Karen Telleen-Lawton: Vigilance Needed Against Scams | Homes & Lifestyle - Noozhawk

By Karen Telleen-Lawton, Noozhawk Columnist | November 18, 2019 | 4:00 p.m.

I regret there will never be a dearth of material on scams.

Recent news featured a real estate scam that robbed a single mother of the money she had saved for her first house. After wiring her down payment money to a crook claiming to be the seller’s bank, she lost it all.

She is resigned to living with her young children in her parents’ basement for the foreseeable future.

Fighting Back Against Scams

Protect your private information in the following ways:

» Sign up for Informed Delivery through the USPS.

» Sign up for the federal Do Not Call registry to block some robocalls.

» Return unopened any unsolicited genetic testing kit you receive.

» Use two-party verification and alerts for your financial accounts.

» Consider a password manager subscription.

The consequence of all your personal data being available online is that you have to be vigilant. If an email looks suspect in any way, find the party’s phone and email by an independent internet search and contact them yourself.

There are ways to protect yourself against real estate scams and other fraudsters threatening to take away your marbles.

Protecting your medical insurance and Social Security numbers, as well as other personal information, is not simple.

Trusted doctors and your own financial creditors and debtors should be the only ones who have access, and this should be strictly limited. Don’t be afraid to politely refuse when people request your private information in any other context.

Take full advantage of the safety checks offered by your legitimate services. The U.S. Postal Service, your phone server, and your financial institutions all have developed ways to insure you know with whom you’re dealing.

The post office, for example, has a new free service called Informed delivery. They can send you a daily email containing digital scans of the mail and packages you can expect in the next day or two. Then you’ll know if you’re missing something.

Taking steps to block robocalls will reduce the chances you’ll be suckered into a scam. You can sign up for the federal Do Not Call Registry (888.382.1222). Call from the phone number you want registered.

Contact your phone service providers: many have programs aimed at reducing telemarketing calls. You can also find private robocall blocking services to help with your mobile phone.

Before you choose a third-party service, however, be sure you check their reviews on the internet (not on their website) to assure yourself they are legitimate.

You may not feel like your financial institutions always have your back, but they have a vested interest in protecting your privacy. A visit to your bank branch or website will show you just how many protections and tips are available for your use.

One worthwhile bank service is alerts by email, text or automated phone call whenever your debit or credit card has been used. You can set different trigger amounts for various credit cards if you don’t want to be notified for small dollar purchases.

Two-step authentication is another good way to keep robbers one more step removed from your accounts. It takes a few seconds longer to access your accounts, but adds a layer of security.

A recent book praised by a former Los Angeles police commissioner is Scam Me If You Can by Frank Abagnale. You may consider some of his suggestions a pain and a bother.

But so are brushing your teeth, paying your bills, and many other tasks you complete more or less without complaint daily.

If simple strategies can help us outsmart scam artists, they can reduce our stress and help us keep our marbles.

— Karen Telleen-Lawton serves seniors and pre-seniors as the principal of Decisive Path Fee-Only Financial Advisory in Santa Barbara. You can reach her with your financial planning questions at [email protected]. Click here to read previous columns. The opinions expressed are her own.