Greensboro, NC -- Criminals will do anything to get your money and prey on the elderly. On Thursday, the City of Greensboro and the Triad Retirement Living Association hosted a workshop to teach seniors how to avoid common schemes.
We want you to know the three biggest schemes going around right now and how you can avoid them.
First: You get a call from a family member saying they're in the hospital, jail or their car is broke down. They want you to wire them money ASAP.
To avoid getting schemed, "ask them for the name of the hospital or the police station or the auto mechanic and then call that institution yourself to verify the situation," says Chris DesBarres with Help Unlimited, Inc.
Number Two: You get a call, e-mail or letter saying you won a lottery, or a car, or an exiled royal wants to give you his money. They ask you to wire them money or give them your bank account to get the money.
DesBarres says you should "always just hang up the phone, shred the letter and delete the email. If you get a check, it's most likely fake and you can destroy it."
Third: Someone knocks on your door offering home repairs. They claim they're in the neighborhood anyway and enjoy working with seniors.
DesBarres says, "always tell them that you're gonna get a second opinion. Ask them to send you a written estimate, then contact a contractor or even better, a home inspector, to have them come out and do an independent analysis."
WFMY News 2
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