I’ve spent nearly 23 years working on scam prevention awareness and  I see the same ones pop up year after year..Reminders are always a safe bet when trying to educate consumers.  Seasonal scammers  watch their calendars and devise new ways to take advantage of people who may need certain services based on their locales. Some examples :

June 1 – November 30 are the designated dates for Hurricane Season. Be leery of anyone who offers tree cutting/trimming services with special, limited-time offers or conditional fees. Make sure they are licensed and insured. Look for reviews or ask for referrals from other customers. I have seen some incredible tree surgeons at work and they don’t hesitate to provide you with their business info.

In states where snow removal is a necessity during the winter the same advice applies. Be sure they are licensed and insured. Get recommendations from trusted family and friends. Does the business have reasonable rates or are they overcharging for their services when a storm hits ? Look them up online and do a little investigating of your own.

As the holidays approach more and more consumers are shopping online. A QR Code scam called “quishing” has increased over the last few years. There are many variations and a popular one  during the holidays is a misdelivered package that shows up on your doorstep. The instructions might advise you to scan the QR code to report a problem and once you do, the person or people on the other end of the communication tries to gather your personal information while pretending to help deliver the package to a fictitious shopper. Use caution when dealing with mysterious deliveries. Call the delivery company to return the item and keep yourself safe. They say “buyer beware” but the receiver of any unwanted packages should be aware, too.

Thanks for checking in !

Halloween is one of my favorite times of year. I enjoy the creativity of costumes, the vibrant fall colors, and the mysterious ambiance of the unknown. Unfortunately,  ghost scams are another predatory tactic used by scammers throughout the year using personal information found in obituaries as  a way to steal  a deceased person’s identity.

Obituaries are loving tributes to those who have passed on. For the scam artist they are a treasure trove of personal information that can be used for illegal means. Date of birth, birthplace, relatives ,maiden names, lifelong activities, military service, and burial information can all be used to create a new identity. Certainly honoring someone’s memory is of utmost importance , but precautionary measures may be useful to  help protect their legacy.

Some gentle reminders for grieving family members follow. These should be done as soon as possible to minimize the risk of a ghost scam.

Notify the Social Security Administration of the person’a death. 1-800-772-1213

Notify the IRS. 1-800-829-1040

Notify Credit Bureaus and consider Credit Monitoring.

Equifax 1-888-378-4329

Experian 1-888-397-3742

TransUnion 1-800-916-8800

Also notify banks, insurance companies, and other business institutions. They will guide you through the process.

It is sad to think that the grieving process has to include safeguards after someone passes away. I hope these tips help during difficult times.