Wednesday, March 31, 2004 11:08 AM CST
Elderly should beware of scams, official says
BY KRISTA LEWIN, Staff Writer
MATTOON -- Cell phones with cameras are giving thieves an easy and instant way to steal credit card numbers and obtain checking account information from unsuspecting consumers.
Mark Bellis of the Illinois State Treasurer's Office, provided tips to the elderly Tuesday at Mattoon Tower about protecting themselves financially from con artists and identity theft.
A new way thieves are obtaining information is through cell phone cameras. Bellis encouraged people to be careful when using a credit card or writing a check because someone nearby with a cell phone camera could possibly snap a picture of the account number on the credit card or the consumers' names and addresses on checks.
The consumer's address could be used for identity theft and the credit card information could be used to illegally purchase items on the Internet, he said.
Telemarketing scams are still one of the top ways people are bilked out of money, he said.
Bellis told his audience they already have the ability to deal with telemarketers by using these two rules: "If it sounds to good to be true it probably is and when in doubt check it out."
If someone calls representing a company or a charity and there is some question whether they are authentic, ask them for their phone number and address, Bellis said. If there are still questions, contact the Illinois Attorney General's Office because it has employees placed statewide investigating these types of cases, Bellis said.
When telemarketers call asking for money for the Red Cross or police or firemen, instead of giving money to the telemarketer, he encouraged people wanting to make a donation to do so at their hometown agency.
"They (scam artists) are especially pulling on the heartstrings after Sept. 11," Bellis said. "They use names like National Red Cross instead of American Red Cross. The name sounds legitimate."
Home repair scam artists also target the elderly, Bellis said. They are very pushy and they will often demand 10 percent of the money for the repair to be given to them the day before they even begin the work, he said. Sometimes, they will only put a few new shingles on the bottom edge of a roof to make it look like a new roof or they will paint driveways with black paint to make it appear the driveway was black-topped, he said.
Before giving them any money, people should contact their local police and tell their neighbors because these home repair people target entire neighborhoods, he said.
Thieves are also removing bills from mailboxes and can even remove handwritten ink from the checks, he said. Bellis suggested using a fine tip permanent marker when writing checks and being vigilant when mailing payments from a home mailbox.
Bellis said the Illinois State Treasurer's office is working to inform people about potential scams. They also work with high school students to educate them about learning how to budget their money. For more information about these presentations, call 524-8881.
Contact Krista Lewin at klewin@jg-tc.com or 238-6858.
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