Deceptive Practice/Senior Citizen Victims – Beware of phone calls from someone claiming to be a friend or relative in distress who needs money wired to them.
Credit Card Scam – Beware of callers who inform you that your credit card has been compromised, and they need either personal information or the actual card to rectify the situation.
Medicare Scam – Beware of callers who claim to be Medicare representatives and tell you the new health care reform law requires a new Medicare cards be issued to each recipient.
809 Area Code Scam – Don’t respond to Emails, phone calls, or web pages which tell you to call an “809” phone number. This is a scam that is spreading extremely quickly – can easily cost you a substantial amount, and is difficult to avoid unless you are aware of the scam.
Obituary Scam – Con artists who target the elderly are bad enough, but imagine being a widow or widower and being targeted immediately after the death of your spouse. Many con artists are now using the obituaries to pin point their next target. A Cash On Delivery (C.O.D.) box arrives for a product “your recently deceased spouse supposedly ordered”.
Counterfeit Medicines Filled with Empty Promises – Around the world, health authorities are battling a growing trade in fake medicines, which the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates are worth more than $30 billion a year. Most bogus pills are distributed illicitly, often over the Internet, exposing patients on every continent to medicines which may contain the incorrect dose, the wrong ingredients or no active ingredients at all. Given the low production costs, it is a hugely lucrative trade, and some criminals now prefer it to narcotics trafficking according to government and pharmaceutical industry officials.
Tips for Credit Cards – Tips for Credit Cards
Heat Tips – Extreme heat and high humidity can be dangerous to anyone, but particularly to the elderly, infants and young children, persons with disabilities and people on medication for chronic health problems. Here are some common sense tips for handling the heat.
Identity Theft Protection – Identity theft occurs when a crook steals key pieces of personal identifying information, which may include a name, address, date of birth, Social Security number, and mother¿s maiden name, to gain access to a person’s financial accounts.
Jury Scam – The Senior Services Section wants officers to be aware of a scam that is targeting all people, especially Senior Citizens. This scam is known as “The Jury Duty Scam.”
Nigerian Letter or “419” Fraud – Nigerian letter frauds are part impersonation fraud and part advance fee schemes. A letter is mailed from Nigeria, offering the recipient the “opportunity” to share in a percentage of millions of dollars.
Don’t Get Hooked by a “Phishing” Scam – “Phishing,” is defined by the Federal Trade Commission as “a high-tech online scam that uses spam or pop-up messages to deceive consumers into disclosing their credit card numbers, bank account information, Social Security numbers, passwords, and other sensitive (personal) information via email.”
Pigeon Drop – The key element of a Pigeon Drop offense is the finding of a large quantity of money and convincing the potential victim they can share in the money.
Tips for Senior Citizens – Part One – It’s very difficult to get your money back if you’ve been cheated over the phone. Before you buy anything over the telephone, remember: Don’t buy from an unfamiliar company. Legitimate businesses understand that you want more information about their company and are happy to comply.
Tips for Senior Citizens – Part Two – You should never be asked to pay in advance for services. Pay for services only after they are delivered.
Winter Services – Landlords are required to provide adequate heat during the cold months, from September 15th of each year to June 01st of the succeeding year, a minimum temperature of 66º overnight and 68º degrees during the day. The City of Chicago sends inspectors out to investigate all calls of inadequate heat. Warming Centers are available to anyone in immediate danger.