SCAMS

Several weeks ago I attended a senior health fair sponsored by a local congressman.  The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office was represented and the staff person handed out a booklet discussing scams and how to avoid falling victim to one.  I would hope most, if not all states, had similar materials for residents.

The focus of this 80 page booklet was “rights and responsibilities” which reinforces my premise for starting this blog- we have responsibilities to take care of ourselves and to be as knowledgeable as possible to keep ourselves safe.

Among the things I learned are:

 -How to file a complaint with the Bureau of Consumer Protection

- The nuts and bolts of the Lemon Law

-I am entitled to one free credit report annually

-Ways to avoid identity theft including opting out of receiving unsolicited preapproved credit card applications by calling 1-888-567-8688  (I just did this and it was a very simple process) ; and shredding magazine subscription labels

-What to look for when buying a hearing aid or other medical aids

-Home improvement regulations

-What to think about when buying or selling a home or car

-Who to call for a product safety issue

-Current scams: Grandparent, electricity, tech support, government agency, internet sales, electric and gas generation supplier sales, home security systems, work at home schemes, living trust mills and annuity, lottery/sweepstakes, mystery shopper, investment, travel and prescription.  Most of these have been in the news but several were new to me. 

-Information about card skimmers-if it doesn’t look like it belongs on the machine, it probably doesn’t.

-Important phone numbers and websites

And last, but not least, I signed up for scam alerts under www.attorneygeneral.gov- it’s listed on The Office page.

If you are not in Pennsylvania, check your state’s Attorney General’s Office for similar information.

In Pennsylvania, call 1-800-441-2555; you may be able to receive Rights and Resources Consumer Guide in the mail.

Organizing for a Disaster

A friend who lives in California told me about her daughter who was asked by the elementary school principal to write individual letters to her children and to include a family picture so that in the event of a disaster, the school administration could give the letters to the children for reassurance, to help calm them down, to allay their fears.  I was saddened to hear that administrators are put in the position of having to think about this.  

The conversation comes at a time when the US is focused on natural disasters- Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria; Earthquakes; Wild Fires.  As I read about people discussing their quick evacuation from their homes, I am wondering what they take with them.  I don’t live in a flood plain so I have not had to ever worry about evacuation for a natural disaster.  Do I have a plan?  What would I take with me?  How would I leave my valuables?  The answers are unique to our individual situations.  Heavy duty plastic bags are looking mighty good to me right now.

When I was in school, the building was safe.  No one carried a gun, we didn’t have security guards.  In fact, students acted as “crossing guards” and students were called upon to escort guests around the building.  Though, come to think of it, we who are of a certain age can remember the bomb drills- a bell would ring and we would have to crouch under our desk and be quiet.  The teacher would turn out the lights and pull the window blinds down, if we had them. 

These drills didn’t bother me.  After all, I was in the greatest country in the world and no country in their right mind would dare drop a bomb on the US.  We also didn’t have up- to- the- minute knowledge of disasters, we only saw the news at night if we were allowed to stay up that late and most kids I knew did not read the newspaper.  Wars and natural disasters were not part of our lives in a real way.

Not so today.  We are prepped for disasters.  We have time to think about impending crises.  What would you take with you if you had to flee your home?  While I have a small safe for my important documents, I am now thinking I should put it in a large plastic bag in the event of a flood or tornado. 

I have my list with important phone numbers and important people.  Most people do not have their paperwork organized.  What is stopping you?  Take the time during a calm period to organize your papers.  I should say “schedule a time during a calm period to organize your papers” –this is your call to action!

For me, by mid-October, I will have made a copy of my important papers and a copy of important pictures; I will place them in a heavy duty plastic bag so that I can quickly grab it if I needed to leave my home quickly.  What is your action step?