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Editorial: Approach offers that sound too good to be true with care<br>

Congress continued to forge ahead last week pushing the National Do Not Call Registry for consumers who are tired of being bothered with unwanted solicitations from telemarketers. U.S. district judges maintained that the popular registry not only violates freedom of speech, but also could cost a huge number of telemarketers to lose their livelihoods.

In the meantime, consumers continue to be bothered with unwanted telephone calls from telemarketers. While some telemarketers may be pushing legitimate merchandise, others are out to scam unknowing individuals out of thousands of dollars.

Last Thursday, a local senior citizen contacted the News about an individual who contacted her several weeks ago. The man claimed to offer her a supplemental Medicare insurance plan. Our local senior advised the man she was in the midst of a power outage and did not have time to listen to his spiel. She asked the man to send her more information. The man politely said he understood, and would call her back.

No information arrived for the senior to review. However, the man did keep his word when he called the senior back last week. When she (our senior citizen wants to remain anonymous) told the man she would not be meeting him alone, she says he became quite angry. He asked her if she was mentally incapacitated in any way and asked if she suffered from Alzheimer’s Disease. When she told the caller she was of sound mind, but would not meet him alone, he continued to be angry and told her he would not “do business with her” until she agreed to meet him alone. He terminated the call.

While our senior was relieved that she escaped the clutches of a man who appeared to be unscrupulous, she is now worried about other seniors in the area. The man told her he would be in the Williams/Flagstaff area for the next few weeks to meet with other seniors. Our senior wanted to spread the word about how she was treated and urges others not to meet with anyone selling anything alone. Unfortunately, our senior is reluctant to notify area law enforcement of the situation.

Throughout the years, horror stories of senior citizens that have been victimized financially have spread throughout the United States. Senior citizens are perhaps the most preyed upon individuals within our society. The reasons vary.

Many senior citizens live alone and feel they have no one to turn to for advice on financial matters. Some seniors are lonely and welcome any contact — even with a stranger.

Some feel important that someone has chosen them to receive a “special” service or product “available for a limited time only.” Others are helpful individuals who feel they are helping someone out by withdrawing huge amounts of money from their bank accounts to assist a stranger in need. Unfortunately, many of these crimes go unreported because once seniors have been duped, they become embarrassed to have become a victim and don’t want anyone else to know.

Anyone who lives alone should take precautions to avoid being the victim of a scam. If a person contacts you by telephone — or even comes to your door — offering a service of any kind, ask for a business license along with an informational packet. If a business is legitimate, providing credentials, references and prepared literature should not be a problem. If they refuse to provide anything in writing, don’t do business with them.

Never provide a credit card number or bank account information over the phone or in person. Never allow someone to obtain your social security number. Once you have provided them with any personal information, you have set yourself up to become a victim.

Never reveal you are alone. Even if you have to create a fictional person, you will remain safer. More importantly, if you choose to ignore all the warning signs and don’t want to miss out on that illusive “opportunity of a lifetime,” never meet anyone alone in your home. If you feel you must meet someone, meet them in a public place such as a restaurant. Find someone you trust to accompany you. However, keep in mind that there are very few opportunities that will disappear in a matter of hours — or even days — if they are legitimate. No one gets rich overnight — with the exception of the individual(s) attempting to bilk you out of your money.

Never feel embarrassed to report any questionable situation to your local law enforcement agency. Law enforcement officers will not ridicule your situation. Instead, they will help you while preventing others from falling for the same scam.

If you are lonely, reach out for friendship. Become involved with a church, civic group, become a volunteer or visit the senior center. Remember the old adage, “You must first be a friend before you can have a friend.” Anyone seeking your money will be your friend only until they have your money.


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