respond to emails requesting for your information such as username and password. If your bank needs these things, they will wait for you until you personally access your account and will make you do updates while you are in the site itself.
• Make sure you are doing transactions with the right URL. FYI, URL is the address of a website located at the upper bar of your browser alongside reload, back and forward buttons. This usually starts with letters “http”. Consider this as your home address or the address of your bank for that matter. Payments should only be done within the bank’s premises.
• Always check your account balance so you can spot discrepancies at once. Report to your bank whenever you feel funny about something.

At one point, debit cards seem to be the most logical thing to have after a series of frightful credit card fraud reports. What in the Earth could possibly go wrong? Considering that debit cards are made more lucrative than ever by offers of zero liability—that is, of course, if you’re able to prove there was an identity theft occurred.
I once stumbled upon this large advert showing a good-looking elderly woman holding a debit card and grinning like it saved her life. Right then and there, I knew those babies are supposed to be the best credit card alternative for those who suffer from senior moments, also called as losing-one-brain-cell-per-second seniors like me.
To some extent, debit cards may help seniors especially for their everyday expenses like grocery shopping or paying online, but it is not without its own loopholes as unscrupulous people are quick to catch up. Here are some tips to prevent debit card fraud from harming you:
•    Beware of skimmers. Skimmers are techie gadgets used to strip your debit card of its most valuable information such as your PIN number. Skimmers are usually attached to the machine where you swipe your debit card. For your protection, never let your debit card out of your sight when paying. If you are using an ATM machine, examine first the slot where you swipe your card, if it looks odd, then don’t use that machine.
•    Make sure that your personal information with the issuing company is updated but never respond to calls and emails asking you for it. Instead go personally to the issuing company and inquire about it. This way, you are sure you’re giving the right people your personal information and not just some scammer waiting to humor you.
•    Stick with ATM machines that are located in respectable areas with good lighting and a nearby security guard, if possible. Machines in these areas are often harder for thieves to set up since they are more exposed.
•    As much as possible, stick to a couple of familiar ATM machines for your withdrawal needs. This way, it will be easier for you to determine if anything is amiss such as sticky buttons or loose debit card slot.
•    In an event wherein your card gets stuck, DO NOT ask for just about any individual standing near or beside you. Instead place a call to the issuing company and report the event without walking away from the ATM itself.
•    Always check your balance. Once you notice discrepancies, report it at once so you avoid being held liable for other transactions from then on.

It may be morbid to blog about funerals especially to seniors like me but practically speaking, planning for your own funeral can actually save you and your loved-ones time, energy and of course, money. Seniors must consider planning for their own funeral as some sort of insurance. Good thing is, if you plan your funeral ahead of time, you would know that everything will go according to what you have in mind, thus avoiding confusion and misunderstanding when that fateful day comes.
Seniors should also consider that a death is some sort of an instant magnet for scammers and con-artists. Of course, you wouldn’t want your loved-ones to be taken advantage of during their most vulnerable time. With that said, here are some tips on how to plan and cut cost on your own funeral—well, it may come in handy for caregivers as well:
·    Do your research. There is no better time than now to do these things. Know the industry and how it goes nowadays.  It includes prices and “packages” local funeral homes offer. Make a rough draft of how you would like your funeral to be arranged.
·    Decide whether to cremate or bury. Whatever happens to your being, it will all boil down to either of the two:  cremation or burial. Let it be clear to everyone what you prefer and your reasons why you prefer it.
·    Choose your casket well. Caskets are one of the biggest factors that contribute to your funeral costs, if you want to cut costs, find a simpler but dignified casket and no one will ever notice the difference! You can even rent a casket if you are going for cremation. If you find funeral homes’ casket a little steep, there are casket manufacturers selling at retail prices which you can buy and have it delivered to the funeral home at a later date.
·    Never divulge too much information to the funeral director. Funeral prices are adjustable however, if the funeral director knows you have much to spend, you can’t just expect this person to give you discounts and freebies right?
·    Compare notes with your friends. Someone in your circle of friends must have had an experience or two with deaths and such, get some tips on how they were able to get over such things.
·    Don’t acquire services that you won’t really need. A trip to a funeral home usually comes with getting pressured to acquire additional services. Resist them if you want to save a little more on your funeral costs.

While you go frolicking under the sun and smelling flowers, con artists are busy putting together scams to rip your money off you. Yes, seniors are not alone in this battle, however, scam artists are almost always after seniors as they see us as very easy targets. Sounds unfair right? Unfortunately, it’s true. Better take it as a warning than an offensive statement. What seniors need to know though is that scams are often seasonal such that as season changes, so does scams. I would like to consider it as “scam rotation”. For this Spring season, be especially aware of these things as they can be the very scam you are trying to avoid:
·    Door-to-door scams. Sun is out, making it easier for scammers to scout your area on foot. One of the most popular door-to-door scams offers magazine subscription for a good cause which sadly, many seniors fall for it. Mechanics are pretty much the same:  someone knocks on your door and offers you something irresistible, after exhibiting great persuasion skills, the person selling you stuff will then require you a downpayment or worse, your credit card details. Either way, no magazine will ever materialize and your money gone forever. One way to avoid this is to put a “DO NOT KNOCK” sticker in front of your house and complain if someone does.
·    Spring Cleaning Scams. These scams are usually found in your mailbox, along with dozens of mind-boggling offers ranging from legit to downright ridiculous. Spring cleaning scams involve carpet, duct and chimney cleaning. No matter what they say, never accept an offer you did not ask for. Always stick with reputable companies if you need these things done and always ask for an ID when someone comes to do the job. Spring cleaning scams have only one goal when committed; it is to get inside your house.
·    Home Repair Fraud. Need to repair the roof? Or perhaps your gutters need some cleaning? Of course, your house must have something to be fixed considering the winter battering and all. Wouldn’t it be nice if some considerate, just passing by contractor happens to see your need and come knocking on your door, offering services at very low, low prices? Well, think again! Home repair fraud must be the most popular Spring season scam ever designed targeting seniors and elderly people!
·    Spring break scam. Here’s how it exactly goes, someone phones you claiming that he or she is your grandchild, on some faraway place–vacationing, since it’s spring break–but got into trouble and need money so badly. Now, your supposedly “grandchild” wants you to wire him or her the money so they can go home safe and sound. Since it has an emotional angle to it, many seniors, indeed, fall for this kind of scam. Authorities warn that it won’t hurt one bit if you just give the parents of your grandchild a call first and inform them of the information you just received before actually sending the money. If this is not possible at the moment, report to the authorities and let them help you find your grandchild.

