topic Re: New warning (or not) for those received Social Security Checks in Community Chat

New warning (or not) for those received Social Security Checks

shopped out — Mon, 31 Jul 2017 17:40:11 GMT

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/seniors-beware-new-con-targets-social-security-checks/

If it's not fraudulant emails about bank accounts or scam phone calls it's now this.

Re: New warning (or not) for those received Social Security Checks

depglass — Mon, 31 Jul 2017 17:46:21 GMT

I have never understood how reasonably intelligent people suddently get so stupid in their retirement. You wouldn't have fallen for this when you were 30 or 40 or 50, so why now? Be on your guard, people.

Re: New warning (or not) for those received Social Security Checks

bonnielu — Mon, 31 Jul 2017 18:09:15 GMT

Funny you should post this. I got a call this morning. It was from our local Sheriffs office asking if I was Bonnie and my husband was _____. I never say YES so I said. "what is this about." It was about Federal Court.. something about being on a jury. I am a retired teacher and have had 30 years of my rough and tough kids that I taught trying to put ONE OVER on Me. So in my TEACHER VOICE, I said you have your records wrong. No one my age is ever called to jury duty, nor my husband's age .. older then I. This SHERIFF GENTLEMEN STAMMERED, THEN HESITATED and said We are going to send over police, expect them in a half hour. Then he hung up.

We live rural, a small town atmosphere. I called the real sheriff and within a half hour a deputy was at the door taking down information and making sure we were safe. I told him it was nice of him but not necessary. He then said we want to check out anything that pertains to their good name. Believe it or not it was one of my former students.

My neighbor, my friend then called and asked me what happened. I love her to death but she is the neighborhood " I have to know everything." I simply told her my hubby was taken out in handcuffs. We had a good laugh and I then told her the truth.

Re: New warning (or not) for those received Social Security Checks

jpie — Mon, 31 Jul 2017 18:18:16 GMT

@bonnielu wrote:
Funny you should post this. I got a call this morning. It was from our local Sheriffs office asking if I was Bonnie and my husband was _____. I never say YES so I said. "what is this about." It was about Federal Court.. something about being on a jury. I am a retired teacher and have had 30 years of my rough and tough kids that I taught trying to put ONE OVER on Me. So in my TEACHER VOICE, I said you have your records wrong. No one my age is ever called to jury duty, nor my husband's age .. older then I. This SHERIFF GENTLEMEN STAMMERED, THEN HESITATED and said We are going to send over police, expect them in a half hour. Then he hung up.

We live rural, a small town atmosphere. I called the real sheriff and within a half hour a deputy was at the door taking down information and making sure we were safe. I told him it was nice of him but not necessary. He then said we want to check out anything that pertains to their good name. Believe it or not it was one of my former students.

My neighbor, my friend then called and asked me what happened. I love her to death but she is the neighborhood " I have to know everything." I simply told her my hubby was taken out in handcuffs. We had a good laugh and I then told her the truth.

_______

Now that is a great story!

Re: New warning (or not) for those received Social Security Checks

hoosieroriginal — Mon, 31 Jul 2017 18:36:09 GMT

I have one of those neighbors in my area too - she knows everything about everybody. And if she can't find any good gossip, she just makes it up. Your story was hilarious!

Re: New warning (or not) for those received Social Security Checks

SharkE — Mon, 31 Jul 2017 18:47:21 GMT

Prosecute that kid, I would. Brat.

Re: New warning (or not) for those received Social Security Checks

Tadaki — Mon, 31 Jul 2017 19:09:34 GMT

@SharkE wrote:
Prosecute that kid, I would. Brat.

I think she meant the deputy was a former student.

My grandmother was also a teacher. I was visiting her after she had retired. She had put the garbage out, but they had passed by without picking it up. She called whoever was in charge (a former student) and told him they had missed her garbage. Very shortly after that, they had come back to get her garbage!

Re: New warning (or not) for those received Social Security Checks

shopped out — Mon, 31 Jul 2017 19:20:50 GMT

@shopped out wrote:
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/seniors-beware-new-con-targets-social-security-checks/

If it's not fraudulant emails about bank accounts or scam phone calls it's now this.

Here's some information that may be helpful to all: Husband and I have been getting

fraudulant emails from supposedly Amazon and several banks. Half the time

the words are misspelled or the logos are wrong. Funny thing we don't have

accounts at some of the banks or have no orders due from Amazon. We forward

them to the following:

stop-spoofing@amazon.com

reportphish@wellsfargo.com

abuse@bankofamerica.com

abuse@chase.com

Do NOT open the emails, just click forward or check the box and then forward.

