BIRMINGHAM – As National Grandparents Day approaches on Sunday, September 7, the FBI is urging seniors to remain vigilant against frauds and scams specifically targeting them.
The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) serves as a reliable resource for reporting suspected internet crimes. The IC3 also promotes public awareness through its annual Elder Fraud report, which aggregates data from the public.
To help seniors avoid falling victim to scams, the FBI recommends several precautions: shredding credit card receipts and old bank statements, closing unused credit card or bank accounts, avoiding giving personal information unless they initiated the contact, never responding to offers they don’t understand, discussing investments with trusted individuals, requiring written documentation for plans and purchases, resisting the urge to act quickly or secretly, and registering with the Do Not Call Registry to reduce telemarketing calls…