Prevention

Why Do I need to take the time to implement these scam preventative measures for my loved ones or myself?

• Scams ruin lives. The financial, legal and emotional toll from scams can ruin victims’ lives, sometimes leading to suicide. Scams should be thought of as Financial Violence.
  

• Scam victims almost never recover any of the money they were tricked out of, and unlike unauthorized account access (‘account hacking’) situations, financial institutions have no legal obligation to restore a victim’s funds (and almost never do).
  

• ANYONE can be a scam victim, regardless of education, profession, or level of income or assets - Even younger adults can be victims.  If your loved one does not have assets, aren’t they ‘safe’?  No! Criminals are happy to convince a victim take out credit to then steal those funds, leaving the victim responsible to pay off the debts.
  

• These key prevention actions are NOT just for seniors, people of all ages are vulnerable and should be utilizing these measures.  You can use this fact as an opportunity to make this a ‘family activity,’ securing yourself and your family / friends at the same time, leaving no one feeling singled out because of age or ability.

Note:  These measures are focused on Scam Prevention (e.g. seniors unwittingly transferring funds to the criminal who has deceived them).  For tips on how to prevent Unauthorized Account or Data Access (also referred to as ‘Account Hacking’), please click here.

Checklist of Prevention Measures Everyone Should Take

• Implement a Verbal Passcode (or ‘family phrase’) for Family / Friend Circles
  

• Put a ‘moat’ around the Nest Egg: Segregate funds & put extra protections around the bulk of assets - Separate and protect ‘Nest Egg’ assets (cash reserve/investment accounts) from the account(s) used to pay everyday expenses (transactional accounts)

• Set up Alerts (transaction-level / balance level / daily or weekly alerts, etc.) to go to owner + the Trusted Contact

• Turn on 2FA - Ensure 2FA and any other security measures offered

• Set up Trusted Contacts for Brokerage / Bank Accounts

• Purge:  Minimize the number of endpoint threat surfaces by Inventorying All Online Accounts / Apps including financial, retail, social media, email, direct communication (e.g. What’s App), online games, etc.

• Close unused accounts

• Delete unused apps (both from phone and cloud backup)

• Increase privacy settings and reduce personal information shared for the individual apps still in use

• Get ‘less social’ - Perform Social Media Audit and Clean Up

• Clean up ‘friends’ / contacts, deleting people personally unknown (including ‘celebrities’) or those with seldom occasion to interact (remember: ‘your friend’s friend is NOT your friend’)

• Make any sensitive information or data (e.g. marital status, town, vacation status, recent death in family, etc.) of user profile private, delete any personally identifiable info not required

• Consider deleting photos / posts that reveal sensitive info, or clues for a fraudster (pics of minors, major life events, location of home, school, activities etc, etc.)

• Increase privacy settings on everything, knowing that these sites often ‘hide’ privacy options, so there may be several settings you have to adjust.
  

• Start Fresh:  Out with the old and in with the new: 

> Email :  Start fresh, and have two email accounts:

• Account #1: Important items and people (only given to your banks, medical providers, utilities, social security and other benefit programs, family, friends, and business associates, etc.)

• Account #2: Everything Else: To use on online shopping sites, social media, online gaming, etc.

• Eventually delete the legacy email account, once you are sure that your new ‘Important items and people’ email address has been updated with all of your providers, financial institutions, and circle of family and friends

> Usernames :  Start fresh, particularly on accounts of monetary value:

• Replace old usernames (particularly if they contain actual name or birthdate info)

• Become ‘more invisible’ online

• Remove Personal Data Online: Use Aura or Delete Me and other data removal services

• Social Media:  In some cases it may make sense to start fresh, deleting legacy user handles / names / accounts and re-enroll using an alias that does not reveal one’s true Identity. Then, very selectively, add back only trusted individuals to your network.

Moment-of-Truth Instructions for the Senior / Family Member

Moment-of-Truth Instructions for the Senior (we need to help them build “muscle memory” around these):

• PAUSE and Always BE SKEPTICAL of every interaction someone else initiates
  
  

• DON’T ANSWER the phone or text if number is not recognized in your contacts, let them leave a message (most criminals will not leave a voice message).  Do not rely on Caller ID, it can be easily impersonated by the criminals.
  
  

• ASK ‘WHAT IS THE FAMILY PASSCODE?’ Ask the caller for the family verbal passcode (or ‘family phrase’) whenever a family member calls you to ask you to do something, give them information, or if they are calling in distress and asking for your help.  (Even better, ask at each call!)
  
  

• HANG UP / don’t respond any time that someone:

• is asking for money, for sensitive/personal information, trying to rush you, intimidate you, threaten your family, or otherwise trying to pressure you

• says they are calling from your bank, utility company, or tech support. Instead call the number on your monthly statements or on the company’s official website

• says they need your help on a law-enforcement / government ‘sting’

• tells you that you have won a lottery, sweepstakes, prize, or come into an inheritance

Criminals prey upon our kindness and good manners, so ‘It’s shrewd to be rude’

• TELL SOMEONE:  Swearing an unsuspecting victim to secrecy is a tool that criminals use.  IF someone you are dealing with tells you not to tell ANYONE about your interactions with them, then TELL SOMEONE immediately
  
  

• GET A TRUSTED PERSON’S OPINION:  When in doubt on a text / email / call / vm, reach out to family / friend ‘fraud expert’ who you trust to evaluate
  
  

• QUALITY OVER QUANTITY WHEN IT COMES TO ONLINE FRIENDS:  Do not accept friend requests unless you personally know the person reaching out.  Even then, it could be a criminal masquerading as someone you know.  If it seems unusual or surprising that this person would be inviting you to be an online ‘friend’, then do not accept the friend request.

Additive measures for the most severe situations

If your loved one is at elevated risk of being victimized some or all of these additional precautions may be appropriate.  They are at higher risk if they have been repeatedly targeted or victimized, have some level of cognitive or emotional impairment, cannot be convinced that they are actually being deceived in a scam, or still believe the criminal to be a good person, romantic partner, person in authority, etc.

• Assess the emotional wellbeing (loneliness, boredom, isolation, depression, self-esteem, trauma, recent material emotional loss, seeking of intimacy) of the person you are helping, any of these could put them at heightened risk.
  
  

• Assess the technology (device / software) environment that the person is using

• Install ‘Safety Apps’ / Settings on all electronic devices 

• Trade Down:  Swap fuller featured (riskier) computing/ communication devices for simpler, safer ones.  Consider switching from computers, smart phones and tablets to ‘flip phones’ and GranPads
  
  

• Change landline and / or cellphone numbers (if these numbers are frequently targeted by spammers/ fraudsters)
  
  

• Delete all social media, email, direct communication (e.g. What’s App) accounts
  
  

• Explore whether the circle of care can be expanded with additional support sources? Assess whether there are others in contact (whether in social circle, religious and senior centers, or agencies that work with seniors) who could also assist senior
  
  

• Contact Social Security If you are concerned that someone you know becomes incapable of managing or directing the management of his or her benefits, please call us at 1-800-772-1213.