By Khalida Sarwari
It is an unfortunate fact that mail theft is more common than it should be. But curbside mailbox theft? Who knew that was a reality?
According to the U.S. Postal Service, in this type of scam “phishers” will typically stick tape to the flat side of a flip-flop and then slide the shoe in the box to grab envelopes. Because such thefts happen after the last collection of the day, the best way to prevent them is not to leave mail in the blue collection boxes after hours, said Jeff Fitch, a U.S. Postal Service inspector who investigates mail fraud.
“Save it for the next day,” Fitch said.
Fitch was speaking to a crowd of around 400 seniors attending a free seminar held at the Saratoga Area Senior Center on July 19, all of them eager to learn how to protect themselves from becoming victims of fraud. Throughout the two-hour presentation, they learned tips from various experts on how to prevent scams targeting senior residents. The event was sponsored by Assemblyman Paul Fong, the Saratoga Area Senior Center and the Contractors State License Board.
“It is unfortunate that seniors are often preyed upon by scam artists and criminals,” Fong said. “There is a need in our community to empower our senior community and provide them with the tools to ensure that they are able to protect themselves from becoming victims.”
In the spirit of providing tools, the seminar included representatives from the California Contractors State License Board, California Public Utilities Commission and the Council on Aging Silicon Valley, in addition to the postal service. The panel educated seniors on how to identify a scam and how to report it to the proper authorities.
“If you’ve been victimized, report it to us,” Fitch said. “Do not be embarrassed.”
Fitch’s presentation offered tips on other common types of mail-related fraud. Regarding national and foreign lotteries, he said they all are illegal and told attendees to avoid giving personal information over the phone or via email or wiring money to those groups. It’s important, he said, to check bank statements regularly and to invest in a shredder for documents that contain sensitive information you may no longer need.
“Home shredding is the way to go,” he said.
It’s best to be wary of ventures that offer part-time work from home, Fitch said, because more than likely they are a way to obtain a person’s date of birth and Social Security number.
He advised residents to repair damaged mailboxes and consider buying a locking mailbox to deter thieves.
A Council on Aging Silicon Valley representative cautioned seniors about fictitious providers who call people at home and attempt to steal their Medicare account numbers. Attendees al-so learned that it’s best to leave their Medicare card at home unless they are on their way to the doctor in order to reduce their chances of having their card stolen.
Seniors are also targeted by unlicensed contractors.
Jane Kreidler of the California Contractors State License Board emphasized the importance of hiring licensed contractors. Finding one through word of mouth is best, but the phone book and Internet are also decent options.
Kreidler advised interviewing at least three candidates to compare prices and then getting references from them before signing on the dotted line. As part of the selection procedure, Kreidler also suggested calling the state license board to determine if the contractor is licensed and in good standing and has workers compensation. Make sure to get a detailed written contract and estimates from the contractor, she said.
Always avoid any person who comes to your door and offers to fix something for a cash payment, Kreidler told the audience. This is a type of scammer that is very smooth, she said, and will talk on and on until they’re allowed in.
“Be wary of people who come to your door,” said Kreidler.
HVAC cards that come in the mail promising a too-good-to-be-true deal are usually just that: too good to be true, Kreidler said. Verify their contracting license before signing up for anything, she said.
Lastly, Kreidler told residents to call the state agency during a problem and not wait until after a project is completed.
“If they botch a job and we find out, we can take money out of the bond and suspend their license,” she said.
In response to an audience member who asked what he should do if a contractor says he doesn’t need workers comp and then shows up with employees, Kreidler said, “It’s unethical.”
She added, “Don’t let them in, and call us.”
In addition to construction-related scams, seniors are susceptible to telemarketing and transportation scams. Sheri Boles of the California Public Utilities Commission shared several prevention tips to protect against this type of fraud.
Boles recommended keeping a land line, because it offers more privacy than cell phones and automatically sends street addresses to dispatchers in an emergency.
She recommended carefully scouring telephone bills to make sure everything checks out, from the long-distance provider to the list of small charges.
Two common phone scams, Boles said, are the Star 72 scam, where someone leaves a message on the victim’s answering machine saying that their loved one is in a hospital and to give them a call back at a number that starts with 72. Dialing 72 forwards the person’s phone number to the scammer, Boles said.
Those who find themselves in this situation, Boles said, should call their phone company and request them to stop the number from forwarding and also file a report with their local law enforcement agency so that others in the community can be notified about the scam. It’s also a good idea to inform the district attorney’s office as well as the PUC.
“We won’t know these scams are happening if you don’t tell us,” she said.
Star 809 is another type of scam where someone leaves a message on a person’s answering machine announcing they’ve won a Publishers Clearing House lottery and leaving a number to call back that starts with 809, 284 or 867 plus a seven-digit number. When an individual excitedly dials that number, they hear a long message about what types of information Publishers Clearing House needs to collect, but all the while they’re getting charged international per-minute fees.
“Please don’t call back any area code numbers you’re not familiar with,” Boles said. “You will rack up high per-minute charges as a result.”
In those instances, the best defense is to look up the area code online or call 411 to determine whether the number is real, Boles said.
Door-to-door and email marketers should be addressed with the same amount of skepticism, according to Boles. There are scammers that pretend to be from Energy Upgrade California, a legitimate organization, to get your personal information. Without opening the door, ask the visitor for their name and employee number to ensure they aren’t bogus, Boles said. Don’t believe them if they show an ID, because those can be photoshopped, she said.
Transportation scams involve mysterious black sedans at airports and moving vans. With the first, your radar should go off when the driver approaches you, because the proper custom is they must be prearranged and quote you a rate a rate prior to pick-up, according to Boles. In the past, drivers have taken their victims to their destinations and then asked for an exorbitant fee while holding their luggage hostage.
To prevent such a scenario, verify that the company is licensed and has proper insurance and check Yelp for reviews about the company, Boles said.
Fraudulent moving vans typically pull the same trick, so always ask for a hard copy of your contract with them at least 72 hours in advance.
And, if anything goes wrong, call the PUC at 800.649.7570.
“You are our eyes and ears of the community,” Boles said.
