The Chilling Force #3 In Your “Retirement Window” (Part 3)

Are you their next target?

Why is Force #3 Cyber Risk & Scams important in retirement? We covered that thoroughly in the last two newsletters, but the main reason to be aware is…

The scammers know where the money is, in YOUR pocket, Retirees! Hello, TARGET!

You worked 40 years to accumulate more wealth than the average working person, making YOU the Target of the most schemes!

We covered almost 6 of the most common 10 in the last two newsletters (go back to Issues [#004] & [#005] to catch up). Those are extremely common and can devastate your retirement. If you missed those, it should be mandatory reading to protect your retirement nest egg!

1. “Phishing”: Gaining your info by getting you to click on an email
2. APP Fraud: SMS or Texts, “smishing.”
3. Compromised Passwords
4. Software Updates
5. Government & Social Security Imposter Scams
6. Business Impersonation & Shopping Schemes
7. Tech Support, Computer Scams & “Phantom Hacker” Scams
8. Robocalls & Unsolicited Calls
9. Financial Services Impersonation & Fraud
10. Person-in-Need & Grandparents Scams

Today, we’ll cover the remaining 4 common scams, plus a few that may surprise you.

Before we begin, take advantage of learning more about how to protect yourself by downloading our “Savvy Cybersecurity Quick Reference Guide 2026.” (click the picture to download)

Let’s look at a scam that’s becoming more and more common.

Shopping Scams:

It can take many forms. Most of us have received an email or text saying we have an unpaid bill from a company or person we’ve never heard of. Fortunately, most of us are too savvy to fall for that.

Some scams target us just when it’s the “right time”, making us think it’s legit. After a large-scale disaster, they may make up a phony charity or spoof a real charity to trick you out of money. (and your credit card information!)

One that many of us have fallen for is the “free trial” scam. You hear about this fantastic new supplement, cleaner, or other product, and you’re skeptical. But…they offer a “free trial”, just pay a small fee by credit card (maybe for “shipping”).

Then, later, you may see unwanted fraudulent charges, or you may be unable to cancel after the trial period ends, forcing you to pay for the product in question.

Have you ever had trouble canceling a subscription? Or have charges been deducted from your bank account for several months for something you THOUGHT was canceled?

Yeah, we’ve all been there!

https://consumer.ftc.gov/node/77481#Free%20trial

The FTC’s advice? Find the terms and conditions for the offer (I know, we hate to read those!), the length of the trial, and most importantly, HOW and WHEN to cancel if you don’t want to be charged after the trial!

If you can’t find this information or don’t understand exactly what you’re agreeing to, it could be a sign that the company will make returns and cancellations difficult. SKIP the offer!

We’re all looking for bargains in this inflationary time. Perhaps you saw something on Amazon that you liked but wondered if you could get it cheaper elsewhere.

You enter the item name into Google, and it returns a list of places that offer it.

There’s one that is insanely cheap!

How do you know if it’s a closeout bargain or a scam? Ask Google if it’s a scam site! It may tell you there have been many complaints. Or, better yet, check how old the site is. The newer the site, the more likely it’s a scam.

Go to https://smallseotools.com/domain-age-checker/ to find out how old the site is, and enter the suspected URL.

For a quick check on a site, make https://scam-detector.com your go-to when considering a purchase from a new site.

https://scam-detector.com

BTW, yes, yours truly did get caught by one of these a long time ago. No product, no way to get my money back! We become savvier and less trusting after that!

“Brushing Scam”

Have you ever heard of the “brushing” scam? Yes, I was thrown into that one! I didn’t click on anything, didn’t lose any money, but was “used”!

How? A very nice NordicTrack Treadmill arrived at my home from Amazon, with my name and address on it! I hadn’t ordered it, didn’t pay for it. Feeling a bit guilty, we got in touch with Amazon, who asked, “Did it have your name and address on the package?” Yes, it did.

