Fraud Prevention

Last week we attended a class on how to prevent Fraud. There were about 40 seniors who attended the class presented by Investigator Andrew Guest of the Simpsonville Police Department. We learned how to prevent falling victim to fraud and scams. It was well worth the 90 minutes that we spent in this session! Here are some of my takeaways from the session. 

1. Americans lose $300-$600 billion a year in financial crimes. 

2. Isolation, pressure and personal need - 3 things victims have in common. 

3. Types of fraud or scams: 

1. Skimmers

2. overpayment scam

3. Romance Scams

4. Pig Butchering

5. Grandparent Scams

6. Prize Scams

7. Government Impersonation Scams

8. Warranty Scams

9. Counterfeit Medication

10. Rental Home Scams

11. Nigerian “419” Schemes

12. Pyramid Schemes

13. Ransomware

14. Blackmail/Extortion/Sextortion

15. Securities fraud/Investment fraud

4. Watch for grammar and spelling errors in letters and emails. 

5. Scams are easy to avoid!

1. Just hang up!

2. They tell you not to contact the police. 

3. Don’t be pressured. 

4. Don’t give out too much personal information. 

5. Shred old documents. 

6. Don’t put checks in your mailbox. 

6. If it’s too good to be true, it probably is a scam. 

7. When in doubt, check with the police. 

   

   
   
   
   
   
   

Riverbanks Zoo and Gardens Trip

For more photos of our zoo trip, click here. 

On Thursday, we went to the Riverbanks Zoo and Gardens with the 55+ Senior Adults group. This trip was sponsored by the City of Fountain Inn. Thank you to the City of Fountain Inn Council Members, Mayor McLeer, and Administrator Shawn Bell. They were extremely generous for paying for all of our t-shirts, transportation, zoo entrance, and meals. Wow! What a wonderful day everyone had!

54 of us got on a chartered bus at 8 am and left Fountain Inn around 8:30. Sue (Senior Adults Coordinator and Leader) and Heather (co-leader) were in charge and very organized. We all got a goody bag with snacks, water, a map, and an itinerary. I liked knowing what to expect and where we should meet which shows how well organized this trip was. On the way to the zoo, we played a trivia game. Heather asked the questions and Sue gave out prizes.

 

We got to the zoo and after entering, we all went our own way with instructions to meet at the bus by 1 pm. Don and I enjoyed walking around the zoo and seeing the animals. It was also fun to watch the excitement of the school children seeing the animals. I brought along Geoffrey the Giraffe that I knitted so I could take some photos of him at the zoo. After we finished the zoo, we walked across the bridge and took the tram to the gardens. There were so many beautiful flowers to see! We took the tram back to the bridge and walked to the zoo entrance to meet the rest of the group.

 

Everyone showed up on time to leave the zoo. The bus came to get us at the entrance which was nice because I think a lot of us were tired and hot. On the way out, the bus had a little difficulty making the sharp turn out of the parking lot. But after we all got off the bus, the driver was able to get back on track and we were on our way.

 

Our next stop was the Blue Ocean Restaurant in Clinton. They had a private room for all of us to eat and we had a delicious meal.

 

We got back to the senior center around 4:30 safe and sound.

 

We are so lucky to have such a wonderful senior activity program. Don and I take part in the exercise program regularly, and we use the gym to walk laps each day. Last month we took part of the Scavenger Hunt and this month we have signed up for other activities such as the Nutrition Class, helping with the Thrive Upstate Spring Fling, and the Diabetes Support Group. When we talk to people who live in other places, they don’t have a program like this which makes us feel even more thankful that we live in Fountain Inn and have access to these things.

 

Fountain Inn 55+ Senior Adults Program

 

Check out the Senior Calendar for May.

Original Photos by Pat Hensley