FDIC-Insured - Backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government
June 15th was designated as World Elder Abuse Awareness day by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and the World Health Organization. At Country Bank, we are dedicated to spreading awareness about the devastating effects of elder financial exploitation. This is a form of elder abuse in which the funds or assets of an older adult are used illegally or improperly.
Elders are often targeted by scammers. These fraudsters use a combination of three tactics: secrecy, urgency, and emotional response to trick their victims out of their savings. For example, a common scam affecting elders involves a caller pretending to be a grandchild in trouble. The fraudster states that that he has been arrested and may even put another individual on the phone who pretends to be an attorney. The “attorney” tells the victim not to tell the “grandchild’s” parents and to purchase gift cards or send cash immediately for bail.
An even more disturbing aspect of financial exploitation is that although scammers are undoubtedly a threat, an elder is more likely to be exploited by an individual they know such as an adult child, grandchild, or personal care assistant. Examples of this include the theft or improper use of an elder’s debit card, stolen and forged checks, and withholding or theft of their government benefits.
One of the best ways we can all protect loved ones from becoming victims of exploitation is to simply be involved and do the following:
- Call to check in
- Ask if they need help
- Tell them about scams targeting elders
- Stop by for a visit
More information about elder abuse and scams:
Have you ever received an unusual text message from a number you didn’t recognize? Was it offering you a great deal on something or warning you to take an action to prevent a negative consequence? These phishing texts are trying to bait you into clicking malicious links which can install malware on your device that can access your personal information and track your activity.
Beware of common phishing themes that are often used to entice the receiver to respond. They may say:
Don’t reply to the message.
Even replying that you’d like to opt out of receiving the message isn’t a good idea. It lets the scammer know that they have a good number.
Don’t click on the link.
It could be malware or it could be a fraudulent website looking to steal your information.
Delete and block.
- Delete the text to prevent accidentally clicking the link later.
- Check your phone’s settings to see if it has a built in feature to help block unwanted calls or texts.
Contact us
If your accounts have been compromised in a scam, contact us right away by calling 800-322-8233.
After normal business hours, log in to your online banking and send a secure message by going to Options>Messages>New.
If you don’t have online banking, click here to send us a message.
As always, if you have any questions, please call us at 800-322-8233 during normal business hours. We’d be happy to help you.