After leaving a seminar for seniors on how to minimize the possibility of falling victim to scams and identity theft, James and Mary Willey planned to go home and take their Medicare cards out of their wallets.
"I want you to remove all items with your Social Security number on them," Caroline Farmer, the deputy director of the N.C. Attorney General's Office, told those attending the "Scam Jam" program at Joel Coliseum yesterday.
For seniors, Farmer said, that often means taking out the Medicare card because it has the Social Security number on it. The Willeys said that was certainly the case with them.
The Willeys were among about 25 people who came to learn more about how to protect themselves at an education program sponsored by AARP North Carolina, the Better Business of Northwest North Carolina and such state agencies as the attorney general's office, the N.C. Department of Insurance and the N.C. Secretary of State's Office. It was held in conjunction with the second annual Region I Aging Conference.
"There are a lot of things in this world that we don't know about," James Willey said beforehand. "People have new ideas every day, and, if you don't keep up, you're vulnerable."
Farmer focused on preventing identity theft. For people who feel that they need to be able to show they have Medicare in case of an emergency, she suggested making a photocopy of the card and blacking out most of the Social Security number. Far more valuable for an emergency-room doctor, she said, is a list of your medications and the name and telephone number of your personal doctor.
Stephanie Bias, the program coordinator of the Seniors' Health Insurance Information Program of the N.C. Department of Insurance, said to open all statements from Medicare to make sure that there are no charges that shouldn't be there.
And, if someone calls saying that they are from Medicare and wants to come over to your house to meet in person, you can be sure that they are up to no good. "Medicare does not send anyone out to your house," Bias said.
People should be especially wary just after someone dies because scammers may read the obituaries and call pretending that they already have an established relationship with the person who has died.
Farmer also offered such tips as freezing access to credit reports. For seniors who rarely open new credit accounts, that can prevent potential thieves from taking out new credit in their name.
"This is something that you can do proactively," Farmer said. "If you do not get new credit often, I highly recommend it."
■ Kim Underwood can be reached at 727-7389 or at kunderwood@wsjournal.com.
Anti-scam tips
People who want to make themselves more secure by shredding documents might want to stop by the Better Business Bureau's free bulk-shredding program from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at Joel Coliseum. For more information, call 725-8348, or read today's SAM column.
The next Scam Jam in this area will be Oct. 24 at Palmyra United Methodist Church in Germanton. The program is free, but people are asked to preregister by calling 877-926-8300. Scam Jam programs can also be arranged for church and civic groups and other organizations. For more information, contact Greg Tanner, the AARP associate state director at 800-389-5650 or gtanner@aarp.org.
Details on activating a "security freeze" on credit reports is available at www.noscamnc.gov. To stop receiving preapproved credit-card offers, call 888-5OPTOUT, or go to www.optoutprescreen.com. To check the credentials of people dealing in securities, call 800-688-4507.
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