Savvy Seniors: Rude or Shrewd?
National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) shares precautions for Americans during National Consumer Protection Week, February 5-11, 2006

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Just as savvy seniors are often on the lookout for people or places that might put them in harm's way, they also need to be equally diligent when it comes to con artists and scammers, the most common threats to their well-being.

According to a 2004 survey by the Federal Trade Commission, nearly 25 million Americans (11.2 percent of the adult population) experience consumer fraud each year. Scammers and con artists develop new or evolving scams that target seniors, making them a vulnerable population.

During National Consumer Protection Week -- and throughout the year -- the National Crime Prevention Council urges seniors to take these common-sense precautions to avoid becoming a victim:

  * Be alert and astute. Do not give any personal information over the phone  or Internet to an unfamiliar company or caller. This includes your

    credit card numbers and their expiration dates, your Social Security

    number, driver's license number, bank account numbers, and personal

    information, such as your mother's maiden name. Even if you are told it

    is only for "identification" or "verification" purposes, this

    information can be used for unauthorized credit card charges or bank

    account debits.

 

  * Use direct deposit for incoming payments. Your mail -- both incoming and

    outgoing -- can be vulnerable, especially during tax season when your

    mailbox is fair game for theft of sensitive financial information. If

    your Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) check or

    other payment is delivered by mail to an unlocked box, you also may be

    at risk for theft. Direct deposit eliminates the risk of lost or stolen

    checks, reduces fraud and gives people faster access to their money on

    payment day. Direct deposit also protects against identity theft. For

    more information about enrolling in direct deposit of your Social

    Security or SSI payment, call the Go Direct toll-free helpline at

    (800)333-1795 or sign up online at http://www.godirect.org/.

 

  * It's not rude, it's shrewd. A reputable company will put the offers in

    writing. Ask for written information to be mailed to you and review it

    carefully. Con artists often use official-looking forms and language and

    bold graphics to deceive their victims. Check the company's record with

    the Better Business Bureau before you make a decision. If you receive

    items in the mail that you didn't order, you are under no obligation to

    pay for them. Also, be wary of emails promising "free" vacations, quick

    cures for health concerns, foreign lotteries, work-at-home offers, get-

    rich-quick investments, or requests for donations to charities you never

    heard of. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

 

  * Know your rights. Register your phone number with the National Do Not

    Call Registry at http://www.donotcall.gov/ to stop telemarketing calls.

    If someone rips you off, report the scam or con to local law

    enforcement, your city or state consumer protection office, or a

    consumer advocacy group. Don't be embarrassed. Report con artists so

    they can't take advantage of anyone else!

 

  About the National Crime Prevention Council

The National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) is a private, nonprofit organization whose primary mission is to enable people to create safer and more caring communities by addressing the causes of crime and violence and reducing the opportunities for crime to occur. NCPC manages public service advertising under the National Citizens' Crime Prevention Campaign -- symbolized by McGruff the Crime Dog(R) and his "Take A Bite Out Of Crime(R)" slogan -- and acts as secretariat for the Crime Prevention Coalition of America, more than 300 national, federal, state, and local organizations representing thousands of constituents who are committed to preventing crime. NCPC is funded through a variety of government agencies, corporate and private foundations, and donations from private individuals. NCPC also participates in the Combined Federal Campaign (#0840 on the pledge card). For more information on crime prevention issues, visit http://www.ncpc.org/; for information on the National Citizens' Crime Prevention Campaign, visit http://www.weprevent.org/.