REGION – January marks a new year; a fresh start. It’s a time for resolutions, but sadly, most of us part ways with these best-of-intentions. Resolving to lose weight somehow disappears around Valentine’s Day, and pledging to exhibit less road rage dissolves when someone grabs that parking space you wanted. What we fail to recognize is that resolutions require a change in behavior – = a long-term commitment. Here are some suggested resolutions from members of our AARP Fraud Watch Team. Many of these suggestions are “one and done” or “set it and forget it,” where no follow-up is required, no behavior change, while others will only succeed if you are persistent.
Contact the four major credit bureaus and put a freeze or lock on your credit accounts. They are Equifax, 800-525-6285; Trans Union, 800-680-7289; Experian, 888-397-3742; and Innovis, 800-540-2505. It may take a little effort to complete, but the peace of mind and security is well worth it.
If you don’t know the caller, don’t answer the phone. If it’s important, the caller will leave a message; if there’s no message, then it wasn’t important.
Be proactive in your community. Share knowledge with your community on Front Porch Forum and other social media, in letters to the editor, or anywhere you can.
Embrace two-factor authentication, every day and every time you log in. Two-factor authentication requires two forms of identification to access your accounts, giving you the ability to monitor and help safeguard your most valuable information.
Add your phone number(s) to the do not call list – 888-382-1222 – Scammers do not respect that list; odds are that unrecognizable calls are scams.
Ignore unsolicited text messages and calls from unfamiliar and unidentified phone numbers.
Read every explanation of benefits (EOB) received from health insurance companies and Medicare Summary Notice (MSN) to verify medial services you received and report errors to the agency or company sending the notice.
Install a password manager and add one frequently-used password to its vault. As you use it, you’ll be pleased by the convenience, and you’ll want to use it for other passwords as well.
If it sounds too good to be true, it is.
Ignore text messages and emails congratulating you on winning prizes, from companies with which you do not conduct business. If you are told you need to pay a tax or fee for your prize, it’s a scam.
While adopting these resolutions will not make you scam-proof, they will add to your defenses and possibly save you from becoming a victim of a very sophisticated criminal.
Consider becoming a Fraud Watch volunteer. The training will come from your peers, and the commitment is yours to determine. If you have questions or comments, email egreenblott@aarp.org.
Written by Elliott Greenblott, retired educator and coordinator of the AARP Vermont Fraud Watch Network. He hosts a CATV program, “Mr. Scammer,” distributed by GNAT-TV in Sunderland, Vt. – www.gnat-tv.org