AARP Virginia marked Social Security’s 90th anniversary in Roanoke with cake, prizes, and stories from retirees while highlighting concerns about the program’s future funding.
Congress is talking about changes to Medicare again and scammers are listening. Whenever large government programs like Medicare are in the news, criminals will be on the phones hoping to cash in on the surround sound.
If you receive Social Security benefits, the easiest way to change your address and phone number is by creating a personal my Social Security account at www.ssa.gov/myaccount. Once you create your account, you can update your contact information from your preferred location. This feature is available for people who receive retirement, survivors, or disability benefits, along with Medicare enrollees. If you receive Supplemental Security Income, you can check the address that we have on record with your account.
Studies have shown that if you are aware of a specific scam, you are 80% less likely to engage with it, and if you do engage, you’re 40% less likely to lose money or sensitive information. So, when it comes to scams and fraud, knowledge is indeed power. But how can we spread that knowledge around, so more people are empowered to protect themselves?
School supplies have hit the store shelves, but that doesn’t mean it’s too late for one last summer trip. But beware, because the pool of last-minute travel deals is filled with sharks.
Renting a home or apartment is a big expense but it could be an even bigger one if the rental is a scam. Criminals copy legitimate listings and look for easy cash by collecting the first month’s rent, deposit, and application fees and then bolt before handing over the keys. Numerous versions of rental frauds abound – some are bait-and-switch while others will attempt to rent out properties that are already leased or otherwise unavailable.