Our “free” Treadmill. Answer from Amazon? “Keep it, it’s yours!” Huh?

While researching this newsletter, I learned that I was used in a “brushing” scheme. A third-party e-commerce seller sends unsolicited items to individuals, then posts a fake “rave review,” increasing their product’s visibility and credibility through fake “verified buyer” reviews.

An interesting scam that didn’t directly hurt me. But who knows how much they made by listing the product higher on Amazon? I was fortunate…

Not every victim is so lucky. Because, regrettably, this scam is often used for products no one would like to admit they ordered…much less give a review on…SEX TOYS! Just imagine a box arrives at your home and your spouse or child opens it? “Brushing” isn’t always harmless!

One last warning about Shopping Scams — BEWARE of Facebook Ads offering “freebies” for people over 50 (Yes, that target IS on your back!).

One such scam says Aldi has a special “meat box for over 50”, for $10! Of course, Aldi has no such program; they just want you to fill out a survey or enter personal details on the website.

Unfortunately, there are many offers on Facebook that are not legit. Be very careful to check out any offer!

Moving on…

Tech Support, Computer Scams & “Phantom Hacker” Scams

We covered a very common Computer Scam…Software and Update Scams in newsletter [#004], giving an example of clients we found had lost over $160,000 to them. How? Go back to review newsletter [#004]!

Tech Support scams often rely on “just-in-time” calls, making it seem logical that you received the call. For example, one of our staff members’ parents received a call right after researching how to reach Apple for support.

He hadn’t yet contacted Apple when a phone caller who said they were from Apple reached him. Not thinking about how they could know to call…. He spoke with them and then received a confirmation email from Apple thanking him for ordering 14 iPhones! Apple said they were told to ship to him, and he would forward them…

Luckily, he was able to reach Apple to cancel the order. Had he received and forwarded them, he would have become part of the scam!

“Phantom Hacker” Scams

We’re all very wary of scams. When we’re told we may be a victim, we want to act swiftly to avoid being taken…therefore, we wind up “being taken”!

How does it work?

Phase 1: You receive a pop-up, text, or email about a computer issue. You’re asked to call for help (to a scammer, unbeknownst to you), allowing the scammer to install software that lets them view your computer!

Phase 2: The Bank or Government Scam begins, pretending to be the bank’s fraud department, the FBI or a federal agent confirming the “hack”.

Scared now, they’re pressuring you to transfer funds immediately to protect your savings from “foreign hackers”. You may remember our client’s story from Issue [#004].

Because of this scam, she lost her entire life’s savings from the bank!

Robocalls & Unsolicited Calls

Our eighth scam on the list has all of us hesitant to even answer our phones! Remember the days when the phone rang, and you looked forward to talking to a friend or relative?

The robocalls are made with AI, just hoping to “catch” someone accidentally by appearing to be your bank, phone company, the IRS, etc. If you have an account with the name and number that appear (but are “spoofed”), you may answer it. Then their scam begins…

It may be an employment scam (and you just happen to be applying for jobs), a charity scam, an “809 Scam”, a “90# Scam, an Auto Warranty Scam, a Cable & Streaming Service Discount Scam, Credit Card Interest Rate Scam, a Free Trial Scam, a Flood Insurance Scam (right after a flood!), Health Insurance Scam, Identity Theft Scam, Medicare Scam, Open Enrollment Scam, One Ring/Wangiri Scam, a Voicemail/Call Back Scam or a Wangiri/One Ring Scam.

Wow! That’s quite a list, and it’s not even close to being complete! To learn more about all of these, visit the FCC Scam Glossary.

https://www.fcc.gov/scam-glossary

I’m sure you’re aware of many of these, but we’ll cover the ones that can cost you today and that you’re probably not familiar with.

What is the “809 Scam”?

A scammer leaves an urgent voicemail (even though you didn’t answer and it never rang) with a callback number from an 809 area code.

