Arm yourself against scam artists

Knowledge is power. With access tools such as the Internet, online newspapers, 24-hour cable news channels and the omnipresent talk shows, it has never been easier to expand your knowledge.

One of my duties as Seniority editor is to inform readers when I come across information you might find useful. Recently, I was invited to a luncheon with the Area Agency on Aging at the Sunshine Center in St. Petersburg. Included in my information packet was a scam alert flier from the Senior Victim Advocate Program.

I am keenly interested in scams and fraud because of some stories we're planning about these issues. So I spoke with Bob Clark, an investigator in the Elder Abuse Unit with the State Attorney's Office. Clark provided information on two common scams: the Social Security scam and the bank examiner's scam. In the latter, a senior citizen is asked to withdraw money from his or her account in order to "help" the bank examiner catch fraudulent employees.

BE WARNED: Banks will not ask you to withdraw money to help them catch crooked employees.

In the Social Security scam, seniors are told that the administration has a program that will help them cover the cost of their medications. The caller will say that a home visit is required to see their medications. This is a ploy to gain access to the senior's home.

BE WARNED: Social Security Administration employees do not make home visits.

Scams and fraud committed against senior citizens are not new and unfortunately are likely to be around as long as criminals can find someone to prey on.

Here's where knowledge becomes power: The more you know, or the more aware you become of fraudulent tactics, the more power you maintain over your life. Although scam artists see the elderly as easy prey, just about anyone can be duped by articulate, well-groomed, know-it-all cons.

When I asked Clark what seniors could do to protect themselves from becoming victims, he had three suggestions.

Purchase an answering machine and use it. In one telemarketing scenario, Clark explained that scam artists will sit in a phone room and call everyone in a mobile home park. They call to see if a senior will answer the phone. If they do, they query them about their likes and dislikes. Because some seniors are trusting and lonely, they often engage in long discussions. "What the bad guys are doing is extrapolating intelligence and gathering information to see where the senior is mentally," Clark said.

It is important that seniors use their answering machine and screen calls, Clark said, but some seniors have to be persuaded that it's okay to screen calls, because they grew up in a time when it was rude not to accept a call.

Do not respond to door-to-door solicitations. "Don't let people in your house," Clark said. He said it is important to ask for identification and to call the company or agency the person is representing. Sometimes, scam artists work in pairs. Once they are inside a home, one will distract the senior while the other goes through personal papers, taking checks and credit cards.

If you are considering having work done on your home, it's best to shop around and get bids. "Don't fall for the 'it has to be done today' line, and be leery of big discounts," Clark said.

Maybe these suggestions are no-brainers for you, but Clark would probably be out of a job if everyone (not just the elderly) was skilled at scam detection. By the way, Clark seemed pretty busy to me. Scam artists have gotten more sophisticated through the years, so anything you can do to give yourself an edge is vital.

There are agencies you can call if you suspect someone is trying to defraud you, or if you've already been conned. If you want to check out a business, Clark suggested calling the Pinellas County Consumer Protection Agency at 727-464-6200, or a similar agency in your county. You can also call the Elder Abuse hotline toll-free at 1-(800) 962-2873 if you suspect someone is being abused or might fall prey to a scam. Callers can remain anonymous. And finally, your local police department also is a resource.

When in doubt, check it out. Don't be afraid to ask questions: It's the questions that don't get asked that might cause you the most grief.

It's my party and I can forget if I want to

I imagine many of you read the news stories a few weeks ago that singled out "older poll workers" as a source for what went wrong with the primaries in September.

Too bad.

With the general election just a week from today, some older poll workers might find themselves in the news again, especially if anything goes wrong with the elections.

Isn't that the way of the world? Blame it on the "old folks," or those not likely to make a fuss when labeled or mislabeled.

I think older poll workers should unite. Get mad as hell and don't take it anymore. What if the older poll workers used labels to describe voters such as experience-challenged, or generation-without-a-clue. You can bet there would be trouble. I confess I almost had a moment with an older poll worker when I thought I had been given the wrong ballot. I was about to make a fuss when another older poll worker pointed out that I indeed had the correct ballot. Seems I had forgotten what party I belonged to!

I think anyone prone to making snap judgments (present company included) should always keep the big picture in mind. All of us are capable of making mistakes, not just those past 50. It's the narrow bead on life and issues that can get us into trouble.

- Sheila Reed, Seniority editor, can be reached at (727) 893-8452 or toll-free, 1-800-333-7505, ext. 8452. Write to her in care of the St. Petersburg Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731; or send e-mail to sreed@sptimes.com.

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