When it comes to getting scammed, this isn’t your first
rodeo. You can usually sift through suspicious emails and ignore robo-calls
from the “IRS”, but as technology continues to grow, so do scammer’s tactics.
Did you know that Americans lost $905 million to fraud last year[1]?
So, moving forward, how can you keep your money safe?
Keeping your money safe doesn’t always mean protecting it
from bad guys; it could also mean spending it or investing wisely and there is
no better investment to make than on your very own personal protection. Do you
currently live alone? If so, what is your safety protocol should you encounter
an emergency such as a fall, heart attack, home fire, or a home invasion? If
you answered unsurely, you could be in grave danger, but not to worry, there is
a solution to keep you safe. Under the protection of Life Alert you can gain
24/7 personal protection by simply slipping on their lightweight, waterproof
emergency pendant. In the event of a life threatening emergency, push the
button on your pendant and summon an emergency medical response fast. Protect your
money and make it work for you in the best way possible, by getting Life Alert
today!
Keep the scammers at bay and your money tucked away by using
the expert-approved safety strategies below, offered by Real Simple1.
Reject robocalls.
It’s not just you—almost 900 million more robocalls are made
each month compared with a year ago, according to YouMail, an app that analyzes
calls through its robocall blocking service. At this point, you might be
impervious to the most common calls, such as a zero-interest loan offer or a
warning about a problem with your credit card. But some schemes are super
sneaky. A recent one: When someone answers yes to any question (for example,
“Can you hear me?”), a recording of that response is used as a voice signature
to authorize fraudulent charges by telephone. Not familiar with a number? Let
the call go to voicemail. If you do answer, don’t respond to any questions or
obey any prompts (such as pressing a button to opt out). Doing so verifies that
yours is a working number and could make you a target for more calls. Register
your number on the National Do Not Call Registry. To ward off international
scammers, try an app that can help block problematic callers, like Truecaller,
Hiya, or RoboKiller.
Have a sounding
board.
Friends don’t let friends navigate financial decisions
alone. That’s doubly true when one of you is weighing investment opportunities
or choosing whether to make a big purchase. Assemble a team of trusted advisers
that includes your financial planner and perhaps an attorney. The next crucial
step is committing to run every decision by them, says financial planner
Catherine Scrivano, founder of Casco Financial Group in Phoenix. “If
someone—anyone—approaches you with a financial proposition, be ready to
respond, ‘I have a team of advisers I speak to before I make any decisions.’
That alone will deflect scammers.”
Take your time.
An offer to lower your student loans—if you sign up today?
Getting rushed might be a red flag that someone doesn’t want you to perform due
diligence, says Peggy Tracy, a certified financial planner, a certified fraud
examiner, and the founder of Priority Planning. Use the Financial Industry Regulatory
Authority’s free BrokerCheck tool to dig into the backgrounds of brokers,
brokerage firms, investment adviser firms, and advisers.
Play it safe with
email.
You live your life over email, but personal information like
your social security number, bank account numbers, and wire transfer details
should absolutely be kept offline, says Mindy Jensen, a real estate investor in
Longmont, Colorado, and the author of How to Sell Your Home. If a scammer hacks
into your inbox—or the inbox of a person you emailed—the info you sent can be
used to drain your accounts or steal your identity. Use a secure portal to
share sensitive info, call the agent or broker who needs the details, or
deliver forms in person. If you have to send the info by email, encrypt it in a
separate file. (With Microsoft Office, this is as easy as selecting Protect
Document from the Tools menu.) The recipient will need a password to open the
document—provide it via phone call.
Shield your
address.
When selling or renting property, never post the exact
address, only cross streets. It’s easy—and common—for scammers to duplicate
your online ad but list the property at a lower price, says Jensen. Then they
may tell interested renters that they’re out of town and to mail a deposit
before moving in, or they may send a locksmith to rekey the property. “You
could be locked out of your own home or have innocent renters show up,
insisting they paid money to live there,” she says.
Default to Credit.
Be wary of requests to make a payment in the form of gift
cards. (Yes, this happens.) In many cases, the value can’t be recouped once
you’ve handed over the numbers. Instead, use a credit card to pay for any deal
or offer. Credit cards typically carry security protections, so if the deal
turns out not to be legit, you have a better chance of getting your money back.
Be cautious in
times of tumult.
No matter how savvy you usually are, a major event—like a
divorce, a move, or the death of a loved one—can make you more vulnerable to
scams. Transitions may stir up all sorts of uncomfortable feelings, and many
people react by speeding through big decisions to regain a sense of stability.
“But when you’re lonely or hurt or shocked or grieving, you might not be
thinking straight,” says Tracy. And you might find that the investment you
picked or the new house you bought was the wrong choice for you—and your bank
account. Tracy encourages clients who are going through an emotional time to
delay major decisions, if they can. “Ideally, take a year so the dust can
settle and you can make the best, most clearheaded decisions,” she says.
With helpful tips like these, you can keep your greenbacks
safe! But, while you’re keeping an eye on your dollars, who will be keeping an
eye out for you? With Life Alert, you’ll
get the 24/7 personal protection you deserve. While wearing their lightweight,
waterproof medical alert pendant, you can summon an emergency medical response
fast with just one touch of a button. No matter if you encounter a home
invasion, a home fire or even a serious fall, Life Alert’s dispatch team will
send you help fast whenever you might need them. Invest in keeping yourself
safe by getting Life Alert Protection today! For a free Life Alert brochure
call 1-800-513-2934.
Works Cited:
1.
Rockwood, Kate. “7 Smart Ways to Protect Your
Money.” Real Simple. 23
August 2018. <https://www.realsimple.com/life-family/money-management/how-to-protect-your-money >.
