Page 17 - Healthcare News August 2021

Protect Yourself
Here’s How to Recognize Costly Cons That Target Seniors By SARI HARRAR for AARP
Frauds aimed at older adults are becoming more creative. Scammers stay on top of whatever is new, such as the popularity of Zoom, COVID-19
vaccines, and online shopping, and then move fast
to create ploys that best fit the moment, says Amy Nofziger, AARP’s director of Fraud Victim Support. Here are nine such frauds happening widely right now.
Zoom Phishing E-mails
The scheme: “You receive an e-mail, text or social-
media message with the Zoom logo, telling you to click on a link because your account is suspended or you missed a meeting,” says Katherine Hutt, national spokesperson for the Better Business Bureau. “Clicking can allow criminals to download malicious software onto your computer, access your personal information to use for identity theft, or search for passwords to hack into your other accounts.”
How to avoid: Never click on links in unsolicited e-mails, texts, or social-media messages, Hutt says. If you think there is a problem with your account, visit Zoom’s real website at zoom.us and follow the steps for customer support.
COVID-19 Vaccination-card Scams The scheme: Many who got a COVID vaccine posted
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selfies on social media showing off their vaccination card. Scammers immediately pounced. “With your full name, birth date, and information about where you received your shot, scammers have valuable data for identity theft, breaking into your bank accounts, getting credit cards in your name and more,” Hutt says.
How to avoid: If you want to inform friends and
family that you got your shots, a selfie with a generic vaccine sticker will suffice. “Or use a ‘Got My Vaccine’ profile picture frame on social media,” Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody suggests. And review your social-media security settings to choose who can see your posts.
Phony Online Shopping Websites The scheme: You click on an ad online or on social
media, see stuff you like at a great price, enter your credit card info ... and never receive a product. “Or you receive a lower-quality item shipped directly from an overseas seller,” Hutt says.
How to avoid: Never click on an ad to go to a retailer’s website. Instead, bookmark the URLs
of trusted shopping websites you visit frequently
and use those, suggests Tyler Moore, professor of Cybersecurity at the University of Tulsa. “Don’t bother with trying to figure out whether the web address is real. Attackers adapt and change them frequently.”
Celebrity Impostor Scams
The scheme: Real celebs like Kim Kardashian and
Justin Bieber grabbed headlines during the pandemic
Scams
Continued on page 28
“Clicking can allow criminals to download malicious software onto your computer, access your personal information to use for identity theft, or search for passwords to hack into your other accounts.”
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