Sept. 24, 2014 - 7B
The Goldthwaite Eagle
GoldthwaiteEagle.com • (325)648-2244
Tips to Avoid Senior Fraud
Local Farm Bureau Convention Saturday
As the senior population in the United States continues to grow, so does the scope of financial crimes committed against them. In 2012, the Census Bureau estimated that 43 million Americans are over the age of 65. That number is expected to double in the next 40 years. Stealing seniors’ hard-earned money is one of the most prevalent forms of financial fraud that takes place today. Telemarketing and email scams, including fake sweepstakes, are the most common forms of fraud that impact seniors. An important rule to know is that any sweepstakes that requires advance fees or upfront charges is a scam. And in no instances should money be wired to a stranger. Another type of telemarketing scam is the fake governmental agency call. This type of scam involves access to government benefits and includes requests for personal information such as social security numbers or Medicare information. Medicare fraud happens exclusively to the elderly. Every American older than 65 is eligible for Medicare. Scam artists often pose as Medicare representatives to solicit personal information. With some scams, services and screenings are provided through mobile clinics. These mobile clinics will visit senior citizens centers, and personal information is collected to bill Medicare for fraudulent services. Always ask questions about medical services being offered and know that free services should never require that personal information is provided. Funeral and cemetery scams happen far too often as well. This usually happens in two ways. In the first, a perpetrator will scan obituaries and contact the grieving widow or widower with a claim that the deceased had an outstanding debt. Alternately, seniors are exploited by disreputable funeral homes, which will use unfamiliarity with funeral costs to add unnecessary charges. For example, a funeral director might insist that embalming or an expensive casket is necessary for cremation. Texas state law doesn’t require either. More information about Texas mortuary laws can be found by contacting the Texas Funeral Service Commission. Additionally, having equity in a home makes seniors a target for fake mortgage lenders who will offer reverse mortgages, a popular form of home lending for seniors. Scammers will try to sell unsecured reverse mortgages, which can lead to property owners losing their homes. A common tactic is to offer either a free house to live in or cash in exchange for the title to the property. A real estate attorney should always be consulted before pursuing any sort of reverse mortgage. The Grandparent Scam preys upon the hearts of the elderly. A perpetrator pretends to be a grandchild, law enforcement officer or medical professional with a story that the grandchild is in legal or medical trouble and needs money immediately to resolve the issue. This scam is easy to avoid if a senior never provides personal information to anyone over the phone. If someone calls claiming to be a grandchild in trouble, ask about personal information only that person would know. Most seniors will be extremely alarmed when a grandchild
is in trouble and often unwittingly provide verbal clues to a scam artist. Unfortunately, it's not always strangers perpetrating these crimes. According to the National Council on Aging, more than 90 percent of reported elder abuse is committed by an older person’s own family members, most often the adult children, followed by grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and others. The best rule of thumb to avoid being a victim is to never provide personal information to a stranger and don’t send money or provide a credit card number to "verify," "guarantee" or "process" a prize. This information is provided with the understanding that the association is not engaged in rendering specific legal, accounting, or other professional services. If specific expert assistance is required, the services of a competent, professional person should be sought. By Kerry Hall, Vice President
for Information Management, Independent Bankers Association of Texas and provided as a public service by IBAT and its Education Foundation.
By Steven Bridges Eagle Owner According to Mills County Farm Bureau President Jerry Rountree, the Farm Bureau is one of the only organizations focussed on protecting and promoting rural America. Rountree reported to The Eagle that there are currently over 700 family memberships in Mills County. “If you have a ranch in Mills County, or enjoy our rural way of life,
you should be a member of Mills County Farm Bureau,” said Rountree. “The insurance is just a small part of the overall organization.” According to Rountree, Texas Farm Bureau’s mission is to be the Voice of Texas Agriculture. TFB’s Vision—The vision of Texas Farm Bureau is to benefit all Texans through promotion of a prosperous agriculture for a viable, long-
term domestic source of food, fiber and fuel. “Farm Bureau is in Austin and in Washington protecting our rural way of life,” said Rountree. “Whether or not you have the insurance, you should consider being a member.” The Mills County Farm Bureau Annual Convention is set for Saturday, September 27 at 6 pm at the FUMC Family Life Center in
Goldthwaite. A BBQ dinner will be served to members and their guests. Door prizes will be given away and new local directors will be elected by the members during the meeting. “Usually, we have several dignitaries from around the state come to the Mills County Convention,” said Rountree.
Bulldogs Drop Game to Oglesby 80-54 By Steven Bridges Eagle Owner The Mullin Bulldogs lost to a very good Olgesby team Friday night 80-54. According to Bulldog coach Benny Weaver, Oglesby’s offense was just too good against Mullin’s defense. “Our kids played hard and never quit,” said Weaver. “But, Oglesby just had too many weapons of offense. They scored too much for us to keep up.” The Bulldogs tried to keep up with Olglesby in the first quarter only trailing by six points at the end of the period 28-22. In the second quarter, however, Olglesby put up 25 points while the Bulldogs only managed one score. Mullin trailed 53-30 at the half. The Bulldogs were shut out in the third period, while Olgesby added eight points to
their total. The Bulldogs managed to score 24 points in the fourth quarter while holding Oglesby to only 19 points.
The late Bulldog scores helped keep Mullin stay close in the game. The final score was Mullin 80, Oglesby 54. The Bulldogs will hold
Homecoming at Bulldogs Field this Friday night as Mullin hosts Panther Creek. Kick-off is at 7:30 pm.
Mullin Cheerleaders and Twirler are pictured: Back row left to right Cheerleaders- Jessica Horton, Shelbi Shelton, Caitlyn Shelton, Jaylie Schoolcraft; Front Row - Twirler- Lorissa Eicher. Congratulations to the Cheerleaders and the first Twirler Mullin has had in approximately 20 years. Go Dawgs!
Have you been hearing about
identity tHeft in the news recently?
Mills County State Bank is committed to assisting customers in identifying threats to their identity by offering Lifelock, a personal information protection service.
Some of the many benefitS to LifeLock: • monitor your identity • Scan for threats • Respond to identity theft • Watch your credit score MCSB Club account holders are encouraged to sign up for FREE Lifelock protection-one per household. If you are not sure your accounts qualifies for Lifelock, or if you would like to open a new club account, contact a new accounts representative at any Mills County State Bank location.