August 22, 2018: Be careful with Contributions to charities & scam phone calls

Two recent scams which none of our “Alert Residents” have fallen for:

Placer PROTECT is a task force of the Placer County District Attorney’s office. PROTECT is an acronym for Providing Resources & Outreach to Elderly Citizens Together. Click here to see the extensive list of team members.

1) Posted by PROTECT on Facebook on August 14, 2018:

CALIFORNIA FIRE CHARITY SCAMS

Devastating wildfires are spreading across the state of California. Thousands of courageous firefighters are working countless hours in poor conditions to try to contain wildfires that have taken lives, destroyed homes, and torched our communities. Our hearts go out to those who have been evacuated, or worse, have lost their homes.

If you are interested in donating to individuals effected by the California wildfires, please make sure you are donating to a reputable charity. Unfortunately there are scammers who are attempting to take advantage of this crisis and scam generous citizens. Here are some things to keep in mind:

• Donate to charities you know and trust with a track record of dealing with disasters

• Be alert for charities that appear to have sprung up overnight

• Never click on links or attachments from emails claiming to be involved in charity work

• Do not assume that charity messages on social media are legitimate

• If you are not sure about the legitimacy of a charitable organization, visit Charity Navigator or Charity Watch

2) A resident reports that she received two phone calls regarding  a “Social Security problem”. A recorded message indicated that there was a “major problem with Social Security and benefits” and she need to immediately call a phone number.

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