While the holidays are a season to celebrate with the family, make charitable donations, and ring in the new year, sadly, they are also a time when cons and cheats take advantage of people’s generosity. For those in assisted living homes, being wary of interacting with people and paying for things over the phone or via the Internet is crucial.
One of the many challenges of avoiding scams is that con artists are compelling and continually creating new angles. If one con stops working, these nefarious individuals switch.
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Here are five scams to avoid:
1. Gift Card Scams
Gift cards have become a standard holiday purchase, making it easy to buy something for friends or family who are difficult to shop for. However, con artists use systems of substituting or switching out cards to steal your money. When you buy a gift card, AARP recommends ensuring the packaging hasn’t been tampered with and holding onto the receipt to give to the recipient.
2. Paying for Gifts Online
There’s nothing wrong with paying for gifts online, as long as you’re cautious. Make sure not to order gifts or other goods from websites that don’t seem reputable. The Better Business Bureau advises that if a holiday deal looks too good to be true, it very well might be. The BBB also suggests reviewing the site’s contact information and return policy. In general, scammers are less likely to include these pages or will omit details that serve as a red flag.
3. Fraudulent Charity Donations
If you are approached about donating to a charitable organization, research before writing a check or handing out cash. It’s impossible to tell exactly where funds go without knowing much about a specific charity. Furthermore, some people may invent a charity or pretend to be an official representative to solicit fraudulent donations. When someone tries to pressure you into an on-the-spot donation, find a polite way to brush them off.
4. Phishing
There are numerous phishing scams in which a person uses a ruse to slowly collect your personal information to steal your identity, hack into your computer, or scam money. This is usually done through email, so exercise caution if anyone emails you about winning a prize, research projects, or other prompts to provide a lot of your personal information. Around the holidays, common phishing scams include e-cards and information requests from a postal courier attempting to deliver a package.
Phishing is a widespread online scam.
5. Giving out Card Information on the phone
Generally, giving out financial information over the phone is a bad idea. Whether the person on the other end is approaching you about a charity donation or a grandparent scam, con artists can sound very convincing on the phone. Resist the urge to wire money or provide credit card information, even if the person sounds legitimate.
