Most of us do it several times a day. We have a question, need a phone number or are looking for a website, so we open a search engine and type in our request. What happens next is becoming more and more dangerous.
For the first time since AARP began publishing the Scorecard in 2011, more than half of Medicaid long-term care dollars nationwide for older adults and people with physical disabilities went to home- and community-based services instead of nursing homes and other institutions.
The holiday deals have already begun, but buyer beware – not all of those great deals you see online are legit. Because if the online shopping season has started it means that online scam season has officially begun too.
In August of 2022 the Veterans Administration (VA) began the largest expansion of benefits in its history with the enactment of the PACT Act. The Act, which compensates military personnel and veterans for exposure to toxic chemicals has led to 4.5 million toxic screenings and the expansion of benefits to more than 400,000 individuals. It has also created an opportunity for criminal scammers.
Social media has become a dangerous marketplace. Scammers are great at creating slick ads and professional looking websites and for minimal cost they can force them into your feed. According to the Federal Trade Commission, $2.7 billion in reported fraud losses have been tied to social media since 2021 and 44% of those came from fake sales.
Virginians who provide care for veterans spend on average $11,500 of their personal income on out-of-pocket costs related to caregiving each year—1.5 times higher than what other family caregivers spend.
Scammers are like viruses: they continually evolve in response to the latest news and trends. Here are two scam variations that experts have seen trending so far in 2023.
AARP Virginia is sharing caregiving resources during two November webinars to mark National Family Caregivers Month. The first forum will focus on military families, and the second will delve into financial issues related to caregiving.