Released by the Florida Consumer e-Newsletter …
Health literacy is the ability to access, understand, and advocate for health information and services to maintain or enhance you own health and the health of others. Another aspect of health literacy is staying abreast of the types of health-related scams and frauds that are currently targeting consumers. Regardless of the form of fraud, there are certain things that consumers can do to avoid becoming a victim. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) offers the following tips to help you stay a step ahead of the scammers.
- Spot imposters. Scammers often pretend to be someone you trust, like a government official, a family member, a healthcare provider, or a company you do business with. Don’t send money or give out personal information in response to an unexpected request – whether it comes as a text, a phone call, an email, or a letter.
2. Do online searches. Type a company or product name into your favorite search engine with words like “review,” “complaint” or “scam.” Or search for a phrase that describes your situation, like “Medicare call.” You can even search for phone numbers to see if other people have reported them as scams.
3. Don’t believe your caller ID. Technology makes it easy for scammers to fake caller ID information, so the name and number you see aren’t always real. If someone calls asking for money or personal information, hang up. If you think the caller might be telling the truth, call back to a number you know is genuine.
- Don’t pay upfront for a promise. Someone might ask you to pay in advance for things like products or services. If you do, they may take the money and disappear.
- Consider how you pay. Credit cards have significant fraud protection built in, but some payment methods don’t. Wiring money through services like Western Union or MoneyGram is risky because it’s nearly impossible to get your money back. The same is true for reloadable cards and gift cards. Government offices and honest companies won’t require you to use these payment methods.
- Talk to someone. Before you give up your money or personal information, talk to someone you trust. Con artists want you to make decisions in a hurry. They might even threaten you. Slow down, check out the story, do an online search, consult an expert – or just tell a friend.
- Hang up on robocalls. If you answer the phone and hear a recorded sales pitch, hang up and report it to the FTC. These calls are illegal, and often the products are bogus. Don’t press 1 to speak to a person or to be taken off a list. That could lead to more calls.
- Be skeptical about free trial offers. Some companies use free trials to sign you up for products and bill you every month until you cancel. Before you agree to a free trial, research the company and read the cancellation policy. And always review your monthly statements for charges you don’t recognize.
- Don’t deposit a check and wire money back. By law, banks must make funds from deposited checks available within days but uncovering a fake check can take weeks. If a check you deposit turns out to be a fake, you are responsible for repaying the bank.