A 77-year-old reader received a call recently that she thought was suspicious, but it came with a twist on an old ploy.
The caller said he was verifying new Medicare cards being sent out and needed to verify the information for the person on the card.
He had her name, address and bank routing number.
While the caller could have gotten her name and address from the phone book, the woman was not expecting someone to know where she did her banking.
Christy Page, president of the Akron area Better Business Bureau, said it might have been a lucky guess. Sometimes scammers will say the name of one bank and wait for the consumer to say the correct bank. Bank routing numbers are easy to find and the caller probably had a list in front of him.
“They’re just looking for any clues when they’re talking,” she said.
The caller was very forceful and intimidating, said the senior citizen, who asked not to be identified. He wanted her checking account information.
“He said, ‘Now, listen to me,’ when he asked for the checking account number,” she said.
“I said, ‘No, I am done listening to you and don’t you ever call me again,’ and that’s when I hung up,” she said.
Carmen Moreno, regional communications director for the Social Security Administration in the Chicago region, which covers Ohio, was pleased to hear the woman didn’t give out any information and knew something was wrong.
Moreno said the Social Security Administration does not contact consumers by phone unless it is a response to someone contacting the agency.
“You would know if you sent us a letter or sent us an application,” she said.
Here’s some other tips from the Social Security Administration:
• Some people who receive Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits are victimized by misleading advertisers. These companies offer Social Security services for a fee, even though the same services are available free directly from Social Security.
These services include obtaining:
— A corrected Social Security card showing a bride’s married name;
— A Social Security card to replace a lost card;
— A Social Security Statement, and
— A Social Security number for a child.
• Some scammers will say Social Security is in dire financial shape and that people risk losing their Social Security or Medicare benefits unless they send a contribution or membership fee to the advertiser.
If you receive or see what you believe is misleading advertising for Social Security services, send the complete mailing, including the envelope, to: Office of the Inspector General, Fraud Hotline, Social Security Administration, P.O. Box 17768, Baltimore, MD 21235. You may also call the state attorney general’s office or consumer affairs office and the Better Business Bureau.
You can learn about identity theft online at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10064.html. Information about misleading advertising is online at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10005.html.
Senior resource
Page of the BBB said her agency often refers seniors to the statewide nonprofit organization, Pro Seniors.
The organization, which receives funds from federal grants as well as other sources, offers free legal advice to anyone 60 or older with no income limit. There also is a program called the Senior Medicare Patrol Project, which can help seniors who feel they’ve been victimized by Medicare fraud and identity theft.
Anne Frederickson, the Senior Medicare Patrol Project program manager, said her staff can also be a friendly voice to help seniors with questions.
Pro Seniors can be reached at 800-488-6070 Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and there’s a live person to answer the phone. “We really pride ourselves on that,” Frederickson said.
The agency has information online at www.proseniors.org
If you have family or friends out of state, you can find that state’s agency online at www.smpresource.org
Winning tickets?
A colleague brought me a letter he recently received, saying that he had qualified for an award of two round-trip airline tickets. They were valid for travel anywhere in the U.S. and the value of the award was up to $1,398. Of course, certain restrictions apply.
The letter, which appears to comes from US Airlines, says “we have attempted contacting you several times without success. This is our last attempt. If we do not hear from you soon, we may need to issue the ticket vouchers to the alternate.”
My colleague had never heard from the company before.
While the letter purports to come from US Airlines, there is no US Airlines. The actual airline company with a similar name is US Airways.
US Airways on its website warns consumers about “fraudulent letters and postcards claiming to be from a company called US Airlines and offering free airline tickets. Do not call the number or give anyone your personal information. Be sure to report it to the Better Business Bureau or your local authorities.”
Other reports also say letters have also been coming from American Airways. The actual airline is American Airlines.
US Airlines has “F” ratings at the BBB offices in Arizona and Florida. The BBB says there have been numerous complaints about the company and the BBB has not been able to contact the principals of the company about the offering.
My colleague called the number on the letter and was offered an opportunity to come to a 90-minute presentation about the travel industry in hopes he would use their services. He was still promised the airline tickets, as long as he attended the presentation, and was told the company was not US Airlines, but he could go on any U.S. airline.
While it is likely not a scam, consumers should be wary of heavy sales pressure to buy a product or services. While there might be prizes, they might come with restrictions.
Published reports have complained that the presentations have been canceled by the company. My colleague said he intended to cancel his appointment.
Betty Lin-Fisher can be reached at 330-996-3724 or blinfisher@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/blinfisher and see all her stories at www.ohio.com/betty.