The companies can trace them back.

And we immediately check our accounts for fraudluant activity.

On phone calls, never answer yes, especially to the one that asked "Can yiou

hear me?", It is being recorded and edited that you have agreed to a scam.

Just say what ever you want except yes or hange up.

Re: New warning (or not) for those received Social Security Checks

millieshops — Mon, 31 Jul 2017 19:26:52 GMT

@depglass Makes me wonder, too, except that I know any number of people retired for 20+ years and there are too many of them who truly do not think as quickly as they used to and many of that number don't pay much attention to social media where they would see others talking about these scams.

Sometime I'd love to see a breakdown of who it is that gets caught most often in these schemes. I always think the vast majority must be over 80 or 85 and live alone, but what I think and what reality is could be vastly different.

Re: New warning (or not) for those received Social Security Checks

Tukey — Mon, 31 Jul 2017 19:35:55 GMT

Social Security Numbers have to stop being treated as top secret. I had my identity stolen in May. Not sure how they got my information and the one card they were able to open at Kohls before I froze my reports was used in a state 700 miles away. I shred everything. Don't fall for phone and e-mail scams. I did get a letter of being part of a data breach involving security clearance data a few years ago when I was a federal contractor so maybe that was it. But now I worry that when I am ready to file for Social Security someone will rattle off my name, birthday, social #, and take my benefits, redirect my check, etc. They need to fix the system so people can protect themselves should their information be breached...either via a password or something done in person showing ID. Not just via a phone call or webform.

Re: New warning (or not) for those received Social Security Checks

Moonchilde — Mon, 31 Jul 2017 19:48:21 GMT

Any legitimate "program" involving Social Security would be all over every type of news media and everyone "of the age" would be discussing it. If that was not the case, I would assume it was not legit.

Re: New warning (or not) for those received Social Security Checks

Spurt — Mon, 31 Jul 2017 20:30:44 GMT

@millieshops wrote:
@depglass Makes me wonder, too, except that I know any number of people retired for 20+ years and there are too many of them who truly do not think as quickly as they used to and many of that number don't pay much attention to social media where they would see others talking about these scams.

Sometime I'd love to see a breakdown of who it is that gets caught most often in these schemes. I always think the vast majority must be over 80 or 85 and live alone, but what I think and what reality is could be vastly different.

@millieshops

I don't know if you saw that other fraudulent scam on that video on the same page, where people were spoofing Facebook friends telling about ways to receive a free government grant and they said millenlials were falling for this one.....

Re: New warning (or not) for those received Social Security Checks

Spurt — Mon, 31 Jul 2017 20:34:37 GMT

Anytime anyone tells you to send money using gift cards or those Visa debit cards to pay a fee to get something,(and remember the old adage if it sounds too good to be true, it is)....or they tell you to use those methods of payment to pay a fine because you didnt show up for jury duty, or you owe the IRS you know it has to be a scam!

Re: New warning (or not) for those received Social Security Checks

Kachina624 — Mon, 31 Jul 2017 20:36:15 GMT

@depglass wrote:
I have never understood how reasonably intelligent people suddently get so stupid in their retirement. You wouldn't have fallen for this when you were 30 or 40 or 50, so why now? Be on your guard, people.

@depglass Speak for yourself. I've been retired 19 years and nobody is pulling anything over on me.

Re: New warning (or not) for those received Social Security Checks

shoekitty — Wed, 02 Aug 2017 05:56:16 GMT

I think the very elderly sometimes have too much trust in people. They come from a time when your handshake was your word and your oath. And people honored it. People paid their debts before bankruptcy. Stores honored their products without question, people walked miles to check in on their neighbors. There wasnt welfare, social security etc. when you got old your family took care of you, even if you only had a distant cousin they had to take care of you. They did have " old folks homes" and poor houses so to speak, but it was concidered a shame to go there.

i guess what i am saying is many old folks who arent internet saavy, or have used them at all arent always aware of every scam. They may be too trusting. Also many elderly might have borderline dementia, or have lost some reasoning , judgement skills. They can get taken in.

I am 69, and would say most seniors under 80 are pretty internet, scam, indoctrinated. But there are many widowers out there over 80 who had a husband or wife take care of financial matters their whole adulthood. When they are widowed they are sometimes lost to the ways of the world. I have known men and women who never paid a bill or had to take care of any financial matter ever! When the spouse passed the had no idea how to pay a bill or take care of finances. They can sometimes be taken in. Just sayin