I won another Kitchen Aid, according to my emails. I think I win a Kitchen Aid every week. According to National Consumers League, this type of fraud tops the list at 35%. Demra Brown, representing First Bank, did a presentation on the fraud awareness program at the Senior Citizen Center. The seniors requested the program, and Demra came to the center. She got most of the information from the AARP. If you want to pick one up, more handouts are at the center.

Seniors are targeted more than any other age group. Above 65 years, it’s 15 % to 17%. Forty-five percent of all fraud uses a Credit Card payment. The contact method is mainly by phone, with 45% of all fraud calls on your phone. The internet is at 36%.

According to National Consumers League, the top ten scam types are 1. Prizes/ Sweepstakes/ Free Gifts is 35%. 2. Internet: General Merchandise is 19.6%. 3. Phishing/Spoofing is 17.5 %. (Phishing is an email that comes from a reliable source asking for personal information) 4. Fake Check Scams 5.6% 5. Friendship and Sweetheart Swindles 3.35%. 6. Investments 3.05%. 7 Advance Fee Loans 2.3%. 8. Family or friend imposters 1.89%. 9. Computers Equipment/Soft Ware 1%; Scholarships/ Grants 1%. While writing this, I noticed I had won a $500 gift certificate!

According to AARP, there are 13 ways con artists steal your money. “Phishing, Stealing mail or sensitive documents, bogus job opportunities, Gold Coin Scam, Free Lunch, Oil and Gas Scams, Fake checks, Tech Support Scams, Disaster-related charity Fraud, Sweetheart Scams, Timeshare Scams, The Grandparent scam, and The Foreign Lottery scam.”

Never give personal information to telemarketers who call you on the phone.

“Protect your social security Number and Personal information. Don’t carry your Social Security card in your wallet. Don’t print your SN or Driver’s license number on your checks. Beware of calls asking you to verify your social security number over the phone. Limit the number of credit cards you carry. Keep copies of credit cards (front and back) in a safe place in case a card is lost or stolen.”

You should refuse to answer any phone call asking you for personal information. The scammers know that if they start talking to you like a close friend, you are more likely to trust them. I got a phone call once wanting to know the direction to my house so they could give me the winning Readers Digest check. I didn’t believe them, but they were compelling. They know how to convince us. They take classes on how to do so. I was surprised I started to believe them, but then they wanted verification of who I was and wanted other information. They didn’t want to drive out into the country if I was the wrong person. So I hung up.