'Tis the Season to be Wary' Part II

By Sandra Coopersmith

Features Writer

If you've never been the victim of a scam, you have yet another reason to be very, very grateful this Thanksgiving.

Scams abound, and events such as the Nov. 12 Senior Fraud and Elder Abuse Awareness Program held at the National Council of Jewish Women/Los Angeles on Fairfax provided valuable tips that were conveyed with humorous impact by Adrienne Omansky's Stop Senior Scams Acting Program.

The seven skits illustrating typical scams, as set forth in last week's issue, were entertaining and designed to make a lasting impression.

The program also included informative presentations by representatives of county and city legal departments.

Belle Chen, Deputy in Charge of Elder Abuse Section, Office of the Los Angeles County District Attorney, stated that one out of five seniors is a victim of fraud. She described phone scams such as the "grandchild in trouble" one as well as the jury duty scam where someone will call, claiming to be from the LAPD or sheriff's department, stating that because you missed your jury duty obligation a warrant will be issued for your arrest unless you make arrangements to pay the fine immediately over the phone.

Similar to that is the utility company scam where someone calls threatening to shut off your electricity unless you pay at once over the phone. This one also targets small businesses. Her advice: Hang up, don't engage, and be aware that criminals know how to manipulate caller ID.

Chen urged homeowners to never trust someone who shows up on their doorstep saying he's a contractor or salesperson for a contractor and is offering a free estimate. If you need work done, your best bet is to get references from satisfied friends.

These strangers could be part of a distraction scheme, which also includes burglars who pretend to be utility workers and operate in teams of two or three. One will distract you while the accomplice goes through the house looking for jewelry and small electronics. She said never to let strangers into your house or backyard, emphasizing, "It doesn't hurt to be extra paranoid."

She also discussed receiving notification by regular mail of winning money in a foreign lottery ("How can you win a lottery you never entered?"), and receiving letters that appear official, offering to have your property revalued and your property taxes reduced for a fee.

Attendees were encouraged to report scams to local law enforcement, the Hot Line at 1-877-477-3646, or the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-382-4357.

Monica Barajas, Special Operations Administrator for the Los Angeles City Attorney's office, spoke about Internet fraud that is increasingly widespread, given the prevalence of smartphones and tablets.

"You can get an email or text message to 'Save Money Now' on a reverse mortgage, and once you click on the link you don't know what's being downloaded onto your cell phone or computer. If you didn't request this information, delete it. It's very easy to hack into computers."

Barajas went over the five rules of cyber safety, warning that if it sounds too good to be true, it's not; do not give out personal information unless you know whom you're dealing with; passwords should not be obvious and should be changed frequently; emails appearing to be from friends or relatives may not be from that person; and report suspicious activities.

Additionally, those with loved ones in nursing homes or assisted living need to be aware that residents are vulnerable to scams as they often have access to the Internet through phones or other devices.

She extended an invitation from City Attorney Mike Feuer to a free Senior Cyber Safety Symposium on January 27, 2015, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., at California Endowment, 1000 N. Alameda St., Los Angeles, CA 90012. Breakfast, lunch and parking are included. Those interested in attending should email her at monica.barajas@lacity.org.

Omansky thanked Chen and Barajas and acknowledged John Darnell, Senior Deputy for Councilmember Paul Koretz. "John is a big supporter of our program along with Councilmember Paul Koretz and helped get May 15 Senior Fraud Awareness Day designated by the City Council.

Councilmember Mike Bonin's office works closely with our senior fraud awareness program and arranged our transportation for this event." Also in attendance were Josh Kurpies, District Director for Assemblymember Richard Bloom, and Maya Douglas, Field Deputy for Assemblymember Sebastian Ridley-Thomas.

All Older Adult Programs, including this one, will be no longer be funded through LAUSD after June 2015, according to Omansky, who is looking into alternative funding. Hopefully she will be successful, as this program provides a vital service.

When Willie Sutton was asked why he robbed banks, his response was "because that's where the money is." And seniors, who have labored a lifetime to accumulate their savings, are therefore prime targets for fraud.

This writer can speak from personal experience, having herself been a constant target. Over the past several weeks four phone calls were received from individuals identifying themselves as representatives of Microsoft.

The way the scam works is that you are told your computer has been compromised and is about to crash. You are guided to key information by the very helpful and concerned caller, who then gains access to your personal information.

While the writer figured this was a scam and hung up (Microsoft doesn't call its customers), others have succumbed. Coincidentally, the day after the Nov. 12 presentation, an agitated individual standing in line with the writer at the bank shared his sad tale, which appeared to be a variant of this scam.

"All the money was cleaned out of my account," he said. "It was tracked back to India. They claimed to be Microsoft and sounded real."

The scammer was able to obtain his debit card information as well as pull other vital information from his computer. He now faces a lengthy process to try to recover his funds and resolve whatever other damage had been done.

Another recent attempt to scam the writer involved a longtime subscription to a favorite magazine. The caller said he was from the magazine, advising loyal customers that the price would be rising sharply. However, he could extend the subscription at the current rate over the phone if given credit card or checking account information. The writer declined, called the magazine directly, confirmed that this was not a legitimate call, and concluded that either the magazine's customer base had been hacked or the perpetrator was an employee of the magazine.

As the two former judges, Francine Lyles and Rosalie Rakoff, emphatically repeated between skits, "You may be a target, but you don't have to be a victim."