Month: March 2020

Scammers are taking advantage of fears surrounding the Coronavirus.

Here are some tips recently published by the FTC to help you keep the scammers at bay:

• Hang up on robocalls. Don’t press any numbers. Scammers are using illegal robocalls to pitch everything from scam Coronavirus treatments to work-at-home schemes. The recording might say that pressing a number will let you speak to a live operator or remove you from their call list, but it might lead to more robocalls, instead.
• Ignore online offers for vaccinations and home test kits. There currently are no vaccines, pills, potions, lotions, lozenges or other prescription or over-the-counter products available to treat or cure Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) — online or in stores. At this time, there also are no FDA-authorized home test kits for the Coronavirus. Visit the FDA to learn more.
• Fact-check information. Scammers, and sometimes well-meaning people, share information that hasn’t been verified. Before you pass on any messages, contact trusted sources. Visit What the U.S. Government is Doing for links to federal, state and local government agencies.
• Know who you’re buying from. Online sellers may claim to have in-demand products, like cleaning, household, and health and medical supplies when, in fact, they don’t.
• Don’t respond to texts and emails about checks from the government. The details are still being worked out. Anyone who tells you they can get you the money now is a scammer.
• Don’t click on links from sources you don’t know. They could download viruses onto your computer or device.
• Watch for emails claiming to be from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or experts saying they have information about the virus. For the most up-to-date information about the Coronavirus, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
• Do your homework when it comes to donations, whether through charities or crowdfunding sites. Don’t let anyone rush you into making a donation. If someone wants donations in cash, by gift card, or by wiring money, don’t do it.
• Additional Resources are being continually updated at this site (ftc.gov/coronavirus)

As America’s population ages, the problem of elder financial abuse is growing. We are proud to announce two new ways for banks to get involved in protecting vulnerable senior citizens in their local communities.

Our two new offerings, Senior Sentry^TM and Senior Secure^TM build on the widely adopted Senior Crimestoppers^® program to address the needs of seniors in communities big and small. Senior Crimestoppers^® is a nationwide crime prevention and education program, powered by the Senior Housing Crime Prevention Foundation. This year, we are celebrating our 20^th anniversary of providing safety & security to senior citizens with the Senior Crimestoppers^® program. Over 200 banks currently support the protection of 100,000 seniors and earn CRA credit through their sponsorship.

Responding to feedback from bankers and healthcare administrators that elder financial abuse is a primary concern, we’ve created an educational tool, Senior Sentry^TM, to educate and train healthcare staff and caregivers at local senior housing facilities to detect the signs of and to prevent financial abuse of those they care for.

“Banks already have access to training materials on financial abuse for their own employees. The gap is in training for those that have the closest contact with America’s elder population, housing facility staff members,” said Terry Rooker, President of Senior Crimestoppers. “Facilities administrators appreciate having a resource like this that adds a level of security to their residents.”

Senior Sentry^TM is a dynamic educational and training video that covers topics like how to avoid email and phone scams, warning signs of abuse, and what to do if abuse is suspected. It is full of helpful resources to ensure that no one in their golden years is deprived of what they’ve spent a lifetime saving.

Senior Secure^TM is a more robust program for senior housing facilities that includes the educational component, facility signage plus a toll-free, anonymous tip line with rewards offered for information regarding elder abuse.

“We developed the Senior Secure^TM program for banks that truly believe in and support our mission, but are not yet the size at which they are examined for CRA compliance,” said David Lenoir, President & CEO of CRA Partners. “These two new programs are a great compliment to our flagship Senior Crimestoppers^® program. It makes it possible for more banks to get involved with the senior citizens in their local communities. This is increasingly important to bankers as the average age of Americans continues to rise.”

The response from family members of residents and staff at senior housing facilities that already offer protections like these has been tremendous. Expressing her gratitude for the bank and Senior Crimestoppers, Shelly Fuller of Bayshore Towers in Pasadena, TX said “On behalf of Bayshore Towers’ senior residents, I want to thank you for your support and partnership with us as we provide a safe community.”

For more details, see https://www.seniorcrimestoppers.org/senior-secure/ and https://www.seniorcrimestoppers.org/senior-sentry/