It appears to be a three-digit U.S. Area code, but it’s actually an international number. If you call, you’ll be charged international rates while the person answering tries to keep you on the line as long as possible.

This is similar to the “One Ring” Scam…

When your phone rings only once, late at night, you may be tempted to call back. But the call may be from a foreign country with an area code that deceptively resembles one in the U.S.

If you dial back, international calling fees may be added to your bill. These cons are also known by the Japanese term “Wangiri”.

What is the 90# scam?

Someone impersonating a telephone company employee calls your landline phone and asks you to dial 90# to connect to an outside line. (Remember, it’s a numbers game; they’re hoping it’s the telephone company you’re using!)

If you follow the instructions, they can bill THEIR calls to YOUR account!

When your phone rings these days, we know that 9 times out of 10, it’s an unsolicited call. We may be tempted to just not answer the phone, but could it be an important call from a relative? A doctor’s appointment reminder?

How can you be sure you get the calls you want/need and avoid the time wasters, worse yet, the scams?

If the caller is in your contacts on your cell phone, it’s probably a call you’ll want to answer. Occasionally, a contact can be “spoofed,” but it’s usually pretty safe if they’re on your contact list.

If you’re not sure who it is, but you ARE waiting for an important callback from a company or doctor, and you’re unsure of the number, send the call to voicemail!

If you have an iPhone, you can actually read the voicemail as it is left and pick up while the caller is still on the line. On a landline, there’s usually “Caller ID” (though it could be “spoofed”).

Example: I was caring for an elderly friend, Tony, who lived alone.

Now, Tony was a college graduate, a retired Marine, and the White House pianist for three presidents, including Kennedy & Nixon.

Here’s a picture of Tony playing the piano with little John F. Kennedy Junior…

It got to the point where I told him he had to call me about any call that came in and give no information to anyone, no matter how important or enticing the offer sounded.

It got so bad, I really wanted him to stop answering the phone altogether! But of course, that was impossible, because that’s how I could contact him daily.

Why? He had been scammed out of over $20,000 just from phone calls! Why did he fall for these? A common trick used to defraud lonely elders is to become their “friend” over time. Until the person looks forward to the scammers’ calls, because they alleviate their loneliness!

The scammer then swoops in as a trusted “friend” with an offer. The victim believes they couldn’t possibly want to defraud them, because they’re “a friend”.

There are so many robocalls and unsolicited call scams you probably get every day! Many use scare tactics. We must remember, don’t REACT to something that seems urgent or scary, think it through, and talk to someone you trust.

And your best defense if it seems “off”? Hang up!

There’s one more scam, the “Can You Hear Me” Scam! The scam begins when you answer a call, and a person at the end of the line asks, “Can you hear me?” or “Is this [your name]?

The caller records your “Yes” response, giving them a voice signature the scammer can use to impersonate you and authorize fraudulent charges by phone!

Instead of “yes”, answer “I can” or “That’s me!” If you did answer “Yes”, carefully review all your statements from your bank, credit cards, etc., for unauthorized charges!

More explanation of how this can “catch” you, and what to do, is on the FCC Alert:

You can download the FCC Consumer Alert from this link to their website:

https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-344083A1.pdf

This is the world we live in today. I highly encourage you to let an unknown number go to voicemail. And be wary, even if it appears to be your bank, a company you do business with, or even a neighbor!

Financial Services Impersonation & Fraud

Have you heard of Bank Account “smishing”?

You get a text message that appears on the same thread your bank usually texts to you, telling you a hold has been placed on an account and providing a link to reactivate it.

Selecting the link may download malicious software, giving scammers access to banking and other information on your phone!

Do you have investment accounts?

If a scammer gets your personal information, they can attempt to “be you” and convince your advisor or custodian to send them money.

This can be prevented by maintaining an ongoing, close relationship with your advisor and keeping a “Trusted Contact” on file.

We know our clients, their habits, and their families. When we received an email requesting an unusual distribution to one of our clients, we called them to ask if they actually wanted us to send $80,000. The answer, “What? No!”

