Dear Center Members,
I would imagine over the last several weeks you have spent more time on the computer than usual. Having access to the internet is a way of opening your world but it can also make you vulnerable to online scams.
You don't have to be on the computer to be scammed of course, below in the resource section is info on recent scams that took place in South Brunswick. Please read about it in the link below and sign up for
Nixle
alerts if you haven't already.
Please don't think it can't happen to you. Scammers are sophisticated and well-practiced and are very good at taking advantage of the good nature of most people. A few years ago one of our beloved seniors (a retired teacher who was smart and well-read) heard a knock on her door. It was a "utility worker" who told her he was working on a neighbors pipes and needed to see if her water pressure was OK. She allowed him in and followed him into the kitchen. He was charming and they chatted as he checked the water pressure. What she didn't find out until he left was that his accomplice had entered while her back was turned and within 3 minutes had made off with both jewelry and cash.
Scammers also operate online of course. For instance, t
ech support scammers may call and pretend to be a computer technician from a well-known company. They say they’ve found a problem with your computer. They often ask you to give them remote access to your computer and then pretend to run a diagnostic test. Then they try to make you pay to fix a problem that doesn’t exist. Listen to an
FTC undercover call with a tech support scammer
.
Or they might bait you with an alleged refund of money that you paid for some service you didn't even know you had.
There are a lot of links in today's update but this will be the last. It's important to be aware of what privacy settings you have on Facebook, maybe you want to learn how to create an Instagram account so you can see your grandchildren post pictures. The non profit
Cyber Seniors
posts simple, short
videos on 'how to's'
. Here is an
article
about this organization.
Lastly, If you don't know how to create a
Facebook
account reach out to me and I will guide you through. The staff and I would love to connect with you while we are apart from each other.
My very best,
Caryl
cgreenbe@sbtnj.net
732.329.4000 x 7682