By Greg Mellen
The Social Security Administration has designated March 7 as a day of awareness for online crime, particularly for older Americans. “Slam the Scam Day” is an effort to alert seniors and their families to the wide array of frauds, schemes, and swindlers out there. The day is part of National Consumer Protection Week, March 3-9.
Seniors and older people are particularly vulnerable to a wide variety of scams. Online, seniors may be targeted for schemes ranging from romance, investments, purchases, ransom, fake social security, and government agency notices or threats. Or the scam may be phishing, the mass release of unsolicited emails or other messages meant to lure individuals to reveal personal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers.
SafeOC, Orange County’s award-winning public safety website, is constantly updated on the variety of online frauds and scams all should be aware of. It also shares more specific information on how the elderly can remain informed and protect themselves.
According to SafeOC, “Being aware of frauds and scams is increasingly crucial in our digital society.… To stay vigilant, members of the public should remain informed regarding the most common types of scams and frauds.