If you are over 60, retired or almost retiring, you must have encountered an invitation to one of these so-called free lunch seminars—if not, prepare yourself as one of these days, you are bound to get one! While the concept is not new at all—it, being a free food and all, the lure of having to eat at somewhere upscale and classy makes a senior feel important and well, pressured. It was reported that almost ¾ of the senior population, at some point, already received an invitation to a free lunch seminar and almost half of these seniors gave in.  You must have thought seniors are getting wiser now when it comes to putting their retirement funds in order, unfortunately, financial experts warn seniors that 1 out of 4 free lunch seminars is actually a scam. Furthermore, out of 5, 3 of these investment plans don’t even fit your needs. With the success rate free lunch seminar is going, it will definitely put seniors to mad houses soon!
This is why organizations as well as government bodies aiming to protect seniors are now moving to counteract these free lunches without having to restrict seniors in attending authentic ones. By closely monitoring how free lunch seminars work, they were able to come up with a guideline on what to look for when subjected to a free lunch seminar. Here are some basic points you must take note of when attending one:
·    The speaker’s qualification. Not everyone is qualified to give investment advises to anyone, much less to a senior. They must be qualified to do that—and licensed too. If none is mentioned, don’t hesitate to ask since it is your money that’s at stake.
·    The speaker and the company’s contact info/details. This is the only way you can check them out prior to handing over your hard-earned money.
·    Other people mentioned during the seminar. Take note of other people mentioned such as the broker or financial adviser (if they are not the speaker) so you can do your background research on them too. Research is crucial, it will help you make a better decision on whether or not, trust these people.
·    How did they get your name? Did someone referred you or you just came up as a random invitee? As much as possible, stay away from random name picking. The activity itself is questionable enough to start with.
·    The number of questions they throw at you even if you have not decided yet. Be especially aware of the questions pertaining to your other investments such as bonds, stocks and mutual funds. They need not know these things.
·    The atmosphere they are creating while talking with you. Is there a feeling of pressure? Or perhaps confusing statements? Or even aggressiveness on the way they market their plans?
·    What benefits you’ll be able to gain when acquiring their offered plans. When it’s too good to be true then it’s time to get up and go.
·    Risks. Investment plans always come with one. If the speaker failed to discuss this one with a senior then you must proceed with caution when dealing with them.

Almost everything you need can now be found online. And not only that, you can go window shopping to your heart’s content without getting monitored by those pesky salesladies who just won’t leave your side until you go out of that door! Online window shopping is much less complicated but more informative than ever, the only downside however is that you cannot touch and feel the merchandise—not even smell a thing! Practicality speaking, I am ALL out for online window shopping BUT not really into online shopping. Maybe one or two purchases when needed but never on websites of suspicious nature—and me saying suspicious means about ¾ of them all!
I try to set limits when I’m off online shopping. For example, when I am interested with a product but a first time buyer on that site, I usually choose a product that is easy enough on my pocket and won’t leave me too disappointed if the purchase doesn’t push through for some reason. Aside from that, I observe certain guidelines to Stay Safe When Paying Online. Buying a car online may be a little off for me but deals offered online are really good and can save you a lot of money, not to mention time and energy. Here are some tips to guide you when looking or buying a car online:
·    Research is a must. Seniors must remember, buying a car involves serious money and this is not something you just forget and leave a nasty feedback on someone else’s site after. This could mean your one or two year’s worth of saved money, so you better do some legwork to ensure you get your money’s worth. I tell you, there are just about 20 reputable sites you can transact with out of thousands so you really need to be careful when picking one.
·    As much as possible, stay local. There are many listing sites out there, browse if you need to but as much as possible, try to stay within your area. Not only it is more convenient for you and the dealer but also, you save a lot of money shipping the car. Furthermore, you can visit and test-drive the car anytime you want to.
·    Find a physical, stable ground. You know that is the problem when dealing online, one cannot be certain when and where truth ends and lies materialize. Before you let go of your money, make sure you already have with you everything you need such as the dealer’s info, where you can find him in case a problem arises, etc.
·    Even if you are too overwhelmed with the magic online shopping obviously has, you still need to do the things you usually do when buying a car. That is, checking on the car’s docs and papers, making sure they really exist and no problem will arise after the sale.
·    Take an extra precaution when joining auction sites. Sometimes, these sites post your contact info for scammers to take advantage of.  While these sites meant no harm to you, scammers have gone preying on gullible bidders!