Fraud Prevention

     It's not always easy to spot con artists. They're smart, extremely persuasive, and aggressive. They invade your home by telephone and mail, advertise in well-known newspapers and magazines, and come to your door.

     Most people think they're too smart to fall for a scam. But con artists rob all kinds of people, from investment counselors and doctors to teenagers and elderly widows of billions of dollars every year. Just remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

You can protect yourself
     - Never give a caller your credit card, phone card, Social Security, or bank account number over the phone. It's illegal for telemarketers to ask for these numbers to verify a prize or gift.

     - Beware of 900 numbers. People who call 900 numbers to request instant credit often end up with a booklet on how to establish credit or a list of banks offering low-interest credit cards. Such calls can end up costing $50 or more, but consumers rarely end up obtaining credit.
     - Listen carefully to the name of a charity requesting money. Fraudulent charities often use names that sound like a reputable, well-known organization such as the American Cancer Association (instead of the American Cancer Society).
     - Ask for a financial report before you donate; a reputable charity will always send you one.
     - Investigate before you invest. Never make an investment with a stranger over the phone. Beware of promises that include the terms "get rich quick," or "a once in a lifetime opportunity."

Be a wise consumer
     - Don't buy health products or treatments that include: a promise for a quick and dramatic cure, testimonials, imprecise and nonmedical language, appeals to emotion instead of reason, or a single product that cures many ills. Quackery can delay an ill person from getting timely treatment.
     - Look closely at offers that come in the mail. Con artists often use official-looking forms and bold

graphics to lure victims. If you receive items in the mail that you didn't order, you are under no obligation to pay for them, throw them out, return them, or keep them.
     - Be suspicious of ads that promise quick cash working from your home. After you've paid for the supplies or a how-to book to get started, you often find there's no market for the product and there's no way to get your money back.
     - Beware of cheap home repair work that would otherwise be expensive, regardless of the reason given. The con artist may just do part of the work, use shoddy materials and untrained workers, or simply take your deposit and never return.
     - Use common sense in dealing with auto repairs. One mechanic convinced a woman that she needed to have the winter air in tires replaced with summer air! Get a written estimate, read it carefully, and never give the repair shop a blank check to fix everything.

Protect yourself from Telemarketing fraud
     Your best protection is to just hang up the phone. If you think that is rude, tell these callers politely that you are not interested, don't want to waste their time, and please don't call back and then hang up.

     If you find yourself caught up in a sales pitch, remember the federal government's Telemarketing Sales Rule.
     - You have to be told the name of the company, the fact that it is a sales call, and what's being sold. If a prize is being offered, you have to be told immediately that there is no purchase necessary to win.
     - If the caller says you've won a prize, you cannot be asked to pay anything for it. You can't even be required to pay shipping charges. If it is a sweepstakes, the caller must tell you how to enter without making a purchase.
     - You cannot be asked to pay in advance for services such as cleansing your credit record, finding you a loan, acquiring a prize they say you've won. You pay for services only if they're actually delivered.
     - You shouldn't be called before 8:00 am or after 9:00 pm. If you tell telemarketers not to call again, they can't. If they do, they have broken the law.
     - If you're guaranteed a refund, the caller has to tell you all the limitations.
     - Don't give telemarketers your credit card number, your bank account number, Social Security number, or authorize bank drafts.

If someone rips you off, take action
     - Report con games to the police, your city or State Consumer Protection Office, District Attorney's Office, or a consumer advocacy group.
     - If you suspect fraud, call the National Fraud Information Center at (800) 876-7060, 9:00 am - 5:30 pm EST.
     - Don't feel foolish. Reporting is vital. Very few frauds are reported, which leaves the con artists free to rob other people of their money and their trust.

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Securing Your Home

      If you were locked out of your house, would you still be able to get in? Maybe you keep an unlocked window in the back, or a hidden key in your mailbox or on top of a window ledge? You may think this is a good idea, but guess what? If you can break in, so can a burglar!

     One out of ten homes will be burglarized this year. For a small amount of time and money you can make your home more secure and reduce your chances of being a victim. Many burglars will spend no longer than 60 seconds trying to break into a home. Good locks and good neighbors, who watch out for each other, can be big deterrents to burglars.

CHECK THE LOCKS.
     Did you know that in almost half of all completed residential burglaries, thieves simply breezed in through unlocked doors or crawled through unlocked windows?

      - Make sure every external door has a sturdy, well-installed dead bolt lock. Key-in-the-knob locks alone are not enough.
     - Sliding glass doors can offer easy access if they are not properly secured. You can secure them by installing commercially available locks or putting a broomstick or dowel in the inside track to jam the door. To prevent the door being lifted off the track, drill a hole through the slide door frame and the fixed frame. Then insert a pin in the hole.
     - Lock double-hung windows with key locks or pin your windows by drilling a small hole into a 45 degree angle between the inner and outer frames, then insert a nail that can be removed. Secure basement windows with grilles or grates.
     - Instead of hiding keys around the outside of your home, give an extra key to a neighbor you trust.
     - When you move into a new house or apartment, re-key the locks.

CHECK THE DOORS
     A lock on a flimsy door is about as effective as locking your car door but leaving the window down.

     - All outside doors should be metal or solid wood.
     - If your doors don't fit tightly in their frames, install weather stripping around them.
     - Install a peephole or wide angle viewer in all entry doors so you can see who is outside without opening the door. Door chains break easily and don't keep out intruders.

CHECK THE OUTDOORS
     Look at your house from the outside. Make sure you know the following tips.

     - Thieves hate bright lights. Install outside lights and keep them on at night.
     - Keep your yard clean. Prune back shrubbery so it doesn't hide doors or windows. Cut back tree limbs that a thief could use to climb to an upper-level window.
     - If you travel, create the illusion that you're at home by getting some timers that will turn lights on and off in different areas of your house throughout the evening. Lights burning 24 hours a day signal an empty house.
     - Leave shades, blinds, and curtains in normal positions. And don't let your mail pile up! Call the post office to stop delivery or have a neighbor pick it up.
     - Make a list of your valuables - VCRs, stereos, computers, jewelry. Take photos of the items, list their serial numbers and description. Check with law enforcement about engraving your valuables through Operation Identification.
     - Ask local law enforcement for a free home security survey.

CONSIDER A HOME ALARM
     Alarms can be a good investment, especially if you have many valuables in your home, or live in an isolated area or one with a history of break-ins.

     - Check with several companies before you buy so you can decide what level of security fits your needs. Do business with an established company and check references before signing a contract
     - Learn how to use your system properly! Don't "cry wolf" by setting off false alarms. People will stop paying attention and you'll probably be fined.
     - Some less expensive options, a sound-detecting socket that plugs into a light fixture and makes the light flash when it detects certain noises, motion sensing outdoor lights that turn on when someone approaches, or lights with photo cells that turn on when it's dark and off when it's light.

BURGLARS DO MORE THAN STEAL
     Burglars can commit rape, robbery, and assault if they are surprised by someone coming home or pick a home that is occupied.

     - If something looks questionable, a slit screen, a broken window or an open door, don't go in. Call the police from a neighbor's house or a public phone.
     - At night, if you think you hear someone breaking in, leave safely if you can, then call the police. If you can't leave, lock yourself in a room with a phone and call the police. If an intruder is in your room, pretend you are asleep.
     - Guns are responsible for many accidental deaths in the home every year. If you choose to own a gun, learn how to store it and use it safely.

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Senior Safety

     As people grow older, their chances of being victims of crime decrease dramatically. But a lifetime of experience, coupled with the physical problems associated with aging, often make older Americans fearful.

     Though they're on the lookout constantly for physical attack and burglary, seniors are not as alert to frauds and con games; which, in reality, are the greatest crime threats to seniors' well being and trust. In order to conquer fear and prevent crime, it is important to take these common-sense precautions:

 BE ALERT WHEN OUT AND ABOUT
     - Go with friends or family, not alone.
     - Carry your purse close to your body, not dangling by the straps.   
     - Put a wallet in an inside coat or front pant's pocket.
     - Don't carry credit cards you don't need or large amounts of cash.
     - Use direct deposit for Social Security and other regular checks.
     - Whether you're a passenger or driver, keep car doors locked. Be particularly alert in parking lots and garages. Park near an entrance.
     - Sit close to the driver or near the exit while riding the bus, train, or subway.
     - If someone or something makes you uneasy, trust your instincts and leave.

BE WARY OF CON ARTISTS
     - Ask for photo identification from service or delivery people before letting them in. If you are the least bit worried, call the company to verify.
     - Don't fall for anything that sounds too good to be true; like a free vacation, sweepstakes prizes, cures for cancer and arthritis, or a low-risk, high-yield investment scheme.
     - Never give your credit card, phone card, Social Security, or bank account number to anyone over the phone. It's illegal for telemarketers to ask for these numbers to verify a prize or gift.
     - Don't let anyone rush you into signing anything like an insurance policy, a sales agreement, or a contract. Read it carefully and have someone you trust check it over.
     - Beware of individuals claiming to represent companies, consumer organizations, or government agencies that offer to recover lost money from fraudulent telemarketers for a fee.
     - If you're suspicious, check it out with the police, the Better Business Bureau, or local consumer protection office. Call the National Consumers League Fraud Information Center at (800) 876-7060.

 For information about Fire Safety for Seniors