After spending over 20 years developing relationships with folks on Medicare; I’ve seen my share of fraud and abuse. Unfortunately, the senior population seems to be of particular focus for scammers looking to steal money – and this trend continues at an alarming rate.

According to a recent report by the National Council on Aging, the top financial scams targeting seniors include:

1. Phone calls from criminals posing as employees of Social Security, Medicare or the Federal government asking for personal information such as social security numbers, dates of birth, maiden names, and even credit card or banking account numbers.

2. Phony phone calls, emails and letters from the IRS threatening stiff penalties and jail time if money is not sent to them immediately.

3. Counterfeit prescription drug schemes, anti-aging treatments and supplements, usually advertised through the mail, online or on TV, providing fake remedies that can be ineffective, expensive and unsafe.

4. Funeral and cemetery scams and robberies, where thieves use obituaries to know when funeral services are being held so that they can rob your home.

5. Internet/Computer viruses, posing as pop-up advertisements, can steal your personal information, passwords and even payment information.

6. Sweepstakes and lottery scams, whereby criminals ask that you send them money in order to claim your prize. The scammers usually ask that you use MoneyGram or Western Union to mail a processing fee.

7. Reverse mortgage scams that have led to seniors actually losing their homes.

8. Grandchild schemes, where criminals will call posing as an out-of-town grandchild, asking their grandparent to send them money in the mail.

9. Investment schemes, where phony investment brokers sell illegitimate financial products or real estate, and then run with your money.

10. Door-to-door schemes, where high-pressured sales people will offer to do lawn work, tree work, roof work, etc. These criminals will often ask you to pay for their services up front, and schedule you for a later date. When they do business this way, there’s a good chance that they’ll take your money and run.

Quick Rules for Being Safe Rather Than Sorry

1. NEVER give out any of your personal information over the phone to ANYONE. It doesn’t matter who they claim to be; JUST DON’T DO IT!

2. If it sounds too good to be true….it probably is.

3. If someone you don’t know comes knocking on your door; you do not have to answer it. Unfortunately, there are a lot of recent reports of criminals who knock on your door in broad daylight, and enter your home at your invitation.

4. Never pay anyone for services that have not been rendered.

5. Change your computer passwords often and keep them in a safe location.

6. When in doubt – call Upchurch Insurance Services or a family member to let them know if you get a suspicious call, mail or email. There is nothing embarrassing about not knowing whether something is legitimate or not. Scammers often prey on people who are exceedingly trusting.