The advice sometimes seems pious and boring - “Practice Password Security” or “Use Strong Passwords.” It is hard to go for long browsing the internet without seeing some form of this advice. The reason is simple: lost, stolen or hacked passwords are the cause of misery ranging from false postings on sites like Facebook to large-scale economic loss and even identity theft. This can start a chain of events that takes months or years to correct.
While the strength of your passwords is an important issue, many security breaches occur because of device loss. Lock all the devices that have your password information (require a password to open them). This advice applies to fixed-position devices like desktop computers, but especially to mobile devices that are carried with you. If your cell phone, tablet or laptop computer is stolen or lost, the person who comes into possession of this device may have access to your password-protected accounts. Think about this- if your...
Medicare and Social Security benefits are the two most important programs that affect the health and wellbeing of older Americans. Both of these programs are overwhelmingly popular with the public. In 2015, a poll commissioned by the Kaiser Family Health Foundation found that 87% of all Americans viewed Social Security favorably while 77% had a positive view of Medicare. They are the two most popular government programs in America.
The same poll found that many Americans do not think that these programs are sustainable. One of the reasons is the fraud and abuse that is sometimes, perhaps often, found in both programs. Medicare spending in 2016 amounts to a total of $672.6 billion. Medicare will provide health insurance to 57 million Americans who are 65 or older, disabled, or have end-stage renal disease.
Fraud in the Medicare program steals benefits and services that should rightly go to these deserving recipients. You should care greatly about this if you are a taxpayer or...
By PharmacyChecker
Canadian and other international online pharmacies can help you (and have already helped millions of Americans) save a lot of money. How much are we talking here? Often, folks who compare prices on www.pharmacychecker.com end up paying a whopping 90% less than what they might pay at their local Walgreens or Walmart. With prescription drug savings like that, it can be tempting to dive right in! What’s to lose? Well, unfortunately, there’s plenty. The internet is a minefield of trouble due to dangerous rogue websites that pose as legitimate online pharmacies, so you need to know what you're doing to save money safely.
“Rogue pharmacies,” as we call them, are out to steal sensitive financial information (at worse) and peddle counterfeit medications (even worse!). Seniors looking for lower priced drugs online don’t deserve this kind of trickery. That’s where we come in! PharmacyChecker.com works to ensure consumers don’t encounter this kind of perilous online quicksand. We accredit and monitor only...
Seniors are frequent targets for unscrupulous “scam artists.” Scammers know that older people are likely to be more trusting and gracious than younger adults, and they are more likely to have assets like cash savings, real estate or good credit. In 2019, the Special Committee on Aging of the U.S. Senate estimated that American seniors lose $2.9 billion each year to financial scams. Many of these scam operations are run by criminals operating from foreign call centers, beyond the enforcement powers of American law enforcement and immune to prosecution.
Nationwide, millions of our seniors are victimized each year by schemes involving lottery winnings, fake tax-due notices, fake tax return filings, bills for services never performed, and an endless range of other ways to cheat honest people. Not all of these schemes are aimed at wealthy or well-to-do seniors; scammers will gladly cheat any victim they can. Because they are often beyond the reach of American law enforcement, these crooks regard scamming...
Seniors stay vigilant; criminals are taking advantage of our community. While the world bands together to stop the spread of COVID-19, swindlers are profiting from the pandemic. Scammers are using fear to exploit worried families by promising them cures for the virus. There is no need to panic, but just like everything else, being informed is always the first step.
Here are a few ways you can avoid COVID-19 scams:
Avoid clicking on links from unknown sources (they could download viruses onto your computer or devices)
Be wary of emails from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
To find current and official information about the virus, click here or visit the World Health Organization (WHO)
Do not open emails from “experts” stating they have information about the virus
Dismiss online offers for vaccinations
Ignore offers for COVID-19 curing products (ex. vaccines, pills, potions, lotions, tablets, prescriptions or over-the-counter products) online or in stores
Do your research first when looking...
Have you ever said or overheard someone say while in a public place, “The kids gave me a TV for my birthday,” or “I just got a great deal on a laptop computer?” Do you hide a house key under the back-door mat or leave your doors unlocked during the day? If so, you are leaving yourself open to being victimized.
It’s important for all homeowners to take precautionary measures, but more so for older adults. Robbers are a threat to physical well-being, as well as personal goods. Being physically attacked can result in long months of rehabilitation.
So, keeping within the bounds of common sense, let the evidence be a call to action, not just another reason to worry. Before paranoia sets in, first consider that there are measures you can take to thwart the possibility of a home burglary.
Short of installing electrified fencing guarded by watchdogs and high-tech video cameras monitored by security staff (which, by the way, sends a...
