MIDLAND, Mich. — April 15th is the day we think about our money because it’s the deadline for filing our taxes.
As a result, we direct our focus to help seniors recognize scams so they can act before it’s too late and possibly end up losing some or all their money.
Seniors often are targets of scammers, and this time of year is no exception.
Experts say most reputable organizations, including the IRS, are not going to try to collect funds over the phone.
Remember, the callers may start out sounding polite, professional and a legitimate representative of a company.
However, Jim Gall, Certified Senior Advisor and Owner of Right at Home Northern Michigan in Midland says the people on the other end of the phone likely are not who they say they are.
“So don’t knuckle under the pressure because they’re going to press and press and press and they’re going to threaten you with jail, garnishments and you name it, they’re going to come up with it. They’re playing on fear so don’t buy into it,” explained Gall. “Because what they’re going to say is you’ve got a problem. You owe us money. Your tax returns are frozen because you owe the IRS money and then they’re going to say, hey, but I can help you fix it.”
Gall says if you have doubts about who’s talking to you, hang up, check your account, and call a verified phone number to double check their claim.
Don’t give out your personal information to people you don’t know because scammers will try to use it to crack your accounts and take your money.
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Report suspicious activity to police and make sure funds aren’t coming out of accounts you didn’t authorize.
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