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By Dawn Klavon
This message was brought to you by Southern Made Home Care, who cares deeply about the well-being of seniors in our community.
Frederick is in his mid-80s, and doesn’t own a computer, smartphone or tablet. He leads a sheltered life, and though physically active, has very few friends with whom he communicates. Recently, the Florida native was contacted through a phone call by the Publisher’s Clearinghouse (at least that is what the caller said), Frederick was told he had won their sweepstakes, and was about to be awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars. But there was a catch. He would have to pay the tax on the income before he would be awarded the money.
Scams Against the Elderly
Scams to deceive elderly victims have been around a long time, but unfortunately, our most senior citizens often fall prey to schemes, like the one presented to Frederick. Luckily, he realized the situation was suspicious and contacted the real Publishers Clearinghouse, discovering the crime. In response to the many elderly fraud victims who have been outsmarted by this scam, Publisher’s Clearinghouse established a customer service phone number (1-800-392-4190) to warn victims who receive suspicious phone calls.
Avoiding Being a Victim
But how can loved ones assure their elderly loved ones are not being…