What if we couldn’t reach our client immediately? We call the Trusted Contact!

Unfortunately, when you’re working with a large broker such as Fidelity, these safeguards may not have been put into place. Check with your broker.

This brings me to something that isn’t considered “fraud”, that sticks in my craw!

Physical gold sales! Why? Isn’t gold a REAL investment? Sure, it is, but there’s a difference between gold bars and gold coins. What is marketed most is gold COINS

Let me give you an example. Remember Tony, my friend I was caring for? He paid thousands of dollars for gold COINS over 20 years, mostly sold to him over the phone.

He felt smart and rich! Now, knowing how difficult it is to sell gold coins, I asked him to PLEASE sell them before he passed away (because yours truly would have to sell them for his estate).

He promised he had sold them. What did I discover? Nope, the gold coins were still there with the “broker”.

It took me a year and a half to sell about two-thirds of them. I finally told the broker, “Just make me an offer. I hope you make a fortune on them, but I just need to get rid of them!”

Bottom line, I got back about the same amount he had paid for all those gold coins many years ago, even though the value of gold had soared!

Gold coins are only worth what someone will pay for that gold coin, not the value of the gold.

And if you do have physical gold because you’ve been scared into believing the economy will collapse, and you’ll have GOLD! What will you do with it?

Take a chip off for a loaf of bread? I don’t think so.

I’ll get off my rant now…

If you get an offer for an investment that returns more than the bank or even the stock market, and carries little to no risk, it’s enticing. Remember, any investment that sounds too good to be true, probably is! (Just like your mother told you!)

Do your homework and ask someone with an investment background to look at it for you!

To begin defending yourself, go to:

What You Can Do to Avoid Investment Fraud

https://www.investor.gov/protect-your-investments/fraud/how-avoid-fraud/what-you-can-do-avoid-investment-fraud

We’ve finally arrived at the last scam we’ll cover in this series…

Person in Need and Grandparents Scams

“Grandparent Scams” are getting more sophisticated. Why?

Grandparents rarely refuse the grandchildren anything! We all know, when those precious grandchildren come over, we give them the candy their parents forbid, let them stay up…

How in the world do they KNOW who your grandchildren are? Well, you TOLD them on Facebook how proud you are of your grandchild graduating high school or college, didn’t you?

Yes, we were proud to see our Korean adopted granddaughter graduate from HS. This May, she graduates from college! How time flies!

By mining social media or purchasing data from cybercriminals, they can create storylines to prey on loved ones’ fears.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, bad actors are using artificial intelligence (AI) and a short audio or video clip to “clone” a loved one’s voice!

They can “spoof” the caller ID to make an incoming call appear to be your grandchild’s phone! The impostor may claim to have been in an accident or to have been arrested.

Of course, the “grandchild” asks the grandparent, “Please don’t let mom and dad know”, and may hand the phone over to someone posing as a lawyer, seeking immediate payment.

Have you ever done something for your grandchild and didn’t want their parents to know? The scammer is preying on your love and willingness to keep something from the parents to “protect” your grandchild!

The scammer is creating a fear response to take advantage of you! Your best defense? Don’t trust the voice. Call the person who supposedly contacted you and verify the story, using the number you KNOW is theirs.

Do you know how to use call blocking and labeling on your mobile device? There are many services available, most for free…

Grab our “Savvy Cybersecurity Quick Reference Guide for 2026” below:

Savvy Cybersecurity Quick Reference Guide for 2023

Get Your Guide

And if you want to know what scams are happening specifically where you live…go to AARP’s “Scam Tracking Map”!

https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/tracking-map/

This has been a long run of how to protect your savings in retirement!

We’re looking forward to next week: The Secrets to a Happy Retirement!

Okay, I’ll leave you with that for now. Have a great rest of your day, and I look forward to seeing you next week.

Take care,

Nora