Monterey, CA IRS Warns Of New Tax Refund Scam

An old couple sitting on the bed in opposite directions

There are always a number of scams targeting seniors and the general population and those in wealthy areas of Monterey County like Carmel, Pacific Grove and Pebble beach are always ripe targets.  The current scam goes like this.  A cardboard envelope shows up from a delivery service with a letter inside using IRS masthead telling you to contact them about your unclaimed refund.  The scammers ask that you take a  copy of your drivers license that clearly displays all four angles, and the photos are taken in a place with good lighting.  They also ask for your cellphone number, bank routing information, Social Security number and additional bank details.  Don’t fall for this!

Pebble Beach, CA IRS Warns Of New Tax Refund Scam

There are always a number of scams targeting seniors and the general population and those in wealthy areas of Monterey County like Carmel, Pacific Grove and Pebble beach are always ripe targets.  The current scam goes like this.  A cardboard envelope shows up from a delivery service with a letter inside using IRS masthead telling you to contact them about your unclaimed refund.  The scammers ask that you take a  copy of your drivers license that clearly displays all four angles, and the photos are taken in a place with good lighting.  They also ask for your cellphone number, bank routing information, Social Security number and additional bank details.  Don’t fall for this!

Pacific Grove, CA IRS Warns Of New Tax Refund Scam

There are always a number of scams targeting seniors and the general population and those in wealthy areas of Monterey County like Carmel, Pacific Grove and Pebble beach are always ripe targets.  The current scam goes like this.  A cardboard envelope shows up from a delivery service with a letter inside using IRS masthead telling you to contact them about your unclaimed refund.  The scammers ask that you take a  copy of your drivers license that clearly displays all four angles, and the photos are taken in a place with good lighting.  They also ask for your cellphone number, bank routing information, Social Security number and additional bank details.  Don’t fall for this!

Pebble Beach, CA Elder Abuse Alert, Beware Of Fraudsters Asking You To Use CashApp, Venmo Or Zelle

An old woman with an injured face

AARP has been great about tracking the latest scams tracking senior citizens, but a surprising number of people continue to fall for scams, mostly pitched over the phone.  First, I have a practice of using caller ID and won’t pick up the phone if I don’t recognize the caller.  This can screen out a lot of the potential scammers.  AARP says that historically fraud operators have tried to get your money in one of four ways—gift cards, wire transfers, cyber currency or cash.  These are all untraceable once you send them.  However, AARP says a fifth form of payment is on the rise, peer-to-peer (P2P) money transfer services like CashApp, Venmo or Zelle.  Beware of anyone asking you to send money using these apps.

Beware Of Fake Telehealth Companies

A doctor holding a stethoscope with his hand

A flurry of start-ups have been advertising on Facebook, Instagram and Tik-Tok touting medications which are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the purpose the advertisement is pushing.  For instance, the Wall Street Journal reported that start-up Home Health ran an ad with a middle-aged man holding a dumbbell and saying testosterone “literally changed my life” restoring his energy and happiness.  The problem is, the man is an actor who has never used the drug and the ad doesn’t mention that testosterone is only approved by the FDA for treating specific disorders and carries with it the risk of heart attacks and stroke.  Beware of these ads,  they have increased significantly since the pandemic began.

Pebble Beach, CA IRS Warns Of New Tax Refund Scam

There are always a number of scams targeting seniors and the general population and those in wealthy areas of Monterey County like Carmel, Pacific Grove and Pebble beach are always ripe targets.  The current scam goes like this.  A cardboard envelope shows up from a delivery service with a letter inside using IRS masthead telling you to contact them about your unclaimed refund.  The scammers ask that you take a  copy of your drivers license that clearly displays all four angles, and the photos are taken in a place with good lighting.  They also ask for your cellphone number, bank routing information, Social Security number and additional bank details.  Don’t fall for this!

Carmel, CA IRS Warns Of New Tax Refund Scam

There are always a number of scams targeting seniors and the general population and those in wealthy areas of Monterey County like Carmel, Pacific Grove and Pebble beach are always ripe targets.  The current scam goes like this.  A cardboard envelope shows up from a delivery service with a letter inside using IRS masthead telling you to contact them about your unclaimed refund.  The scammers ask that you take a  copy of your drivers license that clearly displays all four angles, and the photos are taken in a place with good lighting.  They also ask for your cellphone number, bank routing information, Social Security number and additional bank details.  Don’t fall for this!

Pebble Beach, CA Elder Abuse Alert, Beware Of Fraudsters Asking You To Use CashApp, Venmo Or Zelle

An old woman with an injured face

AARP has been great about tracking the latest scams tracking senior citizens, but a surprising number of people continue to fall for scams, mostly pitched over the phone.  First, I have a practice of using caller ID and won’t pick up the phone if I don’t recognize the caller.  This can screen out a lot of the potential scammers.  AARP says that historically fraud operators have tried to get your money in one of four ways—gift cards, wire transfers, cyber currency or cash.  These are all untraceable once you send them.  However, AARP says a fifth form of payment is on the rise, peer-to-peer (P2P) money transfer services like CashApp, Venmo or Zelle.  Beware of anyone asking you to send money using these apps.

Beware Of Fake Telehealth Companies

A doctor holding a stethoscope with his hand

A flurry of start-ups have been advertising on Facebook, Instagram and Tik-Tok touting medications which are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the purpose the advertisement is pushing.  For instance, the Wall Street Journal reported that start-up Home Health ran an ad with a middle-aged man holding a dumbbell and saying testosterone “literally changed my life” restoring his energy and happiness.  The problem is, the man is an actor who has never used the drug and the ad doesn’t mention that testosterone is only approved by the FDA for treating specific disorders and carries with it the risk of heart attacks and stroke.  Beware of these ads,  they have increased significantly since the pandemic began.

Beware Of Fake Telehealth Companies

A doctor holding a stethoscope with his hand

A flurry of start-ups have been advertising on Facebook, Instagram and Tik-Tok touting medications which are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the purpose the advertisement is pushing.  For instance, the Wall Street Journal reported that start-up Home Health ran an ad with a middle-aged man holding a dumbbell and saying testosterone “literally changed my life” restoring his energy and happiness.  The problem is, the man is an actor who has never used the drug and the ad doesn’t mention that testosterone is only approved by the FDA for treating specific disorders and carries with it the risk of heart attacks and stroke.  Beware of these ads,  they have increased significantly since the pandemic began.