Ask Sarah

By Sarah Duggan on October 8, 2015

Beware of Scam!

A couple weeks ago, I shared about the National Do No Call Registry. Since then, a few residents and neighbors have reported being contacted by scammers via telephone. Remember, scammers will say anything and their goal is to get you to say “yes.”

Every year people lose money to phone scams – make sure you aren’t one of them! If you receive a phone call from someone you don’t know who is trying to sell you something you didn’t plan on buying, either say no thanks or simply hang up the phone. Some scammers seem friendly; they will try to win your trust by asking for your first name, inquiring about your family or making small talk. They may even claim they are with a company you trust and pressure you to give up personal information like a credit card number or social security number. Do not hand out personal information to people you don’t know or trust.

Everyone is potential target, but some scammers concentrate on specific groups like older adults. Some offers they may call about include free trials, foreign lotteries, extended car warranties, credit and loans, and travel packages.    

Additionally, automated phone calls can be a scam threat. These are called robocalls and you should hang up immediately when you receive a robocall trying to sell you something. Do not interact, including pressing buttons to be taken off the call list or to talk to a live person.

Don’t become a victim of a scam! If it seems illegitimate, it probably is. Contact myself or Monte Spiller, Resident Services Leader, if you have questions or concerns regarding phone scams or the National Do Not Call Registry. See you next week and thanks for stopping by!