Telemarketer continues to call my 84-year-old mother saying she will lose benefits because claims have been made against her.
If she will provide her social security number they will stop the fraud. I have her social security card but she has her Medicare card with social security number.
She's not herself today, having lost HVAC a couple of days ago and stressed from no heat etc. I'm afraid she may have given them her social security number today.
Is there anything I can do? I'm so concerned about stolen identity, social security fraud and more.
https://www.tomsguide.com/us/what-to-do-ssn-stolen,news-18742.html
I hope mom's heat issue has been resolved, as no one her age should be living without heat. Does she live by herself? Sounds like if she's that vulnerable, she shouldn't be on her own any more. Might be time to be looking into some better living arrangements for mom,(ie. assisted living facility).
In the meantime you can either change her phone number, or have it disconnected, and just get her a simple cell phone to use. Best wishes.
Most of these scams depend upon the elder giving a lot more than the SS number. They count on their giving their accounts with money in them. I think you won't have a problem, but it is worth a call for certain.
TG we seem to be getting away from the SS# being used as an acct number. I just signed a form at a Dentists office asking me for a SS#. I did not fill that info in. If you can find an old SS card it says on the back to be for Government use only.
After Dad died I drummed into my Mom not to do anything over the phone. Tell them sorry my daughter handles my finances and hang up. I was lucky she did it.
Is there any way you can put the call on speaker and record it?
I'd have to check but I believe the FTC also has jurisdiction over communication fraud.
Some years ago we were having problems with pests harassing us, so I did some research and found that the State Police in our state had a fraud task force. That's another possibility; it wouldn't surprise me if there are a number of fraud task forces.
Is your mother living with you, or vice versa? Does the fraudster use the same number, and/or does she give a reply number? If so, I might just call back and advise her that you're aware of her scam and if she continues to harass your mother you'll make sure all the Federal agencies with jurisdiction are aware of her attempts to manipulate and defraud your mother.
If I can have time, I'll see if I can find the statute on attempted fraud of a federal agency.
Also contact social security. Let them know your problem and follow their advice.
Side note: time to secure all sensitive information and financial information and credit/debit cards. Your mom is too gullible to be trusted with that information any longer. Sorry.
She will not be able to open any new accounts without going through a process but, this also stops anyone else from using her name and social security number.
I would also contact all existing accounts that she has and put a fraud alert on the account.
If this all seems like to much, you can always pay LifeLock to monitor her credit.
I pray that you nor she has any issues because of a dirt bag scammer.
The sooner you do something to protect her the sooner you can rest easy knowing that you will be notified if anyone is trying to use her identity.
I should have explained that my mother lives alone in a gated community, has mild dementia, and a caregiver comes for 3 hours a day to keep her company. I cleaned out all of her financial information a year and a half ago, but amazingly, the day this happened, she found a pink index card with her social security number written on it in a stack of old letters! I had missed it.... I went immediately to her house and retrieved the pink card after this incident. I do handle all of her finances and she does have a credit security freeze with the three reporting agencies.
The vulnerability of our elders is so acute, and the evil ones are so crafty. Our heavenly father sees all! Thank you.
AWESOME! So, the only thing you would have really to worry about if they got her SS# is any existing accounts. If she has a credit card, contact them. Contact the bank as well. They may all issue a new ID/card, just in case. Or, if nothing untoward has happened, if they have that info and something DOES happen, it will be easier and quicker to deal with!
Always file a police report after she has given out any personal information. If there is any way to convince her to never answer the phone, I would do so. Real calls will leave her a voicemail
Another thought is call forwarding. On our home phone (currently Verizon, was Comcast) we can forward calls to another phone. And we can do this either from the home phone or from a cell phone. You could forward all her incoming calls to your cell phone if you both have the same provider. If a legitimate call comes through, you can ask them to call back in five minutes, giving you time to switch off call forwarding.
That's what I've been saying! Even if they get the SS#, with frozen credit they really can't use it. They CAN still cause problems with existing accounts, but it should even help with the above scenario of changing electric companies, as most want to run your credit. They hit a freeze, they can't check it and it should stop that nonsense!
Explain to your mom to direct all phone calls of this kind to you.
Tell her to only give out your name and phone #.
Set up the phone for no soliciting calls of any kind.
I had a cousin who was being pestered by a salesman for aluminum siding, time and time again, so finally he took him up on his offer to come over and give an estimate. After the salesman was there a while, he asked "Now, where is it that you work?" and then my cousin (who was actually on disability) just answered "Oh, I don't work" so the salesman packed up quickly and left, and never bothered him again!
Then there are those who pester you because they want you to take out a loan from them, and want you to call them to tell them "if you need a loan". So some years ago when I had time to kill while waiting in an airport, I went to the pay phone to call their 800 number, and tell them that I'm simply answering their request to tell them if I need a loan, and my answer is that I DON'T need a loan. At another time I led one of them on with a gullible-sounding "wow, do you mean I can get a loan and pay nothing on it for 6 months [or whatever]?" and keep them on a few minutes...only to tell them I don't really need a loan. When asked why I called them, I either tell them they called me first, and it would be "impolite" not to call them back, or I say I simply had time to kill, and thought it would funny to waste theirs, too!
I've never received an IRS of SS scammer call, but I'm looking forward to it!
I was at my mom's one day when she got one--her car warranty had expired (!) and this forceful guy was just wringing her dry, she was crying over it, thinking her 20 yo car was not protected. Somehow he'd made her think she was going to get arrested!
I took the phone, chewed him out, royally and told him to remove her number from the list---but we all know that's pointless.
I will sometimes take a call and lead the person on--last week when one guy thought he had gotten some serious info from me (all lies) he finally said "Now, we just need your social security number, dear" And I answered "5". He waits, and waits and says, "no, there's a few more numbers" and I said ". No, it's 5". He blew up at me for wasting 20 minutes of his day. laughed and said "Dude, YOU called ME".
DH and I can easily avoid these calls, but mother cannot. Finally we told her to quit answering her phone unless it was a number she absolutely recognized. That helped, but I don't know how much money she'd given away in the past.
If your LO can read the incoming number, one tipoff is that they usually use ENTIRE CITIES as the place of origin. I will see the incoming call and yell to DH--'hey, Portland Oregon is calling us!!"
The best things one can do is:
1) freeze the credit at all 3 credit bureaus. It IS free now!
2) if possible, work with any existing credit card companies to lower the limit on the card, stop the automatic increases they do and set up alerts to your number, so you can know when it is used.
#1 won't help with existing credit, but it WILL prevent any usage of the SS# to open new accounts, rent, get a job. So, #2 is a necessity to stay on top of, if the SS# was given out.
Sadly, too many "elder" would just automatically respond when asked for information like SS#, or can be more easily duped.
The latest changes they made has helped reduce some calls and many voice messages. Basically I don't answer my phone if you aren't in my contact list! I was already aware of the spoofing, but see it in action. When I moved to another state, I kept my #. Many (not all) use the area code and exchange similar to mine, many more at least appear to be from my former state. The rest (few) come from all over the states and "toll free" numbers. I don't answer ANY that are not programmed in! The annoyance is that they ring through at all AND some leave msgs, mostly cut off as they are recorded. It requires me digging the phone out, dismissing the call and dialing in to confirm the msg is crap (99.9%) and deleting it.
Not sure what qualifies for non elderly (sadly I'm likely considered elderly at this point!) but once caller ID came along, nope, I wouldn't answer any that didn't appear to be known by me! Spoofing has caused issues with being able to weed those out, but since all I have is a cell phone, basically any call with a number not showing up with a name I programmed into my phone gets dismissed! Once in a great while it is legit, but they leave a message and I can return the call.
Rather than automatically answering, I get annoyed when it rings! I have to dig it out of my pocket and dismiss it. A few get through to voicemail, so I have to check that and delete it. Most of the calls are crap, only a few need attention, mom, vet and mechanic. Everyone else, you better be in my contact list! My kids usually use some kind of text messaging, so my phone can stay quiet for a long time, until one of these stupid robo-calls come in. UGH!
number they are calling from, they spoof legitimate numbers
Sometimes, if I pick up the phone before the answering machine does, then (like Cascai), I will have fun with these robocallers---
Anyone remember Carol Burnett's character who would yell "GGEEOORRGGEE" in a grating voice and dress in the most mismatched bathrode or dress. Poor Harvey Korman usually played her husband.
When someone calls I talk in that grating voice and complain about all sorts of things about my (fake) husband and yell for my husband to talk to this person. Or I repeat what the caller says as if I don't understand what they are talking about. Or I act as if the person calling is a good friend and gossip with the caller about nonsensical or untrue topics.
While Mom was alive and living with me, she would sit in the background trying not to laugh during my role-playing on the phone.
Unfortunately these types of calls are now a part of our life and we have to be smarter than they are. ☏
The name of this game is spoofing. More often than not, the number that shows up in Caller ID isn't even where these jerks are calling from. They can use numbers that might be similar to your own show up on your phone, hoping that you think it might be someone you know. Those of us who know this goes on generally aren't fooled, but many older people don't know and get scammed.
I've read this is what they do, and can attest to this. When I moved, I didn't change my number (crossed state lines, cell phone only.) At least 98% (could be more) of the unwanted calls come from the state I used to live in, many with the same area code and exchange (1st 6 digits.) A few calls are "toll free" numbers and others come from states all over the map (some even with bizarre, non-phone numbers!) I don't answer any calls that are either 1) not programmed with a name in my phone or 2) are in my new area code. I do have to take those calls because it could be for my mother, who I moved to a place nearby or someone I do business with, but don't have all their numbers yet. Fortunately the idiot scammers haven't figured it out yet that I no longer live in that other state!
The good news is the actions the providers had to take have reduced the number of calls that get through to voicemail. The bad news is some still slip through. I do try to report those that are clearly scams targeting elders, such as Medicare, SS, IRS - it's great when they provide a recorded call back number!
There used to be a function on a landline that would trace the call and log it with the phone provider.
I have no idea if it still exists. And you would have to do it right after the call. It was something like *68.
Not sure what your Moms mental status is. That might be too complicated.
Maybe a big visual aide near her phone reminding her to "NEVER GIVE OUT YOUR SSN "!
If it's financially possible, enroll her in an identity theft program such as Life Lock. They'll notify you if there is any suspicious activity!
This is a tough one!!
Best wishes!!
Several times when something was breached, I was automatically set up with one of these "monitoring" programs. What a joke. I personally wouldn't waste my money on them! One of my credit cards tried to intervene by requesting confirmation of certain purchases - that didn't last long, it was just a huge PITA! Another credit card flagged some very small purchases in a local drug store that I didn't generally use, but never looked twice at a very large purchase, from a place that I didn't buy from before!
Freezing credit is now free, but must be done at all 3 bureaus (a fraud alert reported to one will be shared with the other 2, but not freezing.) I had good reason to do this and except for a couple of times I needed to unfreeze it, the freeze has been about 5 years now and will remain frozen!