Fraud Protection Tips for Seniors

Phishing

This type of scam uses email to lure victims into providing sensitive information. The bogus emails are designed to look like they’re from a legitimate source, such as the IRS or a financial institution, and they usually link to authentic-looking websites where the victim is asked to input online banking passwords, social security numbers, and other sensitive information. As a good rule of thumb, you should never provide your debit or credit card numbers or social security number to anyone over the phone or online unless you’ve initiated the interaction yourself. You should also never share your Online Banking credentials (username and password) with anyone. You can learn more about phishing, as well as smishing, vishing, and other exotic-sounding—but serious!—scams in the resources section of our website.

Mail theft

While phishing is certainly popular with the bad guys, mail fraud and mailbox theft are still incredibly common. Luckily, this scam can be easily avoided by either collecting your mail as soon as it’s delivered or by signing up for a post office box. If you’re headed out of town, ask a trustworthy neighbor to collect your mail for you while you’re away. Better yet, instead of having benefits checks delivered via mail, sign up for direct deposit. Simply reach out to your benefits provider(s) and be prepared to supply your MIDFLORIDA account and routing numbers.

We’re here to help

If you believe you’ve been a victim of a financial scam, MIDFLORIDA is here to help. Contact us if you need to dispute a charge, report a card or checkbook lost or stolen, or have any questions about how you can protect yourself against common financial scams targeting senior citizens.