Aging and Disability Network of Saratoga County Meeting Minutes
6/12/18
Attendees: Ben
Nichols (Saratoga County Office for the Aging), Mary Rickard (SAROFA), Rachael
Fragomeni (SAROFA), Denise Yannaci (SAROFA), Patrick Harrington (SAROFA), Mary
Moller (The Alzheimer’s Center at Albany Med- CEAD), Veronica LeStage (VNSNY
Choice), Natalie Turner (CEAD), Kim Arnold (Eddy Alzheimer’s Services), Donna
Rudzinski (Shenendehowa Village), SusanneBernard (JEM, Inc, Section 8), Jane
Kerr Sussman (Saratoga Springs Senior Center), Kallie Atterbury (Saratoga
Springs Senior Center), JoAnn Zales (National Grid), Mary Rosen (CHOICES at St.
Peter’s Hospital), Maria Geizer (Home Instead Senior Care).
Introductions and Announcements:
The next Aging and Disability Network meeting will be held at St. Edward’s
Church in Clifton Park, on Tuesday July 10th from 2-330pm. Sarah
Szewczyk from NYSARC Trust Services will be presenting on pooled trusts as a
way to help people with disabilities and seniors with disabling chronic
conditions meet Medicaid’s income limits to qualify for community-based health
benefits and long-term care services. This program helps people get the care
they need at home while being able to pay bills that allow them to maintain
independence in the community.
Two Save the Dates were given out – The New York State 2018 Lifespan Respite Sustainability Summit will
be held on October 18th at the Hearst Media Center in Albany. This summit
brings together policymakers, researchers, families and statewide partners to
explore respite options, share knowledge and develop ways to come up with more
funding.
From April 30th-May 2nd 2019, the National Lifespan Respite Conference
will be hosted by the NYS Caregiving and respite Coalition and held in Buffalo,
NY.
Also-
To understand the projected and desired needs of older
adults in NYS, Gov. Cuomo has launched a Long-Term Care Planning Council, which
is charged with examining NYS’s long term care system. Please visit this link
to share your feedback on the most important issues facing our long-term care
services system- https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HM9DM97
Today’s topic and
presenter- Smart Seniors – Protecting Seniors from Scams and Frauds, presented
by Michael Sprague of the NYS Office of the Attorney General.
Anatomy of a Scam
It can be fraud,
physical abuse or financial embezzling, most crimes that take advantage of a
person’s trust have the same components and most have roots in the basic scam
or con.
Scam artists use a “hook.” Chances are good it will be one
of these:
• Money or Greed Most of us look for a good deal or dream of
sudden riches.
• Love or Good Will
Good people want to help those they care about.
• Fear and Desperation Ironically, being afraid can make us
less cautious, more open to the promise of a quick fix or unexpected cure.
Common Scams
Sweepstakes or
Contests
Sometimes it’s a
“Foreign Lottery” or a “Random Drawing” or “Millionth Customer” that entitles
you to a cruise, money or new computer.
The news might come over the phone, through the mail, or over the
internet.
Common Components of
the Sweepstakes Scam:
• A request for the “winner” to send a check or to wire
money to cover taxes and fees. Sometimes
the contest notification includes a
check that the winner is to deposit; the
winner is directed to send back a percentage of the money. Legitimate contests
never ask for money upfront.
• A request for your banking information in order direct
deposit your winnings. This is an attempt to steal your identity. They will wipe out your bank account.
• Using a name which sounds like a government agency or
official-sounding authority. The name can be invented: like the “National
Sweepstakes Bureau,” or “The National Consumer Protection Agency.” Neither of these exists. Sometimes they
will use an actual name like the Federal
Trade Commission. The scammers claim
that the government “oversees” the integrity of foreign lotteries. They do
not. This is a scam. Stay Safe, Take Control:
• Never wire money to someone you don’t know who contacts
you; it’s the same as handing over cash.
• Never pay to
collect prize money, whether they ask you to wire money, or send a check to “cover” the taxes or another form
of payment. Legitimate lotteries and sweepstakes deduct the amount you owe the
IRS from the winnings, and you will fill out multiple forms directly with the
IRS.
• Don’t rely on Caller ID. Scammers use technology to make
you believe a call is coming from your area or from Washington, DC.
• Be a friend. If you
suspect a friend or family member is being scammed, try to talk to them about
it. Some signs are stacks of “guaranteed
winner” mail, packages containing jewelry, wristwatches or so-called
“collectibles. “
Grandparent Scam
“Grandma, it’s me…please don’t tell Mom…” Typically, this
scam comes in the form of an urgent phone call.
The caller claims to be “your favorite grandson” or just says “it’s
me”… prompting the grandparent to supply
the needed name. While the emergencies
vary, the scenario is usually this: the “grandson” is out of town and needs money fast -- to make bail, or to pay for automobile repairs or medical
expenses. The caller begs the grandparent not to tell his parents.
Just wire the needed money immediately. Scammers know that parents and
grandparents fear a call that tells them their loved one is in trouble. Each
year, thousands of Americans get caught in the Grandparent Scam. Increasingly,
scammers use actual relatives’ names and information gleaned from social media
and other internet sites. Don’t fall for it.
Stay Safe, Take
Control
• Never wire money to
anyone without verifying their identity.
• Don’t rely on
recognizing a caller’s voice; verify that you know the person on the other end.
• Tell the caller to give you the name and contact
information of the law enforcement agency, hospital or car repair shop they are
dealing with, and verify that the story
the caller told you is accurate.
• Before sending money, speak to your family to find out if
someone is actually out of town and in need of assistance.
Home Improvement Scams
Home contracting schemes are frequently aimed at senior
citizens, perhaps because they are home
more often, are likely to own their own homes, and own homes
that may need repair. Some common approaches are:
The Drive-Bys
The contractor “just passing by” is one of the most common
scams. Sometimes they claim to have done work a couple blocks away and have
leftover material. Other times they notice something wrong: a tree branch down
or some siding loose. In some cases, they actually cause the damage before
offering to do the repairs. These offers for quick, cheap repair usually result
in low quality work such as watered down stain instead of paint, inferior
shingles on only half the roof, or a thin smear of blacktop on the driveway.
These scammers typically demand a payment upfront and, if they actually finish
the job, it probably won’t last.
Free Inspection Scams
Weather proofing, new windows, chimneys: since keeping our homes weather tight is a
high priority, scammers will often offer “free inspections.” They will almost
always find a problem that needs an expensive solution: an expensive pump that needs to be
installed; excavation work on the foundation to waterproof when cleaning
the gutters would work; a new chimney; or new windows when some weather
stripping would do the trick.
Stay Safe, Take
Control
• Be suspicious about
any unsolicited offer to work on your home. Remember, there is no problem so
serious it can’t wait a day or two for you to do some research.
• Ask your friends
and neighbors about who they would recommend. Remember, the best contractors
are found by word of mouth.
• Check out the
contractor with the local Better Business Bureau.
• Get references.
• Use local companies whose address you can verify
. • Avoid unlicensed contractors. Some counties and municipalities require
contractors to be licensed.
• Get more than one written estimate, and make sure the estimates include details about the work
and materials.
• Don’t let a contractor work without the necessary permits
and insurance.
• Don’t assume the lowest estimate is the best deal. Check
the quality of the materials.
• Get it in writing:
a written contract is required by law for work costing more than $500.
• You have the right
to cancel the contract until midnight of the third business day after the
contract was signed. Cancellation must
be in writing.
• Be clear that you
won’t pay for any work or changes in the contract unless it’s agreed upon in
writing.
• Never pay the full
amount up front. Negotiate a payment schedule tied to progress on the job. Make
sure the work is done according to the contract before you make the final
payment.
• If possible, pay by credit card. Otherwise, pay by check.
Never pay cash.
After The Storm Be especially alert following major weather
events, like blizzards or floods. Scammers will take advantage of the number of
people who need repairs.
“I’m doing work around the corner and have material left
over. I can do yours for next to nothing.”
Dealing with Telemarketers
There are legitimate telemarketers and there are scammers,
and there are some who fall in-between. The problem is that they all target
people who are at home during the day and in the habit of answering their
phones. It’s important to keep your
guard up when answering the phone. Here are some things to remember:
• Don’t rely on
caller ID to let you know who the call is coming from. Scammers often
manipulate the caller ID to give you the impression that it is a local call, or
from an “official” location, like Washington DC. Make sure you are familiar
with the company or charity the caller is working for. If not, give yourself
time to check it out before committing to a purchase or contribution.
• Never give out
personal information to an unsolicited caller, that is, someone who initiates
the contact with you. The information
you should withhold includes your birthdate, social security number (even the
last four digits), your mother’s maiden name, your first pet’s name or anything
that might be used as a password or other identifier. You can never be sure if the caller really is
who they say they are.
• You don’t have to commit to anything on the phone. Ask to see a proposal in writing, give
yourself time to research or think about it.
Go back to that anatomy of a scam: legitimate sales people will give you
time to make a good decision.
To read more tips like this, go to https://ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/smart_seniors.pdf
and download the free “Smart Seniors”
booklet form the NYS Attorney General’s office. If you have more questions or
are concerned that you or someone you know is being scammed in some way, please
feel free to contact Michael Sprague, Senior Consumer Frauds Representative,
Consumer Frauds and Protection Bureau at 518-776-2307 or Michael.Sprague@ag.ny.gov
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