Our guest speaker will be Jessica Lemann, Senior Associate State Director of Outreach & Advocacy, AARP Texas State Office – Austin. Jessica will give us a presentation about avoiding identity theft and fraud. They are always coming up with new ways to dupe us and take advantage. No more!
Have you ever been approached with a fraudulent offer or been a victim of identity theft? The AARP Fra ud Watch Network is working to empower you in the fight, with proven resources and tools to help you spot and avoid identity theft and fraud. By taking a few practical steps, you have the power to fight back against fraud. This session will arm you with the latest data on fraud trends and provide tips and resources to protect yourself and your family.
What kind of fraud and scam attempts have you heard of? Do you think you have been a victim? Were you able to avoid a scam? How did you know?
I see a lot of customers at CVS who have been a victim of gift card scams. It is really sad when these folks are sincerely trying to be helpful. It breaks my heart that someone, somewhere is taking advantage of the kindness of others. They use them to get gift cards activated and paid for, then they make money with this information that becomes useless for the buyer. They even convince the buyer that they need the money and this is the only way to get it so they can buy food or pay bills.
Another scam I have seen time and again is an email that is sent out that mimics the name of someone you know asking you to do them a favor. They need you to pick up some gift cards and they will pay you back and as a bonus, you can keep one of the cards. SCAM ALERT! When someone asks you to do this, respond with questions, or simply tell them they have your number, if they call you can help. Don’t give them any information. Or simply delete the email. If anyone ever asks you to send a photo of the back of a gift card or give them the numbers over the phone – don’t do it! There are so many more instances I can think of – I am really looking forward to hearing some from the AARP and learning about the tools and resources we have to prevent becoming a victim.
AARP is a non-profit, non-partisan membership organization with a mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age.
Melissa Reyes
Programs Director