Senior note to scammers-- Seniors are smarter than you think.

Senior Tip -- To slow down unsolicited callers - Get call-back information like their name, phone number, office they are calling from, etc. Odds are good that if they're telemarketing or trying to scam you, they won't give you this information. If they give it to you, you can follow up on who they are.

A popular scam for seniors is a scammer calling and explaining that your grandchild is in jail. The scammer insists that you need to send a money order right away to bail your  grandchild out. I can tell you that my grandmother, bless her heart,  would send the money no questions asked. The scammer explains that your grandchild is incarcerated and can not call you so the scammer is calling you on their behalf. The caller seems to know something personal about your grandchild child, that they offer for credibility, which they likely learned in a casual conversation with your grandchild at a bar or a party. Scammers are clever.

However, if you're unsure, be smart and use common-sense tactics to protect yourself from scams when dealing with these calls. If someone calls you, and you're not sure who they are, don't give them any account information. A senior friend of mine was called by a scammer, impersonating an IRS agent, and asked for an immediate payment or he was going to jail for tax fraud. He sent no money because, as a senior,  he knew from history the IRS does not call you or often do not even answer the phone when you call them, they send you computer generated letters. 

Current scams are: Grandparent scam, computer repair scam, charitable donation scam, health care fraud, travel scam. 

You can usually report scams to your County District Attorney's office Consumer Protection Division.

You can report your ideas to me at webtalkwithbob@gmail.com