FW: BBB Senior Scam Jam - May 5 in Charlotte - FREE Community Event
| Love, Jean E (jlove@ci.charlotte.nc.us) | |
| Sent: | Mon 5/03/10 8:39 AM |
| To: |
Please share the following information with your contacts regarding the Senior Scam Jam, a free event to help educate older adults on financial crimes and other scams. The event will be held Wednesday, May 5 from 8 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. at the Pritchard Memorial Baptist Church located at 1117 South Blvd. For more information, please call (704) 927-8623.
Thanks!
Jean Love
Neighborhood & Business Services
City of Charlotte
600 East Trade Street
Charlotte, NC 28202
704-336-4161 (w)
704-336-3959 (f)
Working to make Charlotte neighborhoods and businesses healthy and vibrant
The Better Business Bureau Consumer Foundation will present Senior Scam Jam on Wednesday, May 5, 2010, from 8 a.m. until 12:30 at Pritchard Memorial Baptist Church, located at 1117 South Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28203. Admission is free and refreshments will be provided.
This is an annual event that draws 700-1200 people and there is no cost to attend. Presentations will focus on financial crimes and other scams that target older adults. Speakers will discuss different ways that scammers locate, contact and victimize older adults and how older adults can take steps to protect themselves.
The BBB urges older adults, adult children, caregivers of older adults, and people who work with older adults, to attend this educational event.
For more information, please call (704) 927-8623.
This is an annual event that draws 700-1200 people and there is no cost to attend. Presentations will focus on financial crimes and other scams that target older adults. Speakers will discuss different ways that scammers locate, contact and victimize older adults and how older adults can take steps to protect themselves.
The BBB urges older adults, adult children, caregivers of older adults, and people who work with older adults, to attend this educational event.
For more information, please call (704) 927-8623.
BBB Advice for Older Adults: Protect Yourself from Financial Crimes
Don’t let fraud or identity theft ruin your good name and credit. There are a variety of ways scammers can take advantage of older adults. To safeguard against financial crimes, the BBB offers these tips for older adults and their caregivers.
- Use direct deposit. Your mail, both incoming and outgoing, can be vulnerable. If your Social Security or Supplemental Security Income check is delivered by mail to an unlocked mailbox, your check could be stolen and forged. 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, call the Go Direct helpline at (800) 333-1795 or sign-up online at www.godirect.org.
- Don’t Fall for Fake Checks. Scammers offer seniors an easy way to make some extra money through fake check scams. Some popular scams involve foreign business offers, rental schemes, mystery shopping scams and work-at-home offers. These scams have common patterns, scammers contact victims through the mail or online, and send them realistic-looking checks or money orders. The scammers then ask for some portion of the money to be wired back to them. The problem is that it may take weeks for your bank to discover the check or money order is a fake, and then, the bank will want its money back. Unfortunately, you are financially responsible for paying the bank back. To learn more about fake check scams, go to www.FakeChecks.org.
- Arm yourself with information. Whenever you have a question or concern regarding a merchant or marketplace transaction, call the BBB at (704) 927-8611 or toll-free in N.C. and S.C. 1-877-317-7236 or visit the BBB online at www.bbb